Social Studies Vocab/ Study Guide

Question 1

An early city that was like a small, independent 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 Southwest Asia that flow from the mountains in Turkey to the Persian Gulf

Answer 5

Euphrates River

Question 6

Irrigation

Answer 6

A means of supplying land with water

Question 7

Layer

Answer 7

A substance that lies between or above other things

Question 8

Levee

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Maintaining

Answer 9

To keep something in good condition by making necessary repairs

Question 10

Materials

Answer 10

A resource that can be used to make something else

Question 11

Mesopotamia

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Silt

Answer 12

Fine particles of rock

Question 13

Sumer

Answer 13

An area in southern Mesopotamia, where cities first appeared

Question 14

Tigris River

Answer 14

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

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

River

Question 17

What development caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills?

Answer 17

Population increase

Question 18

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

Answer 18

To move 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 to much rainfall

Question 20

Why did the rivers flood in the spring?

Answer 20

Melted snow and rain from the mountains flowed into the rivers

Question 21

What was the chief purpose of dams and reservoirs?

Answer 21

To store water for later use

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 flooding

Question 23

Why was silt a problem for the people of Sumer?

Answer 23

Clogged irrigation canals

Question 24

Why did the villages of Sumer depend on each other?

Answer 24

They 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

Protect there city from attacks