Vocabulary

Question 1

Mainland Southeast Asia is crossed by __________, or mountain ranges that run side-by-side.

Answer 1

cordilleras

Question 2

The Huang He (Yellow River) flows across northern China. The river carries tons of fine, yellow-brown soil called _______.

Answer 2

loess

Question 3

China’s other great river is the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River). It flows through spectacular ________, or canyons, and broad plains before reaching the port city of Shanghai.

Answer 3

gorges

Question 4

Among the minerals found here are tin, iron ore, chromium, manganese, nickel, and _________. The mineral of __________ is used to make lightbulbs and rockets. (Both blanks are the same word)

Answer 4

tungsten

Question 5

Forests provide valuable woods. _______ is harvested in Myanmar, Indonesia, and Thailand. _______ is a type of wood that is used to make buildings and ships because it is strong and durable. (Both blanks are the same word)

Answer 5

Teak

Is not capitalized in the middle of sentences

Question 6

Sometimes a weather pattern of a dry summer followed by a harsh winter occurs. Mongolians fear this pattern, called a ______.

Answer 6

dzud

Question 7

Deforestation has led to ___________, when soil is washed down the treeless hillsides, burying villages in mud and killing villagers.

Answer 7

landslides

Question 8

Silk, tea, spices, paper, and fine clayware called __________ were sent along the Silk Road as far as the Mediterranean.

Answer 8

porcelain

Question 9

A line of rulers from a single family, called a ________, would rule until another _________ overthrew it.

Answer 9

dynasty

Question 10

The people were counted in a _________ so taxes could be collected more accurately.

Answer 10

census

Question 11

People staged dramas and wrote long fictional stories called _______.

Answer 11

novels

Question 12

European countries and Japan claimed parts of China as ________ __ ___________, or areas where a single foreign power has exclusive trading rights.

Answer 12

spheres of influence

Question 13

Singapore is a _____ _____, which means that goods can be unloaded, stored, and shipped without payment of taxes.

Answer 13

free port

Question 14

In Japan, the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Yokohama are so close together that they form a supersized urban area called a ___________.

Answer 14

megalopolis

Question 15

Some paintings include poems written in an elegant brush stroke called ____________, or the art of beautiful writing.

Answer 15

calligraphy

Question 16

__________ are temples that are several stories high, with tiled roofs that curve up at the edges.

Answer 16

Pagodas

would not be capitalized in the middle of a sentence

Question 17

Japanese poets write ______, a short poem—usually about nature—that follows a specific structure.

Answer 17

haiku

Question 18

In rural Mongolia, people live in circular houses called _____ that are made of animal skins.

Answer 18

yurts

Question 19

Other countries have protested China’s restriction of ______ _______, or such basic freedoms as freedom of speech and religion.

Answer 19

human rights

Question 20

Because of limited farmland, farmers practice ___________ ______________, meaning they grow crops on every available piece of land.

Answer 20

intensive agriculture

Question 21

The government also passes laws that make it difficult for other countries to sell their products in Japan. As a result, countries like the United States have a ______ ________ with Japan. This means they buy more goods from Japan than they sell to it.

Answer 21

trade deficit

Question 22

Some Japanese homes are traditional, with wooden floors covered by straw mats called ________.

Answer 22

tatami

Question 23

For special occasions, they wear a long silk robe called a __________, which has an open neck and large sleeves.

Answer 23

kimono

Question 24

_______, the Japanese style of animation that began in the late 1900s, is also popular at home and worldwide.

Answer 24

Anime

Is not capitalized in the middle of sentences

Question 25

Koreans adapted ___________, a type of Chinese pottery, by changing its color and cutting designs into the pots.

Answer 25

celadon

Question 26

Koreans also produced a writing system called ________ that is similar to Chinese but uses only 28 characters.

Answer 26

hangul

Question 27

After the war ended in 1953, a _________________ ______ (_____) separated the two countries.

Answer 27

demilitarized zone (DMZ)

Question 28

It introduced _____ ________, in which large estates were divided into family farms.

Answer 28

land reform

Question 29

Myanmar also exports __________ ______, or valuable stones like rubies, sapphires, and jade.

Answer 29

precious gems

Question 30

______________, or tropical trees that grow along the coasts, help maintain the coastal environment.

Answer 30

Mangroves

Would not be capitalized in the middle of a sentence

Question 31

Strips of land called _________ _______ are cut out of the hillsides like stair steps.

Answer 31

terraced fields

Question 32

Japan forms an ___________, or chain of islands, in the Pacific Ocean.

Answer 32

archipelago