The great wall of China

1

100

Great Wall of China

A very long series of walls and buildings built across northern China over many centuries to protect people and trade routes.

200

 The use of science and math to design and build structures, machines, or systems.

engineering

300

1. The average height of the wall is about:

The height of a two-story building

400

1. According to the passage, the Great Wall’s length is about half the distance around:

The Earth’s equator

500

1. Who began the project of unifying many smaller walls into what became the Great Wall of China in the 3rd century BCE?

Emperor Chi Xi Huang

2

100

labor force

A group of people who do the work needed to build or run something.

200

 The ruler of an empire; a leader with more power than a king.

emperor

300

edifice

A large, important building or structure.

400

What unusual ingredient was used in the mortar between the wall’s bricks?

Sticky rice flour              

500

What was one main reason Emperor Huang wanted the wall built?

To protect people from northern invaders

3

100

The Great Wall as we know it today was completed during which dynasty?

Ming Dynasty

200

 A sticky material (like thick paste) used to hold bricks or stones together when building.

mortar

300

dynasty

A sequence of rulers from the same family; a period when a particular family governs a country.

400

 Joined together as one whole instead of being separate pieces.

unified

500

Before the Great Wall was unified, what existed along China’s border?

Numerous smaller fortifications and walls

4

100

invader

A person or group that enters another place by force to attack or take control.

200

 A substance that is part of a mixture or recipe (for example, an ingredient used to make mortar).

ingredient

300

 barracks

Buildings where soldiers live and sleep.

400

 A strong structure, like walls or towers, built to defend a place from attack.

fortification

500

1. Which groups made up the labor force that built the wall?

Soldiers, convicts, and commoners

5

100

The Ming Dynasty occurred roughly between which years?

1368 to 1644 CE

200

1. The average width of the Great Wall is comparable to:

A modern two-lane highway

300

The Great Wall is described as the longest:

Man-made project in the world

400

terrain

The shape and features of the land (hills, valleys, flat areas) that affect how people travel or build.

500

 To force people to join the army or work on a project.

conscript