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The Rise of the Sumerian City-States

Total questions: 10

Worksheet time: 5mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Civilization in Mesopotamia developed between which two rivers?
a)
the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean
b)
the Tigris and the Persian Gulf
c)
the Persian Gulf and the Euphrates
d)
the Euphrates and the Tigris
2.

Why were Sumerian communities called city-states?

a)

They all depended on each other for water

b)

Each of them had its own ruler and farmland

c)

They were all part of one great empire

3.

What development caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills?

a)

fighting between villages

b)

overuse of the soil

c)

increase in population

4.

What solution did people in the Zagros foothills find to fix the problem of food shortages?

a)

building terraces

b)

moving to the south

c)

constructing reservoirs

5.

Why did the rivers flood in the spring?

a)

Ice that had formed on the rivers broke into bits.

b)

Strong winds blew from the Persian Gulf

c)

Snow melted in the mountains where the rivers began.

6.

Why was silt a problem for the people for Sumer?

a)

It ruined the soil for planting.

b)

It clogged the irrigation canals.

c)

It wasn't a problem at all

7.
If you were in ancient Sumer, you might see a levee beside a river. Why was the levee built?
a)
to load barges
b)
to irrigate crops
c)
to prevent floods
d)
to control workers
8.
The system of levees and canals used to divert water to crops is called __.
a)
Irrigation
b)
Agriculture
c)
specialization
d)
ziggurats
9.
Conflict over water caused Mesopotamians to ________________________________________ around their cities.
a)
build walls and moats
b)
spread out
c)
build larger farmlands
d)
move far away from
10.
Using natural resources found in the environment, Sumerians built strong walls with
a)
bricks made of mud.
b)
logs with pointed tips
c)
reeds cut near the rivers.
d)
rocks shaped into squares.