3rd year Literary streams
Final Examination
Part One: Reading
A/ Comprehension
Mesopotamia was known as the land between two rivers, the Tigris to the north and the Euphrates to the south. Rains were seasonal in this area, which meant that the land flooded in the winter and spring and water was scarce at other times. Farming in the region depended on irrigation from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. In ancient times, many resources in Mesopotamia were scarce or absent, which stimulated trade within the region and beyond. Supported by lucrative trade with its neighbours, Mesopotamia grew to become a powerful empire.
Along with factors such as war and changes in the environment, scientists now believe irrigation techniques played an important role in Mashkan-shapir's collapse. The same process that allowed farming in this region also eventually made it impossible to farm. Irrigation has a Catch-22: if irrigation water is allowed to sit on the fields and evaporate, it leaves behind mineral salts; if attempts are made to drain off irrigation water and it flows through the soil too quickly, erosion becomes a problem. Scientists believe that Mashkan-shapir's collapse was caused in part by destruction of the fields by mineral salts. When mineral salts concentrate in the upper levels of the soil, it becomes poisonous for plants.
In Mesopotamia, irrigation was essential for crop production. The rivers were higher than the surrounding plain because of built-up silt in the river beds, so water for irrigation flowed into the fields by gravity. Once the water was on the fields, it could not readily drain away because the fields were lower than the river. As the water evaporated, it not only left its dissolved mineral salts behind, but also drew salts upward from lower levels of the soil. Over time, the soil became toxic and would no longer support crops. By about 2300 B.C., agricultural production in Mesopotamia was reduced to a tiny fraction of what it had been. Many fields were abandoned as essentially useless. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets tell of crop damage due to salts.
Read the text above then do the activities that follow.
1-Say whether the following statements are true or false according to the text:
a) There was little water Mesopotamia all the seasons.
b) Mesopotamia was a strong empire.
c) Mashkan-Shapir collapse was due to epidemics.
d) The cause of the fall of the Mesopotamian civilization was written on tablets.
2-Answer the questions according to the text.
a)What pushed the Mesopotamians to start trade?
b) How did the soil become toxic?
3-Choose a suitable title to the reading passage:
a) Mesopotamia’s Trade b) Mesopotamia’s Collapse c) Mesopotamia’s Rise.
4-Ask questions to the underlined words.
a) It becomes poisonous.
b) By about 2300 B.C., agricultural production in Mesopotamia was reduced.
5-What or Who do the underlined words refer to in the text?
a) Which stimulated trade §1 b) it becomes poisonous §2 c) its dissolved mineral salts§3
B/Text Exploration
1-Find in the first paragraph the word whose definition follows:
An aggregate of peoples and territories, often of great extent, under the rule of a single person, oligarchy, or sovereign state .
2-Find in the text words that are closest in meaning to:
a) Rare §1 b) Think §2 c) Decrease §3
3-Combine the following pairs of sentences with the connectors between brackets.
a) The Mesopotamians started commerce. Their irrigating system was not successful.(so)
b) We are not serious enough. Our country will never develop. (as long as)
c) Countries do not develop. Their citizens are not educated. ( unless)
4- Complete the following table with the missing word category.
Verb……………. Noun………………. Adjective………..
Believe …………………. ……………
………………….. Meaning ………………
Grow …………….
…………….. …………….. Productive
5-Classify the following verbs according to the pronunciation of their final’d’
Collapsed - believed - traded - developed - flourished - disappeared
……………./ t / …………../ d / …………/ id /
Part Two: Written Expression
Topic 1-Use the following notes to write a paragraph about the Islamic civilization and its achievements.
What are the contributions of the Islamic civilization to the modern world?
Give concrete examples (mathematics, philosophy, medicine, astronomy, sociology….)
Topic 2: Write a composition of about 120 to 150 words on the following topic.
Are girls more successful than boys at school? Justify your answer.
Good Luck