1. Chapter Three
Practice test

2. What is cuneiform?
An irrigation canal
A Sumerian god
The first form of writing
A new kind of alphabet

3. What social group ranked
just below the king on the
social hierarchy?
Farmer
Priests
Merchants
scribes

4. What did the Sumerians believe
about their gods?
They should worship them and
bring offerings to the temple.
The gods were always kind.
The gods were limited in power.

5. What people established the
world’s first trading empire?
Assyrians
Akkadians
Phoenicians
Babylonians

6. This leader had a permanent
Army and the world’s first empire…
Hammurabi
Sargon
Gilgamesh
Humbaba

7. What is the difference between a
canal and a river?
River run north/south; canals run
East/west
B. Canals were dug out by humans;
nature made rivers
People live near rivers but not near
Canals.
D. Canals are deep; rivers are shallow.

8. Temples that were built in the
city-states to honor the gods. They were
called …..
Canals
Pyramids
Ziggurats
Urban centers

9. Farming was successful in the
Fertile Crescent because….
They lived near the ocean.
They had lots of tools and seeds.
They had fertile soil and rivers for water.
They studied farming in college.

10. The first epic was written about
which king?
Sargon
Nebuchadnezzar
Hammurabi
Gilgamesh

11. Phoenicia was important
because it was ….
A nation rich in resources
A colony of Assyria
A trading power
A center for religious study

12. The Assyrians established a huge
empire and remained strong because..
They had a powerful army with iron
weapons.
B. The gods smiled on them all the time.
C. They knew how to make purple dye.
They wrote with pictographs.

13. Because the Sumerians could
irrigate, they had a surplus of food.
True
false

14. Religion was very important to the
people of the Fertile Crescent.
True
False

15. Hammurabi’s Code treated all
people fairly.
A.True
B. False

16. Living in permanent homes and
having a government are two of the signs
of a civilization.
True
False

17. The people of the Fertile
Crescent developed what form of
government?
A democracy like the USA
A city-state system
One unified nation

18. The people of the Fertile Crescent
did not fight among themselves very often.
True
False

19. Which statement is correct?
The Sumerians invented the plow,
but not the wheel.
B. The Babylonians invented cuneiform.
C. The Assyrians invented iron.
D. The Hittites invented pictographs.

20. Do you agree or disagree with the
following statement?
The people of the Fertile Crescent were
very peaceful and rarely fought each other.
Agree
Disagree

21. Early governments did all of the
following EXCEPT…..
Make laws
Build irrigation systems
Make up stories about the gods

22. Who defeated the Assyrians
and rebuilt Babylon? They were
great astronomers too.
The Akkadians
The Sumerians
The Chaldeans
The Hittites

23. The Hittites and Assyrians had
one thing in common. What was it?
They both used iron weapons and
had chariots and horses.
B. They worshiped the same gods.
C. They both sailed in fast ships
made of cedar wood.

24. How did the alphabet spread throughout
the world?
The armies took it into conquered areas.
The Phoenicians shared it when they
traded with others.
C. The priests used it for religious writings.

25. A cylinder seal was …
Used in signing documents.
A new kind of animal at the zoo in
Ninevah.
C. A storage container made by potters
D. A new kind of jewelry.

26. Social hierarchy A. city
Division of labor B. belief in many gods
Urban C. system in which workers
do special jobs.
Polytheism D. levels of society
Cuneiform E. writing system of Sumer

27. 30. Hammurabi A. king of Akkad; 1st empire
Sargon B. People of Asia Minor who
used iron and horses.
32. Hittites C. Land between the Persian
Gulf and Mediterranean Sea
33. Mesopotamia D. king of Babylon; wrote laws
Fertile Crescent E. Land between the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers

28. Answer Key C B A D
13. A
14. B
15. A B C A
24. A
25. D C A B E D