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WorksheetsS.S.- Ch. 3.1- Geography of Mesopotamia
Total questions: 113
Worksheet time: 1hrs 15mins
Which statement best explains why historians chose the name Mesopotamia for the region where Iraq and eastern Syria are now located?
The region had highly fertile soil.
The region was bordered by river on two sides.
The region contained the world's first unified nation.
The region was occupied by a diverse group of peoples.
Mesopotamian traders were able to ship goods to other civilizations by sending them
in the small satchels of passing nomads
along unused irrigation canals
on river boats to the Persion Gulf
by donkey caravans over the Zagros Mountains
The success of ancient Mesopotamia shows the importance of which of these factors for the development of civilization?
military power
food production
mineral resources
architectural knowledge
The Mesopotamians developed new technologies to control the flooding rivers and bring water to crops. They built tall embankments, called levees or dikes. In order to build dikes and levees, ancient Mesopotamians had to solve which of these technological problems?
how to divert the river for long enough to allow the construction workers to do their job
how to build tall earth walls that would not be easily eroded by strongly flowing water
how to bring heavy rocks from the mountains to the lowlands where they were needed
how to mix clay and straw to make bricks strong enough to withstand strong currents
Just north of Eridu, the city of Ur was another important settlement. The ruins of Ur lie about halfway between the modern city of Baghdad and the opening of the Persian Gulf in the Arabian Sea. A wealthy person in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur was most likely to have grown rich by
selling supplies to river boat owners and sea captains
importing and selling luxury goods from other civilizations
owning a large amount of farmland in the surrounding area
manufacturing and selling clay bricks for buildings and dams
What was the main benefit provided by the floods in ancient Mesopotamia?
highly fertile soil
strong natural defense
removal of waste-generated pollution
a steady supply of fresh drinking water
The city of Ur became a major center of trade in ancient Mesopotamia. Which detail about the statement of Ur supports this claim?
It had large temple storehouses and maintained a strong central government.
It was built on highly fertile soil with an extensive system of irrigation canals.
It was located near the Mediterranean Sea and forged connections with Egypt.
It was located on the Euphrates River in close proximity to the Persian Gulf.
The flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers every spring brought both benefits and drawbacks. The floodwaters brought fertile silt to the land. But even with this rich soil, it was still difficult to farm. Mesopotamians could not predict when the floods would occur or how high the floodwaters would reach. The flow was so unpredictable that it sometimes washed away crops, or caused the river to change course. Although flooding caused some problems, it also helped ancient Mesopotamians overcome which problem that modern societies still face?
disease
invasion
pollution
hunger
Which statement best explains why flood control was important to ancient Mesopotamia?
Flooded rivers were an important power source.
The rivers were the main source of transportation.
Important trade routes cut across the flood plains.
Annual flooding often damaged crops and settlements.
The technology that helped create irrigation canals proved to have the greatest impact on the development of the division of labor in ancient Mesopotamia. Which statement provides the strongest support for this conclusion?
Irrigation canals brought water to the crops.
The widespread irrigation produced high crop yields.
Irrigation canals helped prevent flooding of villages.
The water levels in irrigation canals could be raised or lowered.
What resource was brought to ancient Mesopotamian city-states by the flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers?
clay for bricks
nutrient-rich soil
clean drinking water
an abundant supply of fish
Which of these present-day countries is located where ancient Mesopotamia once existed?
China
Egypt
India
Iraq
Developments in metal working in ancient Mesopotamia provided which of these for farmers?
lighter wagons
stronger plows
sturdier fences
better irrigation pipes
In which way did the Babylonian Empire improve Mesopotamia's system of trade?
by expanding overland trade routes
by creating standard trade laws and tax rates
by using the military to protect traveling trade merchants
by keeping careful written records of supplies and trade transactions
Which statement best explains why ancient Mesopotamians had a surplus of food?
Farmers used metal tools and advanced irrigation systems to increase crop yields.
Scientists developed hybrid crop strains that were resistant to common plant diseases.
Trade networks brought a variety of grain and animal products from other civilizations.
Every citizen was required to perform some kind of agricultural labor during part of the year.
Buying and selling goods and services is.....
commerce
trade
bartering
economy
A large group of territories and people who are ruled by a single leader is a(n).......
king
monarch
empire
nation
Products used to satisfy the wants and needs of the people are.....
items
goods
tools
customs
A method of controlling water and using it to water crops is.....
planting
sowing
civilization
irrigation
Which response best describes irrigation systems?
canals, ditches, and dams
levees, dikes, and dams
canals, dams, and ditches
levees or dikes, canals and ditches, and dams
An area of land that is mostly flat with gentle slopes is a.....
plain
plateau
prairie
valley
An area of land that has a relatively high elevation is a .....
plain
plateau
prairie
valley
A small region of land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers is.....
Egypt
India
Mesopotamia
Sumer
One of the world's oldest civilizations located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers is.....
Egypt
India
Mesopotamia
Sumer
Tradition-oriented economy, a.k.a. traditioal economy, is .....
an economic system that relies on traditions or customs to determine the answers to the three basic questions: What to produce? How to produce? For whom to produce?
an economic system that relies on the government to run it.
an economic system that relies on the people of the land
an economic system that controls the irrigation systems
What time of the year do the rivers mainly flood.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Which part of Mesopotamia were the mountain ranges found?
Northern
Eastern
Southern
Western
The Sumerians used technology to do what?
Fly around Mesopotamia.
Irrigate their crops.
To use in communications.
Plan out cities.
Which region was hotter and dryer in Mesopotamia?
Northern
Eastern
Western
Southern
The Taurus are mountains.
True.
False
The Tigris is a mountain.
True
False
The Zagros is a mountain range.
True
False
The Euphrates is a river.
True
False
Writing in Mesopotamia is called_______________
Irrigation
Cuneiform
Gilgamesh
Domestication
What did the Sumerians put into writing before any other society?
irrigation
Religion
Law
Academics
The rivers were important to Mesopotamians?
True
False
Greek word meaning land between two rivers
Fertile Crescent
Mesopotamia
civilization
city-state
a highly advanced society
city-state
civilization
domestication
agriculture
the taming of wild animals for people's use
agriculture
civilization
specialization of labor
domestication
the use of land to grow crops
domestication
irrigation
surplus
agriculture
more of something than needed
specialization of labor
surplus
civilization
domestication
an independent city and its surrounding farmland
city-state
civilization
Mesopotamia
Fertile Crescent
the assignment of different jobs based on skill and need
specialization of labor
domestication
civilization
city-state
How did the development of agriculture lead to the development of the first civilization?
It gave people a chance to be nomadic.
It forced people to believe in the same religion.
It allowed people to settle in one place.
It limited the jobs people could do.
Which of these below was a result of the Mesopotamians being provided a surplus of crops?
The Mesopotamians invented chariots.
Gods and Goddesses lived on Earth with the Mesopotamians.
Civilizations began fighting over the food source.
It led to increased trade.
Animal that was domesticated in ancient Mesopotamia for wool and meat.
goats
sheep
dogs
oxen
Animal that was domesticated in ancient Mesopotamia for meat and milk.
goats
sheep
dogs
oxen
Mesopotamia is letter B.
Mesopotamia is letter C.
Mesopotamia is letter A.
Which environmental factor is the most important in determining where civilizations settled?
Water
Topography
Minerals
Vegetation
How did civilizations use minerals?
Metal tools and weapons
Watering crops
Building shelter
Flat/fertile farmland
Why was the yearly flooding important in Mesopotamia?
It created a lake for fishing.
It provided an area for swimming.
It washed away the dirt and mud.
It deposited silt, or fertile soil for farming.
How did Mesopotamians protect themselves from invaders?
Built irrigation ditches to keep invaders out.
Hid out on the surrounding mountain tops.
Built fortified walls of mud brick.
Prayed to the god of war.
The flat land bordering the banks of a river is called (a)...
irrigation.
floodplain.
silt.
gulf.
The green area of the map is known as what?
Mesopotamia
The Tigris and Euphrates River Valley
The Middle East
The Fertile Crescent
Why was it called the fertile crescent?
When the rivers overflowed it washed fertile silt onto the shores so plants could grow easily in the entire region
The people there were farmers
The people in this region invented irrigation
The crescent shaped area was filled with dense forests filled with fruit trees
What is the name of the easternmost river?
Tigris
Euphrates
What is the name of the westernmost river?
Tigris
Euphrates
Which of the following shapes is a CRESCENT
Why were the people of Ancient Mesopotamia so successful in creating a civilization?
They used irrigation to control the rivers in order to grow large amounts of crops
They weren't very successful because their crops would be washed away in the floods
They caught so much fish that they could trade it with other communities and didn't need to worry about growing crops
The silt washed up onto the land making it more fertile
What was the name of the mountain range on the eastern border of the fertile crescent?
Zorg Mountains
Akkadian Mountains
Sumerian Mountains
Zagros Mountains
The sea that makes up the western border of the fertile crescent is the
Black Sea
Red Sea
Caspian Sea
Mediterranean Sea
How did the ancient Sumerians solve the problem of constant attacks from neighboring cities?
they irrigated the land
they moved from the foothills to the plains
they built walls around their cities
What did the mountain ranges and deserts provide for the civilizations of Mesopotamia?
protection from other civilizations
building materials
a place to send criminals
an area for temples
What continent is Mesopotamia located on?
Asia
Europe
Africa
North America
What modern countries occupy the area known as Mesopotamia?
Iraq
Syria
Egypt
China
Where do the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers end?
the Atlantic Ocean
the Mediterranean Sea
the Persian Gulf
the Arctic Ocean
How did the ancient Sumerians solve the problem of maintaining a complex irrigation system?
they work together to unclog the system, by scooping silt out of the canals
they work alone to unclog the system, by scooping silt out of the canals
the created new canals around the broken ones
How did the ancient Sumerians solve the problem of a food shortage in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains?
they moved from the foothills to the plains
they began hunting and gathering again
they reduced their population
they planted new crops that grew better in the mountains
When did the Sumerians begin to build powerful city-states constructing large ziggurats?
1077 BCE
1750 BCE
4000 BCE
1792 BCE
A climate that is hot and fairly dry is considered
drought
humid
semiarid
tropical
When not enough rain or snow falls in an area over a long period of time, the result is called a
floodplain
drought
irrigation
flood
What did Mesopotamians make out of gold?
weapons
storage containers
plows
jewelry
What did ancient Mesopotamia have in common with other early civilizations?
Mesopotamia contained a fertile river valley.
Mesopotamia developed a strong central government.
Mesopotamia was settled by people who migrated out of Africa
Mesopotamia relied primarily on trade to provide its food supply
The growth of trade between ancient Mesopotamia and other civilizations contributed to
the size of the surplus food supply
the importance of irrigation systems
the increase in wealth and population of cities
the power of scribes and government officials
Ancient Mesopotamians believed that the power of the king came from A. the gods B. the people C. his parents D. his intelligence
the gods
the people
his parents
his intelligence
The development of metal tools contributed most to ancient Mesopotamian farmers’ ability to A. plant a wide variety of fruit trees B. cultivate fields close to the river banks C. use domesticated animals to pull plows D. grow enough food to support a large population
plant a wide variety of fruit trees B. cultivate fields close to the river banks
cultivate fields close to the river banks
use domesticated animals to pull plows
grow enough food to support a large population
Which Mesopotamian invention had the greatest impact on travel and trade?
the wheel
the plow
writing
the calendar
How did calendars contribute to growth in cities in ancient Mesopotamia?
They notified more people of important feast days, which brought visitors and increased wealth to the cities.
They helped farmers plan their crops to avoid floods, which allowed them to grow more food and to feed more people in the cities.
They caused people who believed that the astronomers who created calendars could predict the future to move closer to the cities to hear the predictions.
They helped leaders to predict when neighboring armies would attack, and defend the cities, allowing them to grow.
What does The Epic of Gilgamesh suggest about Sumerian beliefs about gods and goddesses?
The gods and goddesses were remote and uninterested in human beings.
The gods and goddesses behaved much like human beings but had superhuman powers.
The gods and goddesses were actually under the control of human beings.
The gods and goddesses controlled humans’ thoughts and actions and could never be challenged
How did the development of cuneiform change the relationship between the city-states in ancient Mesopotamia?
It allowed the city-states to become even more independent as they developed their own symbols.
It helped the city-states develop written constitutions, which protected citizens from being conquered by foreign enemies.
It allowed the city-states to unify and communicate more efficiently.
It helped the city-states to create their own laws, which kept them separated from other city-states.
Which statement describes an effect of the development of cuneiform on Mesopotamian society?
Only the wealthy were taught to read and write cuneiform and benefited from its development.
Writing was used only for business transactions and not for entertainment.
Conflicts over ownership of land and other items decreased because citizens had a record of purchase
Children from all economic levels and genders were forced to learn to write by the region’s leaders.
What is the name of the earliest piece of written literature that still survives today?
The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Elegy for Enkidu
The Ode to Ishtar
The Ballad of the Babylonian Wars
Which development made overland travel and trade easier in ancient Mesopotamia?
the use of donkeys to pull carts
the construction of metal river boats
the invention of paved road surfaces
the standardized system of road tolls
The Tigris and Euphrates River begin in the
Taurus Mountains
Mediterranean Sea
Persian Gulf
The Zargos Mountains
What is the climate of Mesopotamia?
Cold and dry
Cold and wet
Tropical, with abundant rainfall
Hot, dry with little rainfall
What caused the population of Mesopotamia to grow?
A dependable food supply
The gods blessed families with many children
The spread of disease was not an issue
The people of Mesopotamia had good hygiene
