Unit 2 Assessment

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 load barges

• to irrigate crops

• to prevent floods

• 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.

• how much in taxes a king collects from each class.

• the way scribes record social events.

• 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