Reading Comprehension ANCIENT CHINA GEOGRAPHY Ancient China’S Geography Shaped How Its Culture and Civilization Developed

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ANCIENT CHINA GEOGRAPHY Reading Comprehension ANCIENT CHINA GEOGRAPHY Ancient China’s geography shaped how its culture and civilization developed. It was isolated from much of the rest Deserts of the world by deserts to the west and north, large mountains to the Mountains south, and the Pacific Ocean to the Coastline east. This isolation led the Chinese to develop independently outside other ancient civilizations. RIVERS There were two major rivers that flowed through ancient China. The Yellow River ran through northern China, while the Yangtze went through southern China. These rivers provided fresh water, fertile soil, food, and transportation for the ancient Chinese. These rivers were the focus of Chinese poetry, art, folklore, and literature. YELLOW RIVER Known as the “cradle of Chinese civilization,” the Yellow River was home to the first Chinese. The Yellow River is the sixth longest river in the world at 3,395 miles. It is also known as the Huang He River. Small villages were built along the banks of the Yellow River by early Chinese farmers. The rich yellow soil was good for growing millet, a grain. Sheep and cattle were also raised in this area. The Yellow River is sometimes called “China’s Sorrow” due to the terrible floods that have occurred throughout history when its banks overflowed. YANGTZE RIVER South of the Yellow River, the Yangtze is the third longest river in the world at 3,988 miles. Like the Yellow, it runs west to east across China. It also played a vital role in the civilization and culture of ancient China. The Yangtze had warm and rainy climate, great for growing rice.

©Teaching to the Middle Land along the Yangtze became important and wealthy. The Yangtze was a boundary between northern and southern China. It was wide and difficult to cross. MOUNTAINS The Himalaya Mountains were located in the south and southwestern China. They are the highest mountains in the world, creating an almost impassable border for ancient China. They kept the Chinese isolated from other ancient civilizations. The Himalaya were important to Chinese religion and considered sacred. The melting snow from the Himalayas created the headwaters for China’s most important rivers, the Yellow and Yangtze.

DESERTS Two of the world’s largest deserts, the Gobi and Taklamakan were located to the north and west of ancient China. Along with the Himalayan mountains, these deserts provided a barrier to isolate the ancient Chinese from others. The Mongols lived in the Gobi desert though and frequently raided northern Chinese cities. The Great Wall of China was built to protect the ancient Chinese from these invaders. The Gobi and Taklamakan were almost complete opposites of one another. The Taklamakan was much smaller than the Gobi, but it was given the nickname “Sea of Death” due to its extreme temperatures and poisonous snakes. The Gobi Desert, the fifth largest desert in the world, is cold with sharp temperature differences. The temperature could change 60 degrees in less than 24 hours. Frost and snow could be found in the sand and gravel dunes of the Gobi. Early settlers survived in these deserts by finding oases deep within the desert that provided great places for growing crops, raising animals, and building mud-brick homes. The Silk Road, a major trade route, traveled through both deserts.

©Teaching to the Middle Name ______Ancient China- Geography Matching: Match each term with its description. 1. ____ Huang He A. Major mountain range in China 2. ____ Yangtze B. Cold desert in China 3. ____ Himalaya C. Desert known as the “Sea of Death” 4. ____ Mongols D. Another name for the Yellow River 5. ____ Yellow E. Invaded Chinese from the north 6. ____ Gobi F. Major trade route that ran through China 7. ____ Taklamakan G. Northern Chinese river 8. ____ Silk Road H. Rice grew well along this Chinese river

Multiple Choice: Choose the best answer.

9. How did ancient China’s geography mainly impact their culture and civilization? A. Natural resources made them much more advanced than other cultures of the time. B. Natural barriers isolated them from other ancient civilizations. C. The people in ancient China were forced to adapt to the harsh climate. D. Rivers made it easy to travel to other ancient civilizations to trade.

10. Why was the Taklamakan Desert mainly known as the “Sea of Death?” A. It was very cold there. B. It is full of poisonous snakes and extreme temperatures. C. Many traders died there while traveling along the Silk Road. D. The temperature was extremely hot all the time.

11. How did the Himalayan Mountains impact the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers? A. The mountains blocked storms from the rivers. B. The mountains provided fertile soil for the rivers. C. The melting snow from the mountains created headwaters for both rivers. D. The mountains provided structural support for the rivers.

12. Why is the Yellow River also known as “China’s Sorrow?” A. There have been many devastating floods on its banks. B. Many ancient Chinese were killed by the Mongols there. C. Many ancient Chinese were killed in a major battle there. D. Many people drowned in the river.