Unit 2 Ancient Mesopotamia/Americas Quiz

The name of Mesopotamia comes from its location, which was

• between two rivers

• in mountain foothills

• near a region of many conflicts

• at the site of the earliest cities

One factor that made farming difficult in the area of Sumer was

• rocky soil

• steep hillsides

• lack of rainfall

• growth of weeds

Why did the rivers flood in the spring?

• Heavy rain fell throughout the area

• Strong winds blew from the Persian Gulf

• Ice that had formed on the rivers broke into bits

• Snow melted in the mountains where the rivers began

If you were in ancient Sumer, you might see a levee beside a river. Why was the levee built?

• to prevent floods

• to load barges

• to irrigate crops

• to control workers

A society has a stable food supply if

• it gives food to the king

• it has enough food for its people

• it buys food from other groups

• it gets food by hunting and fishing

The Sumerian civilization had a social structure with different social levels and jobs. A social structure is the way a civilization is organized.

• the way in which taxes a king collects from each class

• how much scribes record social events

• the way a civilization is organized.

• how the government treats the lower classes

Which one of these inventions most affected the food supply in Sumer?

• the arch

• the plow

• the wheel

• the chariot

Which Sumerian belief about the king helped strengthen the social order?

• He was supported by the gods

• He cared most about poor people

• He consulted with wise advisers

• He wanted everyone to be happy

What was a problem caused by Sumerian city-states' independence from one another?

• They were unable to trade crops with one another.

• They did not cooperate to build irrigation systems.

• They had very few different natural resources available.

• They could not defend themselves against stronger groups.

How did the Akkadians get the resources to build up their capital city?

• mined precious stones in the mountains

• collected tribute from conquered peoples

• expanded irrigation to grow bigger crops

• printed paper money to buy what it needed