Wu Zetian

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/wu-zetian

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Wu Zetian born?Around 624 AD
2. When did Wu Zetian die?December 16, 705 AD (age around 81)
3. Where was Wu Zetian born?Wenshui County, Shanxi Province, China
4. Who was Wu Zetian?She was a woman who became the only female emperor in China. She ruled during the Tang Dynasty and later founded the short‑lived Zhou Dynasty.
5. How did Wu Zetian become emperor?She started as a concubine in the royal palace and later married the emperor. When the emperor got sick, she took charge of the government and eventually declared herself emperor in 690 AD.

Patriarchal: A social system where men hold primary power and authority.
Meritocracy: A system where advancement is based on individual ability or achievement.
Imperial Examination System: A civil service examination system used to select candidates for the state bureaucracy.
Concubine: A woman who lives with a man but has lower status than his wife, often in royal or noble households.