Which item was invented in China using woodblock printing and became a common leisure activity?

Which item was invented in China using woodblock printing and became a common leisure activity?

• A. Mechanical clock
• B. Paper money
• C. Inoculation
• D. Game cards

Answer: (D)

Playing cards show how woodblock printing could turn a simple idea into a widespread pastime. Woodblock printing made it cheap and easy to reproduce images and text, so decks of cards could be produced in larger quantities and shared widely. In China, this combination—printing tech plus a game-based activity—led to the creation and popular adoption of playing cards as a leisure pastime. The other items, while important Chinese inventions, aren’t tied to being printed via woodblocks for a game or pastime: a mechanical clock is about measuring time, paper money is an economic tool, and inoculation is a medical practice. So the item that fits both the printing method and the leisure use is game cards.

Playing cards show how woodblock printing could turn a simple idea into a widespread pastime. Woodblock printing made it cheap and easy to reproduce images and text, so decks of cards could be produced in larger quantities and shared widely. In China, this combination—printing tech plus a game-based activity—led to the creation and popular adoption of playing cards as a leisure pastime. The other items, while important Chinese inventions, aren’t tied to being printed via woodblocks for a game or pastime: a mechanical clock is about measuring time, paper money is an economic tool, and inoculation is a medical practice. So the item that fits both the printing method and the leisure use is game cards.