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History Alive! The Ancient World Ch. 4-6

Total questions: 45

Worksheet time: 57mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Imagine you're stepping back in time to ancient Sumer. What kind of environment would you find yourself in?

a)

low and flat, with little rain

b)

hilly and dry, with many stones.

c)

thickly forested, with heavy storms.

2.
The name of Mesopotamia comes from its location, which was
a)
between two rivers.
b)
in mountain foothills.
c)
near a region of many conflicts
3.

Why were Sumerian communities known as city-states? Dive into history to find out!

a)

Because each of them meticulously kept written records.

b)

They were all united under one massive empire, right?

c)

Each boasted its own ruler and expansive farmland.

4.
Which fact allowed Neolithic people to farm in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains?
a)
Goats can live on dry grass. 
b)
The region had plenty of rain. 
c)
Shallow canals watered the fields.
5.
What development caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills?
a)
overuse of the soil
b)
change in the climate
c)
increase in population
6.

How did the clever folks in the Zagros foothills tackle the tricky problem of not having enough food?

a)

building terraces

b)

moving to the south

c)

constructing reservoirs

7.
One factor that made farming difficult in the area of Sumer was
a)
rocky soil
b)
steep killsides
c)
lack of rainfall
8.

Why did ancient civilizations build those massive dams and reservoirs? Was it...

a)

to create awesome spots for boat parties?

b)

to make fishing a breeze for everyone?

c)

to cleverly store water for times when it was scarce?

9.

Imagine you're time-traveling to ancient Sumer and spot a levee beside a river. What's its purpose? 

a)

to irrigate crops

b)

to prevent floods

c)

to control workers

10.

Why was silt a problem for the people of Sumer?

a)

It crumbled the city walls.

b)

It ruined the soil for planting.

c)

It clogged the irrigation canals.

11.

Why did the villages of Sumer depend on each other?

a)

They formed caravans to safely visit the mountains.

b)

they cooperated to keep the water systems working.

c)

They exchanged different kinds of natural resources.

12.

The people of Sumer constructed moats to

a)

get crops to grow better.

b)

protect cities from attack.

c)

make villagers work together.

13.

In which order did the Four Empires occur?

a)

Assyrian, Babylonian, Akkadian, and Neo-Babylonian

b)

Neo-Babylonian, Assyrian, Akkadian, and Babylonian

c)

Babylonian, Neo-Babylonian, Akkadian, and Assyrian

d)

Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Neo-Babylonian

14.

Hammurabi is best known for

a)

his code of laws.

b)

his postal service.

c)

his military strength.

d)

his system of roads.

15.

What type of power did the Akkadians use to conquer Sumer?

a)

cultural

b)

technological

c)

political

d)

military

16.

All four Mesopotamian empires had the same problem. What was it?

a)

It was difficult to honor their gods properly.

b)

It was difficult to control such a large area.

c)

They could not unite to become wealthy.

d)

The could not conquer other empires.

17.

Who was the first ruler of the Akkadians?

a)

King Nebuchadrezzar II

b)

King Hammurabi

c)

King Naram-Sin

d)

King Sargon

18.

Which ruler of the Neo-Babylonians is most well remembered?

a)

King Nebuchadrezzar II

b)

King Hammurabi

c)

King Naram-Sin

d)

King Sargon

19.

The Babylonians were the first to divide an hour into ___ minutes.

a)

30

b)

40

c)

50

d)

60

20.

Guess the cradle of civilization! Which two rivers cradled the ancient Mesopotamian civilization?

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

21.
Which of the following were members of the upper class?
a)
kings and priests
b)
artisans
c)
merchants and traders
d)
scribes
22.
When the Akkadians under Sargon conquered the city-states of Sumer, they created the first
a)
empire
b)
huge city-state
c)
nation
d)
democracy
23.

Why is Sargon a legendary figure in history?

a)

He united Babylon to create the first empire

b)

He united Mesopotamia and created the first Empire

c)

He united Mesopotamia and made the first civilization

d)

He united Babylon and created the first civilization

24.
The Sumerians invented something that made it possible for their armies to use chariots. What was it?  
a)
harnesses
b)
swords
c)
wheels
d)
horseshoes
25.
The Akkadians used steles to 
a)
attack enemy forces
b)
get water for farming 
c)
record important events
d)
make objects from metal 
26.
How was the legal system of Babylon more advanced than that of other societies at that time?
a)
it put an end to slavery
b)
it used mild punishments
c)
it gave women some rights
d)
it treated all classes the same 
27.

A society has a stable food supply if...

a)

it gives food to the king.

b)

it has enough food for its people.

c)

it buys food from other groups.

d)

it gets food by hunting and fishing

28.

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

a)

the arch

b)

the plow

c)

the wheel

d)

the chariot

29.

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

a)

He was supported by the gods.

b)

He cared most about the poor.

c)

He consulted with wise advisers.

d)

He wanted everyone to be happy.

30.

Which invention added strength and beauty to Sumerian buildings?

a)

Youtube

b)

paints

c)

arches

d)

concrete

31.
The system of levees and canals used to divert water to crops is called __.
a)
Irrigation
b)
Agriculture
c)
specialization
d)
ziggurats
32.
Why did the villages of Sumer depend on each other?
a)
They formed caravans to safely visit the mountains.
b)
They cooperated to keep the water systems working.
c)
They exchanged different kinds of natural resources
d)
They had to fight off attacks from empires to the east
33.
What made it harder to live in the plains than in the Zagros foothills?
a)
The plains lacked natural barriers to keep out enemies
b)
The plains had many hills that made farming difficult
c)
The plains had many stones that needed to be cleared from farmland.
d)
The plains didn't have strong people to build canals.
34.
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
35.

The belief system of a civilization; one God or many Gods

a)

Surplus Food

b)

Cities and Infrastructure

c)

Religion

d)

Written Language and Learning

36.

Creative and cultural expression such as music, dance, and painting

a)

Trade

b)

Arts

c)

Written Language and Learning

d)

Religion

37.

Establish rules and laws to protect the people of the civilization.

a)

Government

b)

Trade

c)

Infrastructure

d)

Arts

38.

Inventions that make life easier

a)

system of tribute

b)

technology

c)

religion

d)

surplus of food

39.

Created this as a way to communicate and learn from others

a)

surplus of food

b)

infrastructure

c)

trade

d)

written language and learning

40.

The Sumerians were a civilization but not an empire. What feature did the Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian empires have that the Sumerians lacked?

a)

One government ruled several groups.

b)

Rulers claimed to get power from the gods.

c)

Many beautiful works of art were produced.

d)

Public works such as irrigation were organized

41.

Guess what? The ancient Assyrians built amazing aqueducts, but do you know why they did it?

a)

to bring water to the city

b)

to raise crops in the dry soil

c)

to let boats pass between rivers

d)

to protect the palace from attack

42.

King Sargon created the world's first empire. They developed their own language. Artists carved beautiful relief sculptures on stones.


Which empire is this?

a)

The Akkadian Empire

b)

The Babylonian Empire

c)

The Assyrian Empire

d)

The Neo-Babylonian Empire

43.

King Hammurabi created a code of laws that applied to everyone in the empire. Agriculture and trade thrived under his rule.


Which empire is this?

a)

The Akkadian Empire

b)

The Babylonian Empire

c)

The Assyrian Empire

d)

The Neo-Babylonian Empire

44.

This empire honored their powerful kings with beautiful palaces and huge sculptures. They built some of the earliest aqueducts.


Which empire is this?

a)

The Akkadian Empire

b)

The Babylonian Empire

c)

The Assyrian Empire

d)

The Neo-Babylonian Empire

45.

King Nebuchadnezzar restored the splendor of King Hammurabi's time. His Hanging Gardens of Babylon became famous.


Which empire is this?

a)

The Akkadian Empire

b)

The Babylonian Empire

c)

The Assyrian Empire

d)

The Neo-Babylonian Empire