Essential Standard G.1.1

  1. The major river valley for early Chinese civilization was the
  1. Nile
  2. Tigris
  3. Huang He
  4. Euphrates
  1. Which feature of geography was the most important in helping the development of early river valley civilizations?
  1. fertile soils
  2. high mountains
  3. vast deserts
  4. smooth coastlines
  1. Why did ancient civilizations develop in valleys of rivers such as the Nile, Indus, Tigris and Euphrates?
  1. The river valleys provided a source of fresh water and good farmland.
  2. The rivers aided in the exploration of new territories.
  3. The rivers provided power for industries
  4. The river valleys provided areas for recreation.
  1. What civilization developed in the land area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers?
  1. Mesopotamia
  2. Egypt
  3. India
  4. Sparta and Athens
  1. What are the names of two rivers that have their origin in the Himalayan Mountains?
  1. Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
  2. Mississippi and Hudson Rivers
  3. Yangtze and Yellow Rivers
  4. Ganges and Indus Rivers
  1. What was the ancient name for the current region of Iraq?
  1. Ganges
  2. Mesopotamia
  3. Constantinople
  4. Carthage

From the vantage point above the Earth, scientists can study two ribbons of green cutting across the white desert landscape. The northern edge is the Tigris River. The southern

edge is the Euphrates River. It has been given a name that means “Land Between the Rivers.”

  1. What is this area called?
  1. Ganges Plain
  2. Mongolian Plateau
  3. Mesopotamia
  4. Sierra Madre
  1. All of the following are true about the Nile River EXCEPT
  1. it flows north
  2. it floods regularly
  3. it empties into the Atlantic Ocean
  4. it flows through a desert

Figure 1

  1. What would be a good title for the above chart?
  1. Challenges of the 21st century
  2. Ancient Chinese River Civilizations
  3. Effect of Geography on Cultures
  4. Wars of the Ancient World
  1. What rivers should be listed under Mesopotamia?(Figure 1)
  1. Tigris and Euphrates
  2. Amazon and Mississippi
  3. Rhine and Seine
  4. Yellow (Huang He) and Yangtze
  1. The method of farming for ancient Egyptians followed a pattern of flood, plant, harvest, flood, plant, harvest. This repetition of behavior leads us to understand that the yearly flooding timetable for the Nile River must be

(Figure 1)

  1. irregular
  2. regular
  3. unknown
  4. unpredictable
  1. Review the two categories of Protection from Invasion and Degree of Cultural Diffusion(Figure 1). We can assume from the information that
  1. the desert of Egypt encouraged trade with other cultures
  2. the constant warfare experienced by Mesopotamia was a result of its desert isolation
  3. geography can protect from invasion but may isolate a culture from others
  4. the Nile river brought many invasions from seafaring cultures
  1. India is often referred to as a subcontinent. Its geographic barriers separate it from the rest of Asia. These geographic barriers include all of the following EXCEPT
  1. Hindu Kush Mountain Range
  2. Himalaya Mountain Range
  3. Karakoran Mountain Range
  4. Khyber Mountain Pass

Essential Standard G.1.3

  1. The Egyptian god-kings were called
  1. emperors
  2. czars
  3. pharaohs
  4. chiefs
  1. Hieroglyphics and cuneiform systems provided the basis for the development of
  1. subsistence farming
  2. painting and sculpture
  3. oral traditions
  4. recorded history

Answer questions14-16 by reading the passage.

Writing

Some of the first writing was developed in Mesopotamia. Many social scientists credit the Sumerian people for this writing. The writing looked like symbols and was called cuneiform. The Sumerians wrote on clay tablets. Later, the Phoenicians, while still using cuneiform, began to produce their own 22-letter alphabet. This development made it easier for people of the ancient world to learn to read and write. In some ways, their alphabet looked like Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Greeks and Romans adapted the Phoenician writing form to create their own alphabet.

Writing was used in commerce. It was especially important communicating the history of people. It was also a powerful way of letting people know the laws. The first written set of laws was called the Code of Hammurabi.

  1. Which form of writing came first?
  1. Egyptian hieroglyphics
  2. Greek alphabet
  3. Sumerian cuneiform
  4. Phoenician alphabet
  1. What is the name of the Sumerian writing system?
  1. hieroglyphics
  2. cuneiform
  3. Roman numerals
  4. Hammurabi's Code
  1. What was a result of the development of an alphabet in ancient times?
  1. It was easier for people to read and write.
  2. Trade routes opened up from Rome to the cities of China.
  3. The Code of Hammurabi Code was declared useless for the average person.
  4. No one ever used cuneiform again.

A student reads four statements about the final states in Egypt's once proud history. They focus on the Late Kingdom (664-332 BC).(Questions 17-18)

  1. Which of the following statements might be an OPINION?
  1. The Nubians from the south invaded the northern Egyptians
  2. Egypt was conquered by Persia during this period
  3. When Alexander the Great came to Egypt from Greece, he conquered the Persians
  4. Egyptian soldiers were more skilled than the Persian or Greek soldiers
  1. Which of the following statements might be an OPINION?
  1. Artists who painted and sculpted were more talented than anywhere else in the world.
  2. The pharaohs were considered to be gods.
  3. The first pyramids were made with mud bricks.
  4. Ancient doctors knew about the body, antiseptics and surgery.
  1. The ancient Indus (India) Civilization was similar to the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt in that ALL THREE
  1. were protected from invasion by deserts
  2. had monsoon winds that affected crops
  3. were aided by the flooding of major rivers
  4. experienced constant invasions due to open geography
  1. The list beloware ancient
  • Mohenjo-Daro
  • Harappa
  1. leaders of the Indus River Civilization
  2. planned cities of the Indus River Civilization
  3. battles won by the people of the Indus River Civilizations
  4. mountain retreats for religious folk of the Indus River Civilizations
  1. The Indus River Civilization (2500 BC–1700 BC) is best known for its
  1. written history
  2. planned cities
  3. military feats
  4. postal system
  1. The Indus River Civilization is also called the Harappan Civilization because Harappa was
  1. a sacred mountain area
  2. a important archeological site
  3. a Hindu goddess
  4. a famous Indus warrior
  1. One of China's great rivers is the Huang He. It is located in the northern part of China. The Chinese refer to the Huang He as "China's Sorrow." This nickname for the river indicates that it probably
  1. has a history of violent flooding, killing many
  2. dries up most of the year and is a good source of farmland
  3. provides regular irrigation to surrounding areas
  4. has served as a good reliable transportation link

Essential Standard G.1.2

  1. The Sumerians surrounded their cities with thick walls to protect themselves from enemies. The largest structure in the city was a solid brick platform where the temple to the god of the city stood. What is the name given this platform?
  1. a ziggurat
  2. an oasis
  3. an amphitheater
  4. a monastery

Answer questions 25-27 after reading this passage about the Indus River Civilization.

Historians do not know why the Indus River Civilization ended around 1700 BC. Some believe it disappeared because the Indus River may have flooded. This could have destroyed crops needed for survival. Others think that farmers weakened the soil by over planting or over grazing. Some also think it collapsed from an invasion or a natural disaster. Adding to the mystery is the fact that historians find it hard to translate their written language.

  1. A good title for this passage would be
  1. Suspected Reasons for the Disappearance of the Indus Civilization
  2. Historical Proof for the Disappearance of the Indus Civilization
  3. Geography Destroys the Indus Civilization
  4. Indus Civilization Writing Mystery Solved
  1. According to this passage, the reasons for the decline of the Indus River civilization could be categorized as MAINLY
  1. environmental and political
  2. military and political
  3. cultural and economic
  4. environmental and military
  1. According to the passage, the Indus system of writing
  1. is understood by current scholars
  2. never existed among the Indus people
  3. could hold the key to answering many questions
  4. has few details about the history of the area
  1. China built its civilization 1500 years after the Sumerians and 1000 years after the people of the Nile and Indus river valleys. How do historians explain why the Chinese civilization started later?
  1. China did not have any humans living in the area until 1000 B.C.
  2. Chinese people are slow to learn new ideas and dislike change.
  3. China's geography created natural barriers that prohibited cultural diffusion.
  4. China experienced great epidemics due to Western diseases from traders.

Essential Standard G.1.4

There are two forms of the Chinese language – one written and one spoken. In the written language, each symbol stands for an idea, not for a sound, as in English. Thus throughout China, the written language was the same even though people spoke different Chinese dialects throughout the empire.

  1. Having one system of writing probably encouraged Chinese
  1. unity throughout the empire
  2. art expression
  3. trade with foreigners
  4. regional differences
  1. Every society goes through changes. The Chinese explained the change in rulers as the will of the gods. When floods, riots, famines and loss of battles hit China, the people believed that the ruler no longer had the favor of the gods to rule. This favor or power to rule was known as
  1. Divine Right
  2. Mandate of Heaven
  3. Might Makes Right
  4. Rollover Empires
  1. Most of the early Egyptian population settled near the Nile River because
  1. the river was important for the army
  2. many factories were located near the river
  3. this area was the most scenic (attractive) area
  4. the river provided water for farming
  1. A lasting civilization occurred along the Nile River in Egypt. As a result of this ancient civilization, Egypt
  1. invaded Europe
  2. developed a democracy
  3. became a center of trade
  4. lost interest in agriculture

Essential Standard G.2.1

Chart for Questions 33-37

  1. Column B highlights gifts from the ancient river civilization of
  1. China
  2. Indus
  3. Sumer
  4. Egypt
  1. Column Dindicates gifts from which ancient river civilization?
  1. China
  2. Sumer
  3. Egypt
  4. Indus
  1. Column A indicates gifts from which ancient river civilization?
  1. China
  2. Sumer
  3. Indus
  4. Egypt
  1. Column C indicates gifts from the ancient river civilization of
  1. Sumer
  2. Egypt
  3. Indus
  4. China
  1. Compare the contributions of the four ancient civilizations in the chart. One thing they ALL DID was
  1. produce a written language
  2. conquer foreign lands
  3. build extensive fortifications
  4. practice democracy

  1. Two of the most important inventions that we use today, writing and the wheel, both came from the Ancient Civilizations that we just studied. Explain the significance of these two tools for our society today.

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