WorksheetsChapter 4: The Rise of Sumerian City-States
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 5mins
The name of Mesopotamia comes from its location, which was...
at the site of the earliest cities
between two rivers
in mountain foothills
The environment of Sumer was...
low and flat, with little rain
hilly and dry, with many stones
high and cold, with sharp mountain peaks
Why were Sumerian communities called city-states?
They all depended on each other for water
Each of them had its own ruler and farmland
They were all part of one great empire
Which fact allowed Neolithic people to farm in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains?
The region had plenty of rain
Goats can live on dry grass
Harsh climates are good for grains
What development caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills?
fighting between villages
overuse of the soil
increase in population
What solution did people in the Zagros foothills find to fix the problem of food shortages?
building terraces
moving to the south
constructing reservoirs
One factor that made farming difficult in the area of Sumer was...
lack of rainfall
growth of weeds
steep hillsides
Why did the rivers flood in the spring?
Ice that had formed on the rivers broke into bits.
Strong winds blew from the Persian Gulf
Snow melted in the mountains where the rivers began.
What was the chief purpose of dams and reservoirs?
to store water for later use
to protect villages from attack
to allow travel by boat
Why was silt a problem for the people for Sumer?
It ruined the soil for planting.
It clogged the irrigation canals.
It wasn't a problem at all
