Name: ______Class: ______Date: ______ID: A

Fertile Crescent

Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____ 1. Which word characterizes the soil of the ? a. Unproductive c. Dry b. Rich d. Rocky ____ 2. What was the role of priests in Sumerian civilization? a. Lead the economy c. Communicate with gods b. Introduce new technology d. Run farms ____ 3. How did a steady food supply affect the development of Sumerian cities? a. It allowed people to stay in one place. b. It made it more difficult for people to travel. c. It ruined the quality of the land. d. It made living in cities unnecessary. ____ 4. Who were the first kings in Sumerian civilization? a. Priests c. Scribes b. Farmers d. Military leaders ____ 5. What led to the conquest of ? a. The unification of city-states c. The fighting among city-states b. The peace among city-states d. The wealth of city-states ____ 6. What was an effect of Sargon’s troops moving through the Fertile Crescent? a. Languages were maintained across the region. b. Much of was divided. c. The Akkadians and Sumerians no longer used the cuneiform system of writing. d. Akkadian and Sumerian cultural traits spread throughout the region. ____ 7. What city became the center of Hammurabi’s Mesopotamian empire? a. Babylon c. Ur b. Lagash d. Umma ____ 8. What pattern did the laws in Hammurabi’s Code follow? a. Punishment, offense c. Offense, punishment b. Punishment, explanation d. Offense, explanation ____ 9. What did Sumerian sculptors create that was different from earlier sculptures? a. Iron pieces c. Hanging gardens b. Realistic statues of humans d. Assyrian-style statues

1 Name: ______ID: A

____ 10. Which of the following is NOT an example of how the Persian empire encouraged local self-government? a. Leaders of provinces were allowed much independence. b. Persian rulers forced people to follow the same customs and obey the same laws. c. Local laws were allowed and not replaced with Persian laws. d. People could practice their own traditions, as they had for years. ____ 11. How did Cyrus the Great’s treatment of the Jews of Jerusalem differ from that of Nebuchadnezzar? a. Cyrus believed in only local government, while Nebuchadnezzar did not. b. Cyrus allowed the Jews to live in Jerusalem, while Nebuchadnezzar banished them. c. Cyrus believed in only central government, while Nebuchadnezzar did not. d. Cyrus banished the Jews from Jerusalem, while Nebuchadnezzar allowed them to stay. ____ 12. How did Assyrian rulers control an empire that stretched across the Persian Gulf and into ? a. They maintained one unit of government. b. They maintained many units of government. c. They gave up control of some of their territory. d. They limited how far their empire could expand. ____ 13. did not have its own supply of ivory, so it traded for ivory with other regions, which meant that, for the Phoenicians, ivory was a(n) a. import. c. natural resource. b. export. d. impossibility. ____ 14. How did sailors’ use of the North Star help Phoenician trade? a. The North Star helped sailors earn more money. b. The North Star helped sailors travel across land faster. c. The North Star helped merchants find more customers. d. The North Star helped sailors guide their voyages more accurately. ____ 15. How did the Phoenician alphabet improve upon the cuneiform writing system? a. It took longer to write. c. It involved fewer symbols. b. It required more memorization. d. It did not depend upon sounds. ____ 16. The Phoenician alphabet was based on a. syllables. c. sounds. b. words. d. vowels. ____ 17. Which of the following was NOT used by the Sumerians? a. Cuneiform c. Alphabet b. Wheeled carts d. Boat sails ____ 18. What geographic features(s) was/were extremely important to Sumerian farming? a. Taurus and Zagros mountains c. Sinai Peninsula b. Syrian Desert d. Tigris and Euphrates rivers ____ 19. Why did Assyrians become so skilled at fighting after the fall of Babylonia? a. They had to protect Babylon. c. They had to fight many invaders. b. They had to battle the Persians. d. They had to expand their empire.

2 Name: ______ID: A

____ 20. Which of the following is true of Mesopotamia relief sculpture? a. It is flat along the base material. b. It has details that stick out from the base material. c. It is found only on Sumerian seals. d. It is found only on steles. ____ 21. In the Persian empire, who controlled the central government and who controlled the local governments? a. Military leaders controlled the central government and the Persian ruler controlled the local governments. b. The Persian ruler controlled the central government and military leaders controlled the local governments. c. Local leaders controlled the central government and the Persian ruler controlled the local governments. d. The Persian ruler controlled the central government and local leaders controlled the local governments. ____ 22. How did the Sumerians’ development of bronze help them as a society? a. It allowed them to make stronger weapons. b. It allowed them to irrigate. c. It allowed them to move away from the Fertile Crescent. d. It helped them free themselves of priests and kings. ____ 23. Which of the following was NOT included in the Ur-Nammu law code, the earliest written code of laws? a. Laws about marriage c. Laws about fighting Babylonia b. Laws about harming others d. Laws about slavery

3 Name: ______ID: A

____ 24. The ancient city of Babylon, located near present-day _____, became the center of a new Mesopotamian empire under Hammurabi. a. Amman, Jordan c. Tehran, Iran b. Damascus, Syria d. Baghdad, Iraq ____ 25. Which of the following best describes how the geography of the Fertile Crescent helped link the city-states of Sumer? a. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers served as waterways for the transport of goods between the city-states. b. Due to advances in irrigation and agriculture, the people of the Fertile Crescent were able to grow more crops. c. The waters of the Tigris and Euphrates carried silt from the mountains to improve the farmlands of the plains. d. New technology such as wheeled carts helped make trade more widespread in the Fertile Crescent. ____ 26. One of the laws of Hammurabi’s Code reads “If he break another man’s bone, his bone shall be broken.” Though this might sound cruel by modern standards, why might such laws encourage social order? a. Since there were few doctors who could repair broken bones, people might be unwilling to break laws. b. Social order is only possible under cruel governments. c. People might be less willing to break laws if they see that there are strong consequences for those who do. d. Hammurabi believed that the only way to keep the peace was to have laws that were strict and harsh.

4 Name: ______ID: A

____ 27. Which of the following was NOT a reason why the introduction of gold coins helped the Persian empire economy grow? a. Gold coins were accepted currency across the empire. b. Gold coins could only be used by the wealthiest Persians and the king. c. Gold coins assigned a uniform value to goods. d. Gold coins made trade possible in far-off provinces of the empire.

____ 28. Study the map above. What do you notice about the geography of Mesopotamia? a. The cities form a ring of defense against invading armies. b. The location of the cities made it easy for trade merchants to reach the Mediterranean Sea. c. The plain between the rivers seemed ideal for the development of communities. d. The mountains and deserts made trade between the cities difficult. ____ 29. Choose the correct pairing of Fertile Crescent leader and his accomplishment. a. Cyrus the Great and the conquest of Babylon b. Gilgamesh and the invasion of Kush c. King Sargon and the building of Nineveh d. Hammurabi and the founding of Zoroastrianism

5 Name: ______ID: A

____ 30.

Which body of water do you think was the most important for Phoenician trade routes? a. Atlantic Ocean c. The Adriatic Sea b. Black Sea d. The Mediterranean Sea

6 ID: A

Fertile Crescent Answer Section

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. ANS: B PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 111 OBJ: S.3.1.1 Students will know that fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers supported the earliest known civilization. STA: SS.6.G.2.3 Analyze the relationship of physical geography to the development of ancient river valley civilizations. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Civilization of Sumer KEY: fertile soil | Fertile Crescent MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 111. NOT: As the rivers flooded their bank each spring, fertile soil was spread over the plain. 2. ANS: C PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: pp. 113–114 OBJ: S.3.1.2 Students will know that priests and kings had great power in the city-states of Sumer. STA: SS.6.W.2.4 Compare the economic, political, social, and religious institutions of ancient river civilizations. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Civilization of Sumer KEY: priests | religion MSC: Remediation: Go to SE pages 113 and 114. NOT: Priests communicated with the gods so that Sumerians could know what the gods wanted them to do. 3. ANS: A PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 112 OBJ: S.3.1.1 Students will know that fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers supported the earliest known civilization. STA: SS.6.G.2.4 Explain how the geographical location of ancient civilizations contributed to the culture and politics of those societies. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Civilization of Sumer KEY: food supply | agriculture | cities MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 112. NOT: Once Sumerians had a dependable food supply, they could settle in one place and create a more organized society. 4. ANS: D PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 116 OBJ: S.3.1.2 Students will know that priests and kings had great power in the city-states of Sumer. STA: SS.6.W.2.4 Compare the economic, political, social, and religious institutions of ancient river civilizations. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Civilization of Sumer KEY: king | city-state MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 116 NOT: The first Sumerian kings were the military leaders of the different city-states. 5. ANS: C PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 118 OBJ: S.3.2.1 Students will know that Sargon formed the world’s first empire by conquering the Sumerian city-states. STA: SS.6.W.2.8 Determine the impact of key figures from ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The First Empires KEY: empire | Sargon | city-state MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 118. NOT: Fighting among Sumerians weakened the city-states. These conflicts eventually led to outside forces conquering the region. 6. ANS: D PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 119 OBJ: S.3.2.3 Students will know Sargon conquered Sumerian city-states to create an empire. STA: SS.6.W.2.8 Determine the impact of key figures from ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The First Empires KEY: Sargon | cultural trait MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 119. NOT: As Sargon’s troops moved throughout the Fertile Crescent, they brought their cultural traits with them. Sargon changed the language the government used and united much of Mesopotamia.

1 ID: A

7. ANS: A PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 120 OBJ: S.3.2.2 Students will know that the Babylonian emperor Hammurabi created an important legal code. STA: SS.6.W.2.7 Summarize the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The First Empires KEY: Babylon MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 120. NOT: Under Hammurabi, the formerly unimportant city of Babylon became the center of a new Mesopotamian empire. 8. ANS: C PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 122 OBJ: S.3.2.4 Students will know Hammurabi’s Code defined laws that united the empire. STA: SS.6.W.2.7 Summarize the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The First Empires KEY: Hammurabi’s Code MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 122. NOT: In Hammurabi’s Code, each law first describes the offense, then describes the punishment for that offense. 9. ANS: B PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 131 OBJ: S.3.3.3 Students will know that the cultures of Mesopotamia created a rich artistic tradition. STA: SS.6.W.2.7 Summarize the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Assyrian and Persian Empires KEY: Mesopotamian art | sculpture MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 131. NOT: Sumerian artists were the first to carve statues of people that looked a lot like real humans. 10. ANS: B PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 128 OBJ: S.3.3.2 Students will know that the Persian empire balanced local self-government with central power. STA: SS.6.W.2.4 Compare the economic, political, social, and religious institutions of ancient river civilizations. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Assyrian and Persian Empires KEY: Persian empire | self-government MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 128. NOT: Persian rulers, beginning with Darius the Great, encouraged local self-government. Leaders were allowed independence, and long-standing laws and traditions were permitted to remain in place. They did not make them follow the same customs and obey the same laws. 11. ANS: B PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: pp. 125–127 OBJ: S.3.3.2 Students will know that the Persian empire balanced local self-government with central power. STA: SS.6.W.2.4 Compare the economic, political, social, and religious institutions of ancient river civilizations. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Assyrian and Persian Empires KEY: Cyrus | Jerusalem | Nebuchadnezzar MSC: Remediation: Go to SE pages 125-127. NOT: Nebuchadnezzar banished many Jews from Jerusalem, while Cyrus the Great allowed them to return. 12. ANS: B PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 125 OBJ: S.3.3.1 Students will know that Assyrian armies conquered a vast empire that stretched from Mesopotamia southwest into Egypt. STA: SS.6.W.2.4 Compare the economic, political, social, and religious institutions of ancient river civilizations. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Assyrian and Persian Empires KEY: Assyrian MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 125. NOT: To keep control over such a large empire, Assyrian rulers divided the empire into 70 smaller units of government called provinces.

2 ID: A

13. ANS: A PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 133 OBJ: S.3.4.1 Students will know that the Phoenicians were ocean traders who spread their culture over a wide area. STA: SS.6.E.3.4 Describe the relationship among civilizations that engage in trade, including the benefits and drawbacks of voluntary trade. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Phoenicians KEY: import | export | Phoenicia MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 133. NOT: For Phoenicia, ivory was an import, or a good sold within a country that is produced in another country. 14. ANS: D PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 135 OBJ: S.3.4.3 Students will know Phoenicians spread Mesopotamian civilization through ocean trade. STA: SS.6.G.5.2 Use geographic terms and tools to explain why ancient civilizations developed networks of highways, waterways, and other transportation linkages. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Phoenicians KEY: navigation | North Star | Phoenicia MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 135. NOT: Phoenician sailors used the North Star as a guiding point with which they could calculate their location. 15. ANS: C PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: pp. 136–137 OBJ: S.3.4.2 Students will know that the most lasting contribution of the Phoenicians was the development of the alphabet. STA: SS.6.W.3.1 Analyze the cultural impact the ancient Phoenicians had on the Mediterranean world with regard to colonization (), exploration, maritime commerce (purple dye, tin), and written communication (alphabet). TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Phoenicians KEY: Phoenician alphabet MSC: Remediation: Go to SE pages 136–137. NOT: The Phoenician alphabet consisted of only 22 symbols, which were easy to memorize and write, and stood for single sounds instead of symbols or entire words. 16. ANS: C PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: pp. 136–137 OBJ: S.3.4.4 Students will know the Phoenician alphabet was a significant contribution. STA: SS.6.W.3.1 Analyze the cultural impact the ancient Phoenicians had on the Mediterranean world with regard to colonization (Carthage), exploration, maritime commerce (purple dye, tin), and written communication (alphabet). TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Phoenicians KEY: Phoenician alphabet MSC: Remediation: Go to SE pages 136–137. NOT: The Phoenician alphabet was based on single consonant sounds. 17. ANS: C PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 113 |p. 115 OBJ: S.3.1.3 Students will know that Sumerian achievements included new technology, a written language, and epic poetry. STA: SS.6.W.2.7 Summarize the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Civilization of Sumer KEY: Sumer | technology | cuneiform MSC: Remediation: Go to SE pages 113 and 115. NOT: Sumerians used wheels on carts and sails on boats. They also invented the cuneiform writing system. Centuries later, the Phoenicians developed the first alphabet. 18. ANS: D PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 111 OBJ: S.3.1.4 Students will know the Fertile Crescent sustained the first known civilization. STA: SS.6.G.2.1 Explain how major physical characteristics, natural resources, climate, and absolute and relative locations have influenced settlement, interactions, and the economies of ancient civilizations of the world. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Civilization of Sumer KEY: Sumer | Tigris | Euphrates MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 111. NOT: The annual flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers provided fertile soil for Sumerian crops.

3 ID: A

19. ANS: C PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 124 OBJ: S.3.3.4 Students will know Assyrians and Persians created and governed vast empires. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Assyrian and Persian Empires KEY: Assyria MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 124. NOT: Assyrians became skilled at fighting while protecting their land from invaders. 20. ANS: B PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 131 OBJ: S.3.3.5 Students will know Mesopotamian cultures made lasting contributions to the arts. STA: SS.6.W.2.7 Summarize the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Assyrian and Persian Empires KEY: Mesopotamian art | relief | sculpture MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 131. NOT: In relief sculpture, the background is carved away from the main scene being depicted. 21. ANS: D PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 128 OBJ: S.3.3.4 Students will know Assyrians and Persians created and governed vast empires. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Assyrian and Persian Empires KEY: Persia | government | local | central MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 128. NOT: The Persian ruler was the head of central government. He appointed local people to lead each province. 22. ANS: A PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 117 OBJ: S.3.1.3 Students will know that Sumerian achievements included new technology, a written language, and epic poetry. STA: SS.6.W.2.7 Summarize the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Civilization of Sumer KEY: Sumer | bronze | technology MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 117. NOT: Sumerians mixed copper and tin to make bronze, which was a stronger, harder metal. Bronze weapons were stronger than earlier weapons. 23. ANS: C PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 117 OBJ: S.3.1.3 Students will know that Sumerian achievements included new technology, a written language, and epic poetry. STA: SS.6.W.2.7 Summarize the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Civilization of Sumer KEY: Ur-Nammu | Sumer MSC: Remediation: Go to SE page 117. NOT: The Ur-Nammu law code included laws about marriage, causing harm to others, and slavery. 24. ANS: D PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 120 | p. 126 OBJ: S.3.3.7 Students will use maps to identify characteristics and boundaries of ancient civilizations that have shaped the world today. STA: SS.6.G.1.7 Use maps to identify characteristics and boundaries of ancient civilizations that have shaped the world today. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The First Empires KEY: Babylon MSC: Remediation: Go to SE pages 120 and 126. NOT: Baghdad is close to the site of the ancient city of Babylon. 25. ANS: A PTS: 3 DIF: L4 REF: pp. 111–113 OBJ: S.3.1.6 Students will use geographic terms and tools to explain why ancient civilizations developed networks of highways, waterways, and other transportation linkages. STA: SS.6.G.5.2 Use geographic terms and tools to explain why ancient civilizations developed networks of highways, waterways, and other transportation linkages. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Civilization of Sumer KEY: geography | trade | waterway | river | silt | irrigation MSC: Remediation: See SE pages 111–113. NOT: The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers helped keep the farmlands of the Sumer city-states fertile and they also served as waterways for an expansion of trade that linked the various cities of the region.

4 ID: A

26. ANS: C PTS: 3 DIF: L4 REF: p. 121 OBJ: S.3.2.5 Students will listen to, read, and discuss familiar and conceptually challenging text. STA: LA.6.1.6.2 The student will listen to, read, and discuss familiar and conceptually challenging text. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The First Empires KEY: Hammurabi’s Code | law | social order MSC: Remediation: See SE page 121. NOT: Hammurabi’s Code might look harsh by modern standards, but by applying specific punishments to specific crimes, he hoped to encourage people to live by the rule of law. 27. ANS: B PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 129 OBJ: S.3.3.6 Students will identify examples of mediums of exchange (currencies) used for trade (barter) for each civilization, and explain why international trade requires a system for a medium of exchange between trading both inside and among various regions. STA: SS.6.E.3.1 Identify examples of mediums of exchange (currencies) used for trade (barter) for each civilization, and explain why international trade requires a system for a medium of exchange between trading both inside and among various regions. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Assyrian and Persian Empires KEY: coins | currency | economy MSC: Remediation: See SE page 129. NOT: Darius’s introduction of gold coins gave the empire a common currency and facilitated trade across the vast Persian empire. 28. ANS: C PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 112 OBJ: S.3.3.7 Students will use maps to identify characteristics and boundaries of ancient civilizations that have shaped the world today. STA: SS.6.G.1.7 Use maps to identify characteristics and boundaries of ancient civilizations that have shaped the world today. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Assyrian and Persian Empires KEY: Mesopotamia | mountains | desert MSC: Remediation: See SE page 112. NOT: The Fertile Crescent formed a fertile plain that was ideal for growing crops, thereby making is an ideal place for settlement. 29. ANS: A PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 127 OBJ: S.3.3.8 Students will determine the impact of key figures from ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. STA: SS.6.W.2.8 Determine the impact of key figures from ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Assyrian and Persian Empires KEY: Fertile Crescent | Babylon | Kush | Nineveh | Hammurabi MSC: Remediation: See SE page 127. NOT: The peoples of the Fertile Crescent build the first cities and empires. Their achievements introduced important ideas such as common currency and centralized government. 30. ANS: D PTS: 3 DIF: L3 REF: p. 133 OBJ: S.3.4.5 Students will use a map to identify major bodies of water of the world, and explain ways they have impacted the development of civilizations. STA: SS.6.G.1.6 Use a map to identify major bodies of water of the world, and explain ways they have impacted the development of civilizations. TOP: The Fertile Crescent | The Phoenicians KEY: ocean | sea | trade | Phoenicians MSC: Remediation: See SE page 133. NOT: Geography greatly influenced the development of the Phoenician sea trade. A lack of adequate farmland prevented Phoenicia from becoming farmers, but as sea traders they were extremely successful.

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