The origin of the Sumerians is uncertain. They apparently came from the south through the Persian Gulf. Their literature speaks of their homeland being Dilmun, which could have been one of the islands in the Persian Gulf such as Bahrain.
But no ruins comparable in age to those of Sumer have been found in the proposed locations of Dilmun. However, the balance of the evidence is that Dilmun was the island of Bahrain. The Sumerians had practiced trading in their original homeland. The frequency of animal beings in the pantheon of their Gods suggests some previous pastoral history.
The Sumerian language is of no help in identifying their origins because it appears to be unrelated to any other language in the world. It is an agglutinating language like Turkish , Hungarian, Finnish and Inuit (Eskimo); i.e, statements are contrasted by adding prefixes and suffixes onto the core word. The Sumerians disappeared from history about 2000 B.C. as a result of military domination by various Semitic peoples. Sargon established an empire in Mesopotamia which included the area of Sumer.
Part one:
Reading Comprehension:
1-The text is: a) narrative b) argumentative c) expository
Are the following statements true or false?
a) Archeologists know exactly where the Sumerians came from.
b) The Sumerians were traders.
c) The Sumerians used to have cattle.
2-Give a general idea to the text.
3-Answer the following questions according to the text:
a) What was the Sumerians ‘homeland?
b) What did the ruins found in Sumer prove?
c) How did the Sumerian civilization collapse?
4- In which paragraph is it mentioned that :“ The Sumerians lived on commerce and animals”
5-What or who do the underlined words refer to in the text?
a) those § 01 c) their § 03 d) -it § 03
Text Exploration:
1- Find in the text words or synonyms or phrases which are closest to the following:
a) proof §01 b) seems §02 c) vanished § 03
2- Find in the text words or phrases which are opposites to the following:
a) Simplicity §01 b) next§02 c) general § 03
3- Join each pair of sentences with the appropriate connector, make any necessary changes:
A- The Sumerian civilization collapsed. The Semitic peoples dominated the area ( before/ after).
B-Mash²kan-shapir was abandoned within only 20 of its settlements. It had a flourishing civilization.( because/ despite)
4 -Complete the following table:
verb noun adjective
…………… prosperity ..............
evaluate ……………… ……………
………….. insistence …………..
………….. ……………… accomplished
5-Divide the following words into syllables:
Sumerian- temple- community- communities- reaches- decided-dominate-evidence.
6- Fill in each gap with an appropriate word from the list below: ruled –god-different-of
The Sumerian civilization emerged upon the flood plain of the lower reaches of the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers about 4000 BC. The social structure of the Sumerians was decidedly ..............from other societies of that and later times. The Sumerian communities were city states organized around a temple and ............... by priesthood. The bulk ............... the people of the community were considered to be the servant-slaves of the ............... of the temple.
Part 2: Choose only one topic
Topic 1: Use the notes below to write a composition about:
-Should we study ancient civilizations? Why?
-history, know ancient people, traditions, life.
-Have a model, success, development, achievements
-Avoid causes of collapse.
Topic 2: Write a composition about:
To what extent is our life is different from that of our ancestors (ancient people)
But no ruins comparable in age to those of Sumer have been found in the proposed locations of Dilmun. However, the balance of the evidence is that Dilmun was the island of Bahrain. The Sumerians had practiced trading in their original homeland. The frequency of animal beings in the pantheon of their Gods suggests some previous pastoral history.
The Sumerian language is of no help in identifying their origins because it appears to be unrelated to any other language in the world. It is an agglutinating language like Turkish , Hungarian, Finnish and Inuit (Eskimo); i.e, statements are contrasted by adding prefixes and suffixes onto the core word. The Sumerians disappeared from history about 2000 B.C. as a result of military domination by various Semitic peoples. Sargon established an empire in Mesopotamia which included the area of Sumer.
Part one:
Reading Comprehension:
1-The text is: a) narrative b) argumentative c) expository
Are the following statements true or false?
a) Archeologists know exactly where the Sumerians came from.
b) The Sumerians were traders.
c) The Sumerians used to have cattle.
2-Give a general idea to the text.
3-Answer the following questions according to the text:
a) What was the Sumerians ‘homeland?
b) What did the ruins found in Sumer prove?
c) How did the Sumerian civilization collapse?
4- In which paragraph is it mentioned that :“ The Sumerians lived on commerce and animals”
5-What or who do the underlined words refer to in the text?
a) those § 01 c) their § 03 d) -it § 03
Text Exploration:
1- Find in the text words or synonyms or phrases which are closest to the following:
a) proof §01 b) seems §02 c) vanished § 03
2- Find in the text words or phrases which are opposites to the following:
a) Simplicity §01 b) next§02 c) general § 03
3- Join each pair of sentences with the appropriate connector, make any necessary changes:
A- The Sumerian civilization collapsed. The Semitic peoples dominated the area ( before/ after).
B-Mash²kan-shapir was abandoned within only 20 of its settlements. It had a flourishing civilization.( because/ despite)
4 -Complete the following table:
verb noun adjective
…………… prosperity ..............
evaluate ……………… ……………
………….. insistence …………..
………….. ……………… accomplished
5-Divide the following words into syllables:
Sumerian- temple- community- communities- reaches- decided-dominate-evidence.
6- Fill in each gap with an appropriate word from the list below: ruled –god-different-of
The Sumerian civilization emerged upon the flood plain of the lower reaches of the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers about 4000 BC. The social structure of the Sumerians was decidedly ..............from other societies of that and later times. The Sumerian communities were city states organized around a temple and ............... by priesthood. The bulk ............... the people of the community were considered to be the servant-slaves of the ............... of the temple.
Part 2: Choose only one topic
Topic 1: Use the notes below to write a composition about:
-Should we study ancient civilizations? Why?
-history, know ancient people, traditions, life.
-Have a model, success, development, achievements
-Avoid causes of collapse.
Topic 2: Write a composition about:
To what extent is our life is different from that of our ancestors (ancient people)