AMI Day 6

AMI Day 7

Chinese History 101

All historians agree that China has a long history. But they cannot agree on how long that

history is. Some say it is 5,000 years. Others say it is 3,000 years. Their difference in

opinion results from a dispute over the actual existence of several mythical figures.

According to local legends, about 5,000 years ago, there was a brutal, ruthless

tribal chief called Chi You. Chi You was said to look like a beast. He had an iron

neck and a bronze head. He ate nothing but stones and pebbles. Chi You was very

violent. He liked to wage wars against neighboring tribes. Since he was the first to

use metal weapons in warfare, his troops had never suffered a loss. Chi You grew more

and more aggressive over time; finally, Yellow Emperor (or "Huang Di" in Chinese),

another tribal chief, decided to build an alliance and get rid of him once and for all. A big

war broke out. Miraculously, Yellow Emperor won. He became the lord overseeing all

tribes.

Under Yellow Emperor's command, people lived a peaceful and happy life. His wife was

said to be the first to raise silk worms. She taught people how to retrieve silk from silk

worms' cocoons. She taught them how to use silk to weave clothes. Because of Yellow

Emperor's many great accomplishments, all Chinese consider themselves the descendants

of Yellow Emperor.

After Yellow Emperor passed away, tribes continued the custom of selecting the smartest

and the strongest tribal chief to be their new lord. But things took a different turn around

21st century B.C.

A very talented man called Yu was appointed by Shun, the lord at the time, to tame

floods in the Yellow River. He spent 13 years doing this. Though Yu encountered many

obstacles and nearly lost his life on several occasions, he never gave up. After numerous

failures, he finally succeeded by building riverbanks and excavating waterways.

Shun was very pleased with Yu's work. He was also very impressed by Yu's

determination and intelligence. Before he died, Shun named Yu as his successor.

Yu was a fair lord. But he revoked the tradition. Instead of passing his power to the next

best tribal chief, he gave it to his son. This transition of power -- from father to son or to

members of the same family line -- marked the beginning of China's first dynasty, Xia.

The Xia dynasty lasted about 500 years. It had 17 kings from 14

generations.

Chi You, Yellow Emperor, Shun, Yu, and the Xia dynasty were all legends. Though they

were mentioned repeatedly in historical texts, archaeologists have yet to unearth enough

evidence to support the claim. Thus, for historians who were dubious about this part of

the history, they regard Shang, not Xia, as China's first dynasty (16th century B.C. - 11th

century B.C.) In this school of thought, China has 3,000 years of history.

Though there is much controversy about the first Chinese dynasty, there is none about the

last. Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866 - 1925) led a revolution in 1911 and overthrew the Qing

dynasty (1644 - 1911.) He established the first republic in Chinese history. Dr. Sun Yat-

sen helped modernize China and introduced the idea of democracy and freedom to his

fellow citizens. He is hailed as the "Father of Modern China."

Questions

___1. From whom did Yu get the power?

A. Yellow Emperor B. Chi You C. Yao D. Shun

___2. All historians agree that Qing was China's first dynasty.

A. false B. true

___3. Who established the Xia dynasty?

A. Shun B. Chi You C. Yu D. Yellow Emperor

___4. A dynasty is a succession of rulers from the same family line.

A. false B. true

___5. If we don't count Xia as China's first dynasty, how long is Chinese history?

A. 2,000 years B. 3,000 years C. 4,000 years D. 5,000 years

___6. Yu was credited for taming floods in the:

A. Songhua River B. Pearl River C. Yangtze River D. Yellow River

___7. According to Chinese legends, who invented silk?

A. Shun's son B. Yellow Emperor's wife C. Chi You's daughter D. Yu's mother

____8. According to Chinese legends, who invented metal weapons?

A. Chi You B. Yu C. Shun D. Dr. Sun Yat-sen

____9. What dynasty did Dr. Sun Yat-sen overthrow?

A. Tang B. Qing C. Shang D. Qin

AMI Day 8

India - Traditions By Ekaterina Zhdanova-Redman

Many Indian traditions are beautiful, many are unusual, and some are very strange. To

many outsiders who have visited India over the years, the traditions and ceremonies of

Indians are the most colorful parts of their trip.

India is a very religious country. Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and Sikhism are the most

common religions in India. All of them have many traditions, ceremonies, and rituals that

are important to Indian daily life. Many, if not most of India's celebrations and

ceremonies, are based on one religion or another.

Most of India's population is Hindu. Hinduism is the main religion in India. It is also

the oldest religion in the world. For India's Hindus, the happiest and most important

festival of the year is Diwali--celebration of lights and fireworks. Diwali is celebrated to

remember a number of Hindu gods. It is celebrated for five days in November. During

this celebration candies and firecrackers are very common.

One festival, called Ganesh Chaturthi, is dedicated to the elephant-headed god Ganesh.

It is held in August and September and celebrated all across India. Indians celebrate this

holiday with firecrackers and religious worship. During the celebrations Indians also try

very hard not to look at the moon!

There are many Muslims living in India. In fact, India's Muslim population is one of the

largest Muslim populations in the world! Muslims in India celebrate the 10-day

Muharram festival during April and May. They celebrate this festival with parades.

Dedicated Muslims also whip themselves out of respect for the Muslim prophet

Mohammed's grandson.

Varanasi is considered to be India's religious capital and is home to several important

traditions. It is situated along the Ganges River. This river is sacred to many of India's

Hindus. According to Hindu tradition, anyone who dies in Varanasi goes straight to

heaven, regardless of his or her religious beliefs.

Varanasi is also home to many ghats--steps or paths that lead down to the Ganges

River. Some ghats are used for ceremonial bathing. Others are used for cremation--the

process of burning dead bodies. The most sacred "burning ghat" in all of India is located

in Varanasi.

Movies also play an important role in Indian culture. Indians love watching movies and

love making movies. Indian movies are very colorful, dramatic, and have a lot of music

and dancing. Centered in Bombay, Indian cinema is known and respected throughout the

world.

India is home to more than one billion people, many of whom live in the cities. Because

of the country's population, many parts of Indian cities are crowded. But because of

India's rich culture, Indians make their cities--and the rest of their country--something

very special and beautiful.

India - Traditions

____1. The Muharram festival is celebrated primarily by: A. Muslims B. Hindus C. Christians D. Sikhs ____2. The most somber Hindu holiday is Diwali. A. True B. False ____3. Ghats are: A. Paths that lead down to a river used for ceremonies B. A kind of elephant C. Buildings used for worship D. Indian trains _____4. Indian cinema is centered in: A. New Dehi B. Calcutta C. Bombay D. Varanassi ____5. During Ganesh Chaturthi, Indians try not to do what? A. Eat for one week. B. Look at other people. C. Sleep D. Look at the moon. ____6. The Ganges River is unimportant to Hindus. A. True B. False ____7. "Burning ghats" are used for what purpose? A. Cooking food B. Cremation C. Washing D. Dancing ____8. India is a very religious country. A. True B. False

AMI Day 9

The Roman Republic

For centuries, Italy's Rome has been an important city, playing a pivotal role both

culturally and politically. According to the legend, a pair of twin brothers built Rome

from scratch in 753 B.C. As the construction was underway, they quarreled over the

height of the city walls. In a rage, Romulus killed Remus. After that, he named the city

after himself and became the first ruler of Rome. He reigned 36 years.

The story of Romulus and Remus is fascinating. But its authenticity is very much in

doubt.

Historians have long established the fact that Rome had existed since 900 B.C. By about

600 B.C., a group of people called the Etruscans (pronounced "ih-TRUS-kunz") took

power in Rome. They ruled it for nearly a century. Though the Etruscans left behind

many imprints, we know very little about them. In fact, we cannot even say for sure

where they came from. Some scholars believed that the Etruscans were indigenous

people of Italy. Others believed that they were immigrants from Asia Minor (today's

Turkey). Regardless of their origin, we know for certain that the Etruscans spoke a

language different from that in Rome. We also know for certain that their authoritarian

style of governing was very unpopular. In around 510 B.C. or 509 B.C., the Romans

revolted. They expelled the last Etruscan king, Tarquinius Superbus (pronounced "tahr-

KWIN-ee-us soo-PUR-bus", also known as Tarquin the Proud).

With the Etruscans gone, the Romans decided that they would never want to go back to

the days of monarchy. To avoid giving too much power to a single person, they came up

with the idea of the republic.

In this new form of government, all citizens who had the right to vote could participate in

the selection of their leaders. Once a year, they elected two consuls. The individuals who

won the office acted on the advice given by the senate. They were responsible for

enforcing the laws and policies of the Roman Republic. Because the

consuls would later become senators after their one-year term in office, they almost

always did what the senate wanted them to do. As the two men met and discussed state

affairs, they attempted to reach unanimous decisions. In the event of a disagreement,

minor affairs would be dropped. But serious matters would not. If the disparity dragged

on, the Roman law allowed the senate to appoint a dictator. This person would act as a

king, but his absolute power was only good for six months.

In the early days of the Roman Republic, all the senators were the nobles or the

patricians. This arrangement did not sit well with the commoners or the plebeians. As the

distrust worsened, the plebeians went on strikes. In 494 B.C., they set up their own

assembly. They declared that the assembly's tribunes (elected once a year) had the power

to reject any decision made by Roman officials or even the senate. Their struggle to gain

recognition from the patricians gradually took root. In 450 B.C., the patricians agreed to

one of the plebeians' main demands and, thus, gave rise to the Law of the Twelve Tables.

The Twelve Tables, hung openly in marketplaces for everyone to see, codified the

Roman laws and constitution. It was applied equally to all citizens. Encouraged by the

victory, the plebeians continued to fight for their rights. In 367 B.C., they overturned the

law that barred them from being consuls. In 287 B.C., they expanded the assembly's

legislative power from making laws for the plebeians only to making laws for all Roman

citizens!

As the government structure continued to take shape, the Roman armies went on to

conquer new territories for the Republic. The added land did not bring joy. Instead, it

brought forth a big problem. Some suggested the land be given to the plebeians. Others

refused. The dispute paralyzed the entire nation. Soon, civil wars erupted. Just when the

Roman Republic was heading toward total destruction, a general named Julius Caesar

rose to power.

Julius Caesar was a military genius who fought and won numerous wars. In 49 B.C., he

led his troops back to Rome and waged wars against the senate. He won. The senate

made him a dictator the following year. Under Roman law, a dictator could rule for only

six months. But the senate made an exception, allowing him to be dictator for life. As

Caesar's power continued to grow, some senators began to feel uneasy. They felt Caesar

had gone too far and had become too powerful. They decided to get rid of him. On March

15, 44 B.C., they assassinated him in a gathering.

The death of Caesar pushed Rome into turmoil again. The chaos lasted for more than ten

years. In the end, Caesar's adopted son, Octavian, managed to quash all the opposing

forces and won the civil war. The senate awarded him the title of Augustus (meaning

"highly respected") in 27 B.C. It also gave him the absolute power to rule Rome,

effectively making him a king. From that point forward, ancient Rome was once again

under the control of monarchy. Though Augustus never coined the term "Roman

Empire", historians all agree that he was the first emperor of this newly united kingdom.

Thus, 27 B.C. became both the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the

Roman Empire.

Questions

___1. When was the Roman Republic established?

A. 510 B.C. B. 600 B.C. C. 450 B.C. D. 287 B.C.

___2. When did the Roman Republic end?

A. 49 B.C. B. 31 B.C. C. 27 B.C. D. 44 B.C.

___3. The Etruscans ruled Rome before the Roman Republic.

A. False B. True

___4. Who ended the Roman Republic?

A. Julius Caesar B. Augustus C. Alexander the Great D. Tarquin the Proud

___5. How often was the election of consuls?

A. Once every five years B. Once a year C. Once a month D. Once a quarter

___6. Which of the following about the consuls in the Roman Republic is true?

A. The commoners in the Roman Republic did not gain the right of being a consul until

367 B.C.

B. When the two consuls disagreed with each other, they could take turns making the

final decision.

C. Everybody in the Roman Republic, regardless of his or her citizenship, could

participate in the election of consuls.

D. Consuls in the Roman Republic often made their own decisions. They rarely followed

the senate's advices.

___7. Under the Roman laws, how long could a dictator hold the power?

A. 18 months B. 12 months C. 3 months D. 6 months

___8. The purpose of the Twelve Tables was to make all the citizens aware of the Roman

laws and constitution.

A. True B. False

___9. Why did the plebeians establish their own assembly in 494 B.C.?

A. Because they wanted to have equal rights as the patricians

B. Because they wanted to get more land

C. Because they wanted to have the freedom of speech

D. Because they were bored

___10. Who killed Julius Caesar?

A. Octavian B. Mark Antony C. Cleopatra VII D. A group of senators

AMI Day 10

Romulus and Remus

Every ancient culture had a story about its origin. Rome was no exception. The thing

about those stories is that most of them, if not all, were just legends. As legends, their

reality is in question. The lack of supporting evidence makes us unsure if the events

actually took place or not. Though the truth may be lost forever, we should not discount

those stories. They give us a theory of how everything began.

Here is the legend about Rome.

A long time ago, there was a small country called Alba Longa. Numitor was the king of

this small country. One day, Amulius, Numitor's evil brother, decided to become king

himself. He staged a coup and sent Numitor to exile. After claiming the throne

successfully, Amulius turned his focus on Rhea Silvia, Numitor's daughter.

Amulius was not afraid of Rhea Silvia. But he was afraid of the children she could have

when she married. He thought the children would be a big threat. They could seek

revenge and overthrow him. How horrible that would be!

As Amulius pondered a solution, a great idea came to mind. He could make his niece a

priestess to the goddess of Vestal. As a priestess, she could never get married and have

children. Without the children, he would have nothing to worry about. Pleased with the

idea, he saw to it right away. He forced Rhea Silvia to take a vow and become a priestess

to the goddess of Vestal. He had her living in a temple.

For a while, the plan seemed to be working as Amulius had hoped. Then, an unexpected

thing happened.

Mars, the god of war, visited Rhea Silvia in the temple. The two fell in love. Several

months later, Rhea Silvia gave birth to twin boys. When Amulius heard the news, he was

very mad! He did not like surprises! To control the damage, he gave out two orders. The

first was to put his niece in a prison. The second was to put the babies in a basket and

throw the whole thing into the River Tiber. Amulius thought he had everything taken care

of this time. He was happy again.

Unknown to him, the babies did not die. The current washed the basket ashore. Once it

reached dry land, a she-wolf (female wolf) came and nurtured the two boys with her

milk. She stayed and looked after them for quite some time. Then, a shepherd named

Faustulus found the two boys. He brought them home. He and his wife adopted them.

They named the twins Romulus (pronounced "RAHM-yuh-lus") and Remus (pronounced

"REE-mus").

Years went by. The twins grew up healthy and strong. They became shepherds like

Faustulus. One day Remus had a fight with another group of shepherds. He lost and was

sent to face those shepherds' boss, Numitor. When Numitor saw Remus, he noticed how

unusual the young man was. He asked him a lot of questions. Before long, Numitor

realized that this young man was not an ordinary shepherd. He was his grandson! After a

tearful reunion, he told Romulus and Remus what had happened all those years ago.

Upon hearing of Amulius's devious acts, Romulus and Remus were very mad. They

vowed to seek revenge and overthrow their great uncle. True to their words, they did

exactly that. They killed Amulius. And they restored Numitor as the rightful king of Alba

Longa.

Romulus and Remus stayed with their grandfather in Alba Longa for a while. But they

got bored. They decided to go back to the place where Faustulus had found them and

build a city there. As the construction was underway, Romulus and Remus argued over

the height of the city walls. Romulus thought the walls were fine. Remus disagreed. He

insisted that they were too low. The two bickered and fought. In the midst of argument,

Remus jumped over the walls to prove his point. Romulus was furious. He did not like to

be mocked or teased. He charged toward his twin brother and killed him on the spot!

With Remus gone, Romulus became the sole ruler of this new city that stood over seven

hills. He named it after himself. He called it Rome. The year, according to the legend,

was 753 B.C.

In the early days of Rome, its citizens were an undesirable bunch. As outlaws and

fugitives, they were the residents that no other city would take. Romulus, however, did

not care. He invited them to stay. Soon after they settled in, they noticed that the city had

more men than women. To solve the problem, Romulus decided to steal women from the

Sabines, a tribe living nearby. He organized a festival and asked the Sabines to come and

celebrate with his people. When the Sabines arrived, the Romans abducted their women.

This daring act made the Sabine men very angry. They went back and prepared for war.

As the two sides collided, the abducted women stepped in. They pleaded with men on

both sides to make peace. Their words worked. The war stopped. The Romans and the

Sabines united. Romulus and Titus Tatius, the Sabine king, ruled the new nation together.

Several years later, Titus Tatius died. After that, Romulus governed alone for about three

decades.

The rumor had it that Romulus did not die of old age. He merely disappeared in a violent

storm on February 17, 717 B.C. The Romans believed that he had been taken up to

heaven on that day and made a god. They began to worship him under the name of

Quirinus. To show their respect, they had a festival in his honor once a year on February

17. They called the festival Quirinalia.

Now you know the legend of Romulus and Remus. Do you think the story is true?

Romulus and Remus

____1. For how many years did Romulus rule Rome?

A. 47 years B. 36 years C. 62 years D. 71 years

____2. Whom was Rome named after?

A. Romulus B. Remus

____3. Who discovered Romulus and Remus first when they were abandoned to die in

the River Tiber?

A. a dog B. a cat C. a she-wolf D. a donkey

____4. According to the legend, what year was Rome built?

A. 717 B.C. B. 792 B.C. C. 753 B.C. D. 726 B.C.

____5. Who was the first ruler of Rome?

A. Romulus B. Remus C. Amulius D. Titus Tatius

____6. Why did Romulus kill Remus?

A. because Remus committed a crime B. because Remus mocked him

C. because Remus stole his money D. because Remus wanted to kill him

____7. How many hills was Rome built on?

A. five B. nine C. seven D. eleven

____8. Who was Romulus and Remus's father?

A. Numitor B. Amulius C. Titus Tatius D. Mars

_____9. On what day did the Romans celebrate Quirinalia?

A. February 17 B. January 11 C. December 25 D. July 14

____10. What was Remus's first job?

A. a soldier B. a shepherd C. a security guard D. a fisherman