Skip to main content

TOEFL Reading 8

 

[1] The Sumerian civilization existed centuries before Alexander the Great conquered swathes of land around the Mediterranean and Middle East and long before the Roman Empire became known as the greatest power of ancient times. The Sumerian civilization remains an enigmatic mystery that continues to baffle historians worldwide. It was possibly the first urban civilization established in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia. Sumer itself rose on the flood plain in the lower region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, an area called the 'cradle of civilization'. The Sumerians emerged around 4000 B.C.E. and were organized together as city-states. Some of the important Sumerian city states were on land that has since been absorbed by the Persian Gulf. In fact, it is in the Persian Gulf itself that many historians believe the key to the origins of the Sumerian civilization lies.
 

[2] One of the greatest mysteries is the exact origin of the Sumerians. Many historians and archaeologists disagree on where the Sumerians' homeland was. Ancient Sumerian literature gives reference to their homeland being a place called 'Dilmun', the location of which remains obscure. The Sumerian language is an agglutinating language—one that forms words by adding affixes to the word's core meaning. Other agglutinating languages include Turkish, Hungarian, Finnish, and Inuit. However, neighbouring languages to Sumer share little of its morphology. In addition, numerous animal-deities in the Sumerian pantheon suggest a pastoral history, but do not indicate a location of origin. Historians generally conclude that Dilmun is most likely an island in the Persian Gulf, perhaps the modern country of Bahrain. Until now, no ruins have been found to link the ancient Sumerians to any island in the Persian Gulf. These types of ruins are pivotal in proving the ancestral home of the Sumerians. Therefore, without any ruins, the Sumerian homeland remains unknown.
 

[3] Sumerian culture centred around a priesthood and temple life. City-states were organized around the temple and non-priests were either craftsmen or peasants that devoted their work and lives to appeasing the gods. Disasters, droughts and calamities were blamed on a local deity being overpowered by other gods acting together. As a result, the priesthood maintained its power and control over the Sumerian day-to-day life. Finally, the other castes within Sumerian city-states were the warriors charged with defending the city. Over time, the warriors became more prestigious and powerful within Sumer as the grip of the clergy began to erode. As a consequence, Sumer gradually shifted toward a more warrior-led civilizatio
 

[4] Between 4000 and 2000 B.C.E. Semiticimmigrants regularly moved into Sumerian territory, slowly inundating Sumer. By 2000 B.C.E., Sumerian city-states were forced to form defensive alliances as the warriors became more powerful. The image of the priesthood was undermined as they were forced to make alliances. Moreover, the increasing importance of warriors instigated a power shift in the Sumerian civilization which led to the existence of its first King. Finally, in around 2000 B.C.E. King Sargon of Akkad conquered the Sumerians in the creation of the world's first multi-ethnic empire. The Akkadian Empire is also considered as the first civilization built upon the shared characteristics of the Sumerians. In fact, the lost Akkadian city was rumored to have been built by Sumerian craftsmen.
 

[5] In summary, the challenge for historians in understanding Sumerian civilization is that most references and information about it come from the writings of other civilizations. Even the ancient Bablyonians considered the Sumerians an old civilization by their time. Even though archaelogists are still searching for clues to unlock the history of the Sumerians, much information about these ancient people remains unknown. In conclusion, Sumer is an ancient civilization with cities at the bottom of a sea, referenced by other ancient civilizations with few tantalizing clues of their shrouded past.

1 It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that the focus of the passage is best described as:

  • Various ancient civilizations in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia
  • The Roman Empire
  • World history
  • The Sumerian civilization

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: d
Your Selection: Not Answered

(D) is the correct answer. You can highlight the key ideas in the paragraph to identify the focus of the passage.
The majority of the paragraph is discussing the Sumerian civilization:
The Sumerian civilization existed ... The Sumerian civilization remains an enigmatic mystery that continues to baffle historians worldwide. It was possibly...Sumer itself rose on ... Sumerians emerged around .... Some of the important Sumerian city states were...

(A) is not correct because the other civilizations are mentioned as side notes, NOT as the focus of the passage.

(B) is not correct because the Roman Empire is only mentioned as a reference point in history to let the reader know that the Sumerian civilization is even more ancient than it.

(C) is wrong because world history would encompass more than one civilization and is evidently NOT the focus of the passage.

2 Which sentence is most similar to the following sentence from paragraph 2?

Historians generally conclude that Dilmun is most likely an island in the Persian Gulf—perhaps Bahrain—but as to date no ruins have been found tying the ancient Sumerians to any island in the Persian Gulf.

  • The mystery of the location of Dilmun eludes historians, as many consider it the greatest mystery to date as there are no clues to it's origin.
  • Historians cannot come to a consensus as to the most-likely location of the Sumerian homeland of Dilmun.
  • Bahrain seems the most viable location for Dilmun historians believe, but there is still a lack of physical evidence to support this conclusion.
  • Linguistic evidence disputes the meaning of the world 'Dilmun' leading historians to fiercely debate the Sumerian homeland.

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: c
Your Selection: Not Answered

(C) is the correct answer. Again, use key words to highlight the main idea:
Historians generally conclude that...
This means that historians ‘assumed’ based on suggestions - but no direct evidence - that Bahrain was the most likely location of Dilmun.

(A) is not correct because it does not mention the lack of ruins or a potential location.

(B) is also wrong because it directly counters the idea in the paragraph that historians can conclude on a general location of Dilmun.

(D) is incorrect because there is no mention in the paragraph to the meaning of the word ‘Dilmun’.

3 According to paragraph 3, we can infer that Sumerian society was primarily:

  • Secular
  • Militaristic
  • Pious
  • Undeveloped

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: c
Your Selection: Not Answered

(C) is the correct answer because the culture was centered around priesthood and temple life. To find this answer, identify the key word – primarily - in the question and locate its synonym – centered – in the answer:
Sumerian culture centered around a priesthood and temple life. City-states were organized around the temple and non-priests were either craftsmen or peasants that devoted their work and lives to appeasing the god... As a result, the priesthood maintained its power and control over the Sumerian day-to-day life.

(A) is not correct because the majority of the paragraph describes the society centred around the priesthood and temple life, and a secular society is a non-religious one.

(B) is incorrect and confusing, because there is a reference to the warrior population. However, the paragraph does not state that the society was primarily made up of warriors.

(D) is incorrect because there is no reference in the paragraph to a lack of development within the civilization.

4 Examine the four █ in the selection below and indicate at which block the following sentence could be inserted into the passage:


Despite the mystery of their origins, Sumerians proved to be a devout people in culture.

 

Sumerian culture centered around a priesthood and temple life. █ [A] City-states were organized around the temple and non-priests were either craftsmen or peasants that devoted their work and lives to appeasing the Gods. █ [B] Disasters, droughts, and calamities were blamed on a local deity being overpowered by other gods acting together. █ [C] As a result, the priesthood maintained its power and control over the Sumerian day-to-day life. █ [D] .

  • [A]
  • [B]
  • [C]
  • [D]

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: a
Your Selection: Not Answered

(A) is the correct answer because it provides a natural transition between the previous paragraph's focus on the mystery of the Sumerian civilization's to a reference on culture.
Identify the key words in the initial statement – devout people – and connect it to the key words in the following sentence that describes this devoutness, a priesthood and temple life.

The other three answers would be illogical as they do not describe the mystery mentioned in the initial sentence.

5 Which of the following best describes the purpose of paragraph 4?

  • The author is summarizing information from a previous paragraph.
  • The author is introducing a discussion of events leading to the Sumerian civilization being conquered.
  • The author is providing a contrarian point of view regarding Sumerian culture.
  • The author is describing the rise to power of the Sumerian people over the semetic people.

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: b
Your Selection: Not Answered

(B) is the correct answer. To find the purpose of the paragraph, highlight the key sentence that gives you the general meaning of the text:

Between 4000 and 2000 B.C.E. Semiticimmigrants regularly moved into Sumerian territory, ... By 2000 B.C.E., Sumerian city-states were forced ...Moreover, the increasing importance of warriors instigated a power shift ... Finally, in around 2000 B.C.E. King Sargon of Akkad conquered the Sumerians in the creation of the world's first multi-ethnic empire.

The paragraph presents the events leading to the Sumerian civilization being conquered.

(A) is not correct because the paragraph provides new information not related to the previous paragraph.

(C) is not correct because there is no contradiction (or language indicating contrast) of the previous paragraph.

(D) is incorrect because it contradicts information in the paragraph that in fact, it was the Sumerians who were conquered, not the conquerors.

6 The word 'it' in paragraph 5 refers to:

  • Historians
  • Babylonian civilization
  • Information
  • Sumerian civilization

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: d
Your Selection: Not Answered

(D) is the correct answer. To answer this question correctly, identify the part of speech, it which is the object pronoun. Now, look for the object noun it replaces in the previous sentence:
In summary, the challenge for historians in understanding Sumerian civilization is that most references and information about it come from the writings of other civilizations.

(A) is incorrect because it’s a plural noun and it is the subject noun of the sentence.

(B) is not correct this noun appears in the next sentence.

(C) is wrong because it appears in the same phrase as the key word it.

7 The word 'tantalizing' in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to:

  • Delicious
  • Repulsive
  • Alluring
  • Obscure

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: c
Your Selection: Not Answered

(C) is the correct answer as it is the closest synonym to tantalizing.
(A) is wrong because delicious means something pleasant to taste.
(B) is incorrect because repulsive is the antonym of the key word.
(D) Obscure is wrong because the meaning (not clear) has no connection to the key word.

8 According to the passage, all of the followings are contributing factors to the fall of the Sumerian civilization EXCEPT

  • Increasing importance of warriors.
  • Large influx of immigrants between 4000 and 2000 B.C.E.
  • Disasters were blamed on a local deity being overpowered by other gods acting together.
  • The image of the priesthood was undermined as they were forced to make alliances.

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: c
Your Selection: Not Answered

(C) is the correct answer as there is no mention of this point in the passage.
(A), (B), and (D) are all incorrect because each point (increase in warriors, immigrants and undermining of priesthood) all led to the creation of the new king who conquered the Sumerians.

9 According to the passage, all of the following are the reasons why the origins of Sumerian civilization still remains unknown EXCEPT

  • Most references and information about the Sumerians come from the writings of other civilizations.
  • The location of Dilmun is still unknown.
  • The Sumerian language provides little evidence as it is an agglutinating language.
  • There is no reference to the homeland of Sumerian in ancient Sumerian literature.

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 1 point.

Correct Answer: d
Your Selection: Not Answered

(D) is the correct answer as the passage clearly states that references to Dilmun are found in Sumerian literature and therefore, there is a reference to the homeland of Sumeria in the literature:
Ancient Sumerian literature gives reference to their homeland being a place called 'Dilmun'...
(A), (B), and (C) are incorrect as they are stated in the passage.

10Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

Drag your answer choices to the spaces where they belong. To remove an answer choice, drag it back. To review the passage, click VIEW TEXT.

 

The Sumerian civilization was one of the first and most developed civilizations of the ancient world, considered old even by its other contemporary civilizations.

  • C. Sumer emerged between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers—called the 'cradle of civilization.'
  • D. Information about the Sumerians is hard to find as the majority of historical references come from other contemporary civilizations.
  • E. The location of the Sumerians' homeland, Dilmun, remains a mystery.

 

  • A. Alexander the Great was the first ruler to conquer Sumer.
  • B. The Sumerian language closely reflected many of its neighboring languages.
  • C. Sumer emerged between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers—called the 'cradle of civilization.'
  • D. Information about the Sumerians is hard to find as the majority of historical references come from other contemporary civilizations.
  • E. The location of the Sumerians' homeland, Dilmun, remains a mystery.
  • F. The priesthood caused the downfall of the Sumerian civilization.

ANSWER EXPLANATION

Question is worth: 2 points.

Correct Answer: c,d,e
Your Selection: Not Answered

(C), (D) and (E) are the correct answers as they are all supported in the passage.

(C): Sumer itself rose on the flood plain in the lower region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

(D): The challenge for historians in understanding Sumerian civilization is that most references and information about it come from the writings of other civilizations.

(E): ...without any ruins, the Sumerian homeland remains unknown.

(A) is not correct because Alexander the Great was not the first ruler to conquer Sumer. He is simply mentioned in the passage to explain that the Sumerian civilization existed long before him.

(B) is not correct because it inverts the statement in the passage that the Sumerian language had no shared morphology with neighbouring languages.

(F) is incorrect because the priesthood did not cause the downfall of the Sumerians; the shift in power caused the fall of the civilization.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TOEFL Reading 1

  [1] In the southeastern Pacific Ocean, on the piece of land known as Easter Island (now a territory of Chile), stand several hundred massive stone monoliths. These carvings, called “moai,” are recognizable by their oversized heads, with their heavy brows, long noses, elongated ears, and protruding lips. While they average four meters in height and 12.5 tonnes, the largest is almost 10 meters tall and the heaviest weighs a full 86 tons. The upright sculptures are scattered around Easter Island, many installed on platforms called “ahu” along the coast, while others are more inland and several stand near the main volcanic quarry of Rano Raraku. The Rapa Nui people of the island built a total of 887 of these impressive statues between the 12th and 16th centuries. They were, it is said, symbols of religious and political authority,  embodiments  of powerful chiefs or ancestors which faced inland toward the island’s villages, perhaps watching over their creators, keeping them...
Post a Comment
Read more

TOEFL Reading 5

  [1] At the beginning of the 13th century, a tribe of hunting and gathering nomads arrived in Mesoamerica, which is the south-central area of what we now call Mexico. These people were called the Aztecs. It is said that, upon their arrival at Lake Texcoco, they saw an eagle perched on a cactus and accepted it as a sign to settle there. 300 years later, this group of people had managed to establish a mighty empire, ruling over a population in the millions, from their architecturally wondrous capital city of Tenochtitlan. What made this possible was, in part, the Aztecs  ingenuity  in agriculture.  While they didn’t enjoy the benefits of the wheel or the beast of burden, they still managed to use the land around the lakes of central Mexico to support their population through several methods.   [2] The first, and simplest form of agriculture is known as rainfall cultivation. This method involves cultivating only some of the land reserved for agriculture. The un...
Post a Comment
Read more

TOEFL Reading 6

  [1] The Agricultural Revolutions occurred between 2000 and 6000 BC. It is believed that due to climate change, people moved from animal hunting to gathering and agriculture. About 10,000 years ago, some human groups began to raise animals and cultivate domesticated plants. Over the next thousand years, most people became food producers, although hunting and gathering were ongoing. The Agricultural Revolution is the period in history when food production was prevalent in human activity. It occurred over a period of time as food gathering led to food production over several generations. We believe the process began when foragers started to  scatter  seeds and clear weeds to grow crops they enjoyed using for food. It’s possible that non-settled groups behaved in this way, although some families probably settled permanently to produce this food in the long term. [2] The discovery of specialized stone tools indicated the new food-producing practices: polished or ground s...
Post a Comment
Read more