The Kingdom of Meroe

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The kingdom of Meroe was one of the most important states of ancient Africa. Though overshadowed by Egypt to its north, it was major regional trading power and had one of the most advanced iron working industries in the world. Its roots date from around 1100B.C.， when Egypt began to decline and pulled out of its southern region of Nubia（modern Sudan）。Local Nubian rulers then established their own kingdom, known as Kush, which became strong enough to invade and rule Egypt for a short while, withdrawing after being defeated by the Assyrians in 670B.c. About 120 years later Kush shifted its capital to the southern town of Meroe. This move may have been made under the threat of Egyptian invasion, but there were many other advantages to the southerly location, where the kingdom （often called Meroe in its new location）flourished.

1. According to paragraph 1, which of the following best describes the origin of the kingdom of Meroe？

A.?It was established by Egyptian rulers in about 1100 B.C.

B.?It arose as a population center to supply workers for its?ironworking industries.

C.?It was established after Nubian rulers moved Kush’s capital to?the south.

D.?It became the Assyrian capital after the Assyrians defeated the?kingdom of Kush.

One advantage was its natural resources particularly iron ore and the hardwood timber needed for making charcoal, which was?essential for iron production. Meroe was determined to promote the production and use of iron, especially given its rulers’ memory of the devastating Assyrian defeat, when they had no defense against iron weapons. It is clear from archaeological evidence that Meroe in fact achieved a high level of iron production there are large numbers of metal-waste heaps to be found in the region, as well as furnace?remains and locally produced iron weapons. Iron production also?gave Meroe tools such as hoes for farming and axes to cut timber and clear agricultural land. On the other hand, intensive iron?production helped sow the seeds of Meroe’s eventual downfall, since the need for charcoal resulted in over-exploitation?of timber, causing degradation of the environment.

2. Paragraph 2 suggests that Meroe strongly promoted iron production and use for which of the following reasons？

A.?To replace timber with stronger building materials

B.?To prepare for eventual conquest of the Assyrians

C.?To make up for its lack of natural resources

D.?To better protect itself against potential invaders

3. According to paragraph 2， what was one negative consequence of iron production in Meroe？

A.?It used up natural resources too quickly.

B.?It used up land that could otherwise have been used?for agriculture.

C.?It led to the overworking of ironworkers and other laborers.

D.?D. It led to increased availability of weapons.

Meroe’s southerly position provided it with extensive tropical rains in the summer, so that it could rely on a productive agriculture. This had not been possible in the north where the cultivable floodplains on either side of the River Nile were relatively narrow, yet where the?relative lack of rain meant that farming depended on those plains,nourished mainly by the Nile’s floods. In Meroe the rains allowed?farmers to grow tropical cereals like sorghum and millet, and to?cultivate fields far away from the river. However, it was also to?Meroe’s advantage to find ways to exploit drier lands within its?territory. One way was to adopt the Egyptian water wheel, or saqia,as an aid to irrigation, especially for cotton, permitting Meroe to be a major producer of textiles. In dry plains to the east, where cattle and other livestock could graze, the Meroites improved pastoral?production by building large earthen dams across seasonal streams,which provided water for the livestock during the long dry season.?They may also have practiced recessional irrigation, in which crops are planted in the wet soil left behind as a body of water shrinks in the dry season.

4.The word”adopt” in the passage is closest in meaning to

A. begin to use

B. distribute

C. help develop

D. Consider

5.Why does the author mention that inhabitants of Meroe “may also have practiced recessional irrigation”？

A. To illustrate another use of the Egyptian water wheel

B. To explain how Meroe was able to provide enough water for its?livestock during the dry season

C. To support the claim that Meroe invented several new methods?of crop irrigation

D. To provide an additional example of a strategy used by Meroe to?deal with the dry season

6.Paragraph 3 states that, compared to the lands in the north, the lands in the south

A. were heavily flooded throughout the year

B. were less dependent on rivers as sources of water for farming

C. were farmed mostly on the narrow floodplains of the Nile

D. were less well suited to cultivating tropical crops

【Its location was ideal for the kingdom to serve as a trading center for the northerly flow of sub-Saharan?goods like ivory, leopard skins, ebony, and gold to the economic centers of the Greek and Roman Mediterranean world, and for fine metalwork, glasswork, and other manufactured and luxury goods going south.】?Not only was trade to the north possible, but Meroe’s relative proximity to the Red Sea to the east allowed a connection to commercial networks linking India, the Far East, and the Mediterranean. These networks increased in importance during the centuries of Greek and Roman rule in Egypt（starting in the fourth century B.C.） However, Meroe’s dependence on trade may also have been a major factor in its decline, starting in the second century A. D, It was at this time that harsh Roman rule in Egypt impoverished that country, so that it was no longer able to afford goods from Meroe. Around the same time, desert nomads gained power and made the trade route between Meroe and Egypt more and more dangerous. Finally, the rising new Axumite kingdom, to Meroe’s southeast, had its own port on the Red Sea, taking away much of Meroe’s eastward trade.

7. 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.?The kingdom of Meroe was established to facilitate the trade?of luxury goods between sub-Saharan Africa and Greece?and Rome.

B.?Meroe was in the perfect location to serve as a trading center?for goods moving north to the Mediterranean world and for?manufactured and luxury goods moving south.

C.?Meroe’s location on an important trading route allowed it to?become an economic center equal to those in the Greek and?Roman Mediterranean world.

D.?Meroe provided goods such as ivory, animal skins, ebony,and gold to Greek and Roman traders in exchange for?manufactured and luxury goods going south.

8. In paragraph 4, all of the following are mentioned as reasons for Meroe’s decline starting in the second century A.D. EXCEPT：

A.?A kingdom to Meroe’s southeast began to take over Meroe’s?eastward trade.

B.?Roman rulers prohibited Meroe from trading in the north.

C.?Egypt was no longer able to buy as many goods from Meroe.

D.?The trade route between Meroe and Egypt became?more dangerous.

9.?Look at the four squares 【】?that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

The result was to restrict the available locations for?farms as well as the kinds of crops that could be grown.

Where would the sentence best fit？

Meroe’s southerly position provided it with extensive tropical rains in the summer, so that it could rely on a productive agriculture.【A】This had not been possible in the north where the cultivable floodplains on either side of the River Nile were relatively narrow, yet where the?relative lack of rain meant that farming depended on those plains,nourished mainly by the Nile’s floods.【B】In Meroe the rains allowed?farmers to grow tropical cereals like sorghum and millet, and to?cultivate fields far away from the river.【C】However, it was also to?Meroe’s advantage to find ways to exploit drier lands within its?territory.【D】One way was to adopt the Egyptian water wheel, or saqia,as an aid to irrigation, especially for cotton, permitting Meroe to be a major producer of textiles. In dry plains to the east, where cattle and other livestock could graze, the Meroites improved pastoral?production by building large earthen dams across seasonal streams,which provided water for the livestock during the long dry season.?They may also have practiced recessional irrigation, in which crops are planted in the wet soil left behind as a body of water shrinks in the dry season.

10.?六選三

A.?After defeating Kush in 670 B.C.， the Assyrians established Meroe as the capital of their newly formed kingdom, probably as a center for defending themselves against Egypt.

B.?Meroe developed a productive agriculture both by taking advantage of the tropical rains and by using irrigation to expand into drier areas.

C.?Meroe used iron tools to build dams and pens for livestock, and as farmlands.result it turned the dry plains of its kingdom into cotton-producing

D.?Large supplies of timber and iron ore enabled Meroe to excel in the production of iron weapons and agricultural tools.

E.?Meroe’s geographic position and advanced weaponry helped it defend itself from invaders, including Egyptians and Romans to the north and Axumites to the southeast.

F.?Meroe was well positioned to be a trading center, but the kingdom suffered in the second century A.D. when many of its trading?opportunities declined.

The Kingdom of Meroe

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