Lesson 4 Vocab/Study Guide

Question 1

an early city that was like a small, independently country with its own laws and government

Answer 1

city-state

Question 2

arranged in a difficult way

Answer 2

complex

Question 3

to build; usually some kind of structure, such as a house

Answer 3

constructed

Question 4

a strong disagreement

Answer 4

dispute

Question 5

one of the two largest rivers in the Southwest Asia that flow from the mountains in Turkey to the Persian Gulf

Answer 5

Euphrates River

Question 6

a means of supplying land with water

Answer 6

irrigation

Question 7

a substance that lies between or above other things

Answer 7

layer

Question 8

a wall of earth built to prevent a river from flooding its banks

Answer 8

levee

Question 9

to keep something in good condition by making a necessary repairs

Answer 9

maintaining

Question 10

a resource that can be used to make something else

Answer 10

material

Question 11

in ancient times, the geographic area located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

Answer 11

Mesopotamia

Question 12

fine particles of rock

Answer 12

silt

Question 13

an area in southern Mesopotamia, where cities first appeared

Answer 13

Sumer

Question 14

one of the two largest rivers in Southwest Asia that flow from the mountains in Turkey to the Persian Gulf

Answer 14

Tigris River

Question 15

The environment of Sumer was ______

Answer 15

low and flat with little rain

Question 16

The name of Mesopotamia comes from its location, which was between two ________.

Answer 16

rivers

Question 17

What development caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills?

Answer 17

the population increased

Question 18

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

Answer 18

They moved south to the plains

Question 19

Name the two factors that made farming difficult in the area of Sumer.

Answer 19

Lack of rainfall or too much rainfall

Question 20

Why did the rivers flood in the spring?

Answer 20

Rain and melted snow

Question 21

What was the chief purpose of dams and reservoirs?

Answer 21

To store water supply

Question 22

If you were in ancient Sumer, you might see a levee beside a river. Why was the levee built?

Answer 22

To prevent rivers from flooding

Question 23

Why was silt a problem for the people of Sumer?

Answer 23

It clogged the canals

Question 24

Why did the villages of Sumer depend on each other?

Answer 24

Cooperated to keep the water system working

Question 25

Using natural resources found in the environment, Sumerians built strong walls with ____.

Answer 25

Mud bricks

Question 26

The people of Sumer constructed moats to ______.

Answer 26

To protect cities from attacks