Geography & Environment
The yearly flooding of the Nile River created fertile soil for farming. Which feature made this river different from the Tigris and Euphrates?
A) It flowed south.
B) It flooded at regular times.
C) It was salt water.
D) It often changed its course.
B – It flooded at regular times
The belief that rulers are both political leaders and gods was strongest in
A) Mesopotamia
B) Egypt
C) Greece
D) Rome
B – Egypt.
The belief in many gods is called
A) Monotheism
B) Deism
C) Polytheism
D) Animism
C – Polytheism.
Which epic poem gives historians insight into Mesopotamian beliefs?
A) Epic of Gilgamesh
B) Iliad
C) Book of the Dead
D) Odyssey
A – Epic of Gilgamesh.
Hammurabi’s Code is considered important because it was one of the first
A) written law codes
B) democratic charters
C) religious texts
D) trade agreements
A – Written law codes.
The Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea helped Ancient Egypt by
A) encouraging frequent invasion
B) providing natural protection
C) limiting trade with Asia
D) creating monsoons
B – Providing natural protection.
Which ruler created the first empire by uniting northern and southern Mesopotamia?
A) Hammurabi
B) Sargon of Akkad
C) Ramses II
D) Menes
B – Sargon of Akkad.
Ziggurats in Mesopotamia were built mainly as
A) palaces
B) tombs
C) religious temples
D) schools
C – Religious temples.
Ancient Egyptian writing that used pictures and symbols is known as
A) Sanskrit
B) Hieroglyphics
C) Calligraphy
D) Cuneiform
B – Hieroglyphics.
Pharaohs in the Old Kingdom ruled Egypt as
A) absolute monarchs
B) weak figureheads
C) elected officials
D) military generals only
A – Absolute monarchs.
The land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers was called the
A) Fertile Crescent
B) Nile Delta
C) Indus Valley
D) Great Rift Valley
A – Fertile Crescent.
When religion and government are controlled by the same authority, the system is a
A) Democracy
B) Theocracy
C) Monarchy
D) Republic
B – Theocracy.
Ancient Egyptians believed their pharaoh could control the flooding of the Nile because he was seen as
A) chosen by the people
B) a god-king
C) a warrior hero
D) a priest
B – A god-king.
Mesopotamians wrote with wedge-shaped symbols called
A) Hieroglyphs
B) Cuneiform
C) Braille
D) Cyrillic
B – Cuneiform.
Today, tensions continue in Palestine because
A) Palestinians are under Israeli occupation
B) a peace treaty fully ended conflict
C) Israel gave back all land
D) both sides have stopped fighting
A – Palestinians are under Israeli occupation.
Unpredictable flooding often destroyed crops in this early civilization:
A) Egypt
B) Mesopotamia
C) Indus
D) China
B – Mesopotamia.
Hammurabi’s Code shows that in Babylonian society
A) everyone was treated equally
B) punishments depended on social class
C) slavery was illegal
D) laws came from elected officials
B – Punishments depended on social class.
Which idea best explains why early people created myths about gods controlling natural disasters?
A) They believed in democracy.
B) They lacked scientific explanations.
C) They wanted to encourage trade.
D) They believed humans caused weather.
B – They lacked scientific explanations.
The primary purpose of the Egyptian pyramids was to
A) store grain
B) serve as tombs
C) house priests
D) be government centers
B – Serve as tombs.
Hammurabi’s Code helps historians mainly understand
A) Babylonian military strategy
B) Babylonian social hierarchy
C) trade routes of Mesopotamia
D) Egyptian burial practices
B – Babylonian social hierarchy.
Which body of water provided Ancient Egyptians with trade routes to the Mediterranean world?
A) Red Sea
B) Dead Sea
C) Persian Gulf
D) Black Sea
A – Red Sea.
On Egypt’s social pyramid, peasant farmers were ranked
A) above slaves but below priests
B) above rulers
C) above priests but below scribes
D) outside the system
A – Above slaves but below priests.
Which statement best describes religion’s role in early river valley civilizations?
A) Religion and politics were separate.
B) Priests and kings often shared power.
C) People rejected organized religion.
D) Laws were mostly secular.
B – Priests and kings often shared power.
Which innovation helped Mesopotamian farmers control river water for crops?
A) Aqueducts
B) Irrigation systems
C) Canals in China
D) Terraces
B – Irrigation systems.
Most Mesopotamian homes were built from
A) limestone
B) sun-dried clay bricks
C) marble
D) bamboo
B – Sun-dried clay bricks.