2014年5月24日托福阅读真题P1+题目+答案：Sumerian Contributions

2014年5月24日托福阅读真题P1+题目+答案：Sumerian Contributions

Before about 4500 B.C., lower Mesopotamia, the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers just north of the Persian Gulf, was much less densely populated than other inhabited regions of the Near and Middle East. Its marshy soil, subject to annual inundations (floods) from the rivers, was not suited to the primitive hoe culture of early agriculture, in which land was cultivated without domestic animals or beasts. Moreover, the land was virtually treeless and lacked building stone and mineral resources. During the next thousand years, however, this unpromising area became the seat of Sumer, the first great civilization known to history, with large concentrations of people, bustling cities, monumental architecture, and a wealth of religious, artistic, and literary traditions that influenced other ancient civilizations for thousands of years. The exact sequence of events that led to this culmination is unknown, but it is clear that the economic basis of this first civilization lay in its highly productive agriculture.

1. The word ”unpromising” in the passage is closet in meaning to

A.unfavorable

B.underdeveloped

C.distant

D.expansive

2. The phrase ”a wealth of” in the passage is closet in meaning to

A.astrong competition among

B.a valuable source of

C.a deep respect for

D.an abundance of

3. According to paragraph 1, which of the following was NOT true of lower Mesopotamia before 4500 B.C.?

A.It was flooded every year by rivers.

B.Its soil was unsuitable for Stone Age hoe culture agriculture.

C.It was comparatively dense in population.

D.It had few trees

The natural fertility of the rich black soil was renewed annually by the silt left from the spring floods of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Harnessing its full productive power, however, required an elaborate system of drainage and irrigation, which in turn required a large and well-disciplined workforce as well as skilled management and supervision. The latter were supplied by a class of priests and warriors who ruled a large population of peasants and artisans. Through taxation and other means the rulers extracted wealth from the population and then used it to construct temples and other public buildings and to create works of art. That gave them (or some of them) the leisure to perfect the other refinements of civilization.

4. According to paragraph 2, which of the following was true of the soil in lower Mesopotamia?

A.It was relatively unfertile until humans added other, richer types of soil to it.

B.It reached full productivity only when elaborate drainage and irrigation systems were added.

C.Its most valuable nutrients were washed away by the spring floods of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

D.Its silt was removed by a large, well-disciplined workforce.

5. According to paragraph 2, which of the following was true of priests and warriors in Sumerian society?

A.Their technical expertise was essential in the development of new irrigation and drainage systems.

B.They encouraged peasants and artisans to perfect the refinements of civilization.

C.They were responsible for managing and supervising the workforce.

D.They alone paid the taxes that funded the construction of temples.

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