2015年6月14日托福阅读真题+题目+答案：Mesopotamian and Egyptian Settlement Patterns

2015年6月14日托福阅读真题+题目+答案：Mesopotamian and Egyptian Settlement Patterns

1. On the basis of available evidence, there existed in ancient state-level societies a variety of urban types. These have been classified under a number of different headings, ranging from city-states to territorial- or village-states. Mesopotamia and Egypt, for example, traditionally represent the two opposing extremes along a spectrum of possible settlement distributions and types.

2. Mesopotamian city-state systems were made up of densely populated urban areas that shared a common language, status symbols, and economic systems, but their elites tended to compete with each other, often militarily, to control territory, trade routes, and other resources. Each city-state controlled a relatively small territory, often only a few hundred square kilometers, and had its own capital city, which in many cases was enclosed by a wall. In addition to its capital, a city-state might govern a number of smaller centers, as well as numerous farming villages and hamlets. Ancient Sumer is a classic example of such a system.

3. In ancient Mesopotamia, urban centers tended to be relatively large, with populations ranging from less than 1,000 to more than 100,000 inhabitants, depending on the ability of a particular city-state to control and collect payments from its neighbors. Often, a considerable number of farmers lived in these centers to secure greater protection for themselves and their possessions. It is estimated that in southern Mesopotamia (circa 2900¨C2350 BC) more than 80 percent of the total population lived in cities.

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托福阅读真题题目：

1..According to paragraph 1, which of the following best describes how ancient societies were organized

A. Ancient societies were classified as either city-states or village-states.

B. Most ancient societies started out as city-states and then became territorial- or village-states.

C. With the exception of Mesopotamia and Egypt, ancient societies were generally not urbanized.

D. Ancient societies likely followed a number of different urban settlement patterns.

2..Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A. Although composed of very similar societies, Mesopotamian city-states were also characterized by conflicts among elites over trade, territory, and resources.

B. City-states that shared a common language, status symbols, and economic systems were more likely to compete militarily than were other city-states.

C. Most military conflicts among Mesopotamian city-states were about economic issues, such as territory or trade routes, but some were over the status symbols of elites.

D. Despite the military control of elites, Mesopotamian city-states tended to compete with each other.

3..The author mentions Ancient Sumer as an example of

A. an unusual settlement that differed from the classic city-state

B. a small farming village under the control of a large city

C. a city-state consisting of a capital and outlying settlements

D. a city-state that was particularly small in size for Mesopotamia

4..According to paragraph 3, what determined the size of an urban center in ancient Mesopotamia

A. The number of people defending it

B. The amount of available space between the city and its nearest neighbor

C. The extent of its political and economic enforcement power over its neighbors

D. The number of farmers and the amount of food they produced

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