Chapter 2 Early Civilizations   1. Of the following, which was the MOST important aspect of the Nile River valley that made it a good place to farm?     A) six cataracts     B) melting snow in East Africa     C) thick deposits of silt     D) the fan-shaped delta   2. Which statement is true?     A) Only one dynasty ruled in ancient Egypt.     B) Thebes was always the capital of all Egypt.     C) Ahmose was the first to assume the title pharaoh.     D) The Egyptians had no interest in expanding their territory.   3. The picture symbols that ancient Egyptians carved onto pieces of slate ____________     A) were called hieroglyphics.     B) stood for individual letters of an alphabet.     C) have never been translated.     D) were used only for prayers for an afterlife.   4. The culture of Sumer was located ____________     A) in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.     B) near the source of the Nile River.     C) at the feet of the Himalayas.     D) none of the above   5. Cuneiform ____________     A) began with pictograms.     B) consists of wedge-shaped markings made on wet clay.     C) is one of the oldest forms of writing in the world.     D) all of the above   6. A typical Sumerian city-state in Mesopotamia ____________     A) consisted of the city and the land surrounding it.     B) included a ziggurat.     C) was a theocracy.     D) all of the above   7. How did lofty mountain ranges affect life on the Indian subcontinent?     A) They blocked the monsoons and kept the climate dry.     B) They were a natural barrier against invaders.     C) They discouraged trade between cities.     D) all of the above   8. Which statement is true of our knowledge of Harappan society?     A) There is evidence that they traded with the people of Mesopotamia.     B) Their written language has been translated.     C) Historians are sure they know why Harappan society disappeared.     D) Artifacts suggest they probably did not worship multiple gods.   9. The North China Plain is similar to the Nile River valley in that they both ____________     A) have been frequently flooded.     B) were fertilized by silt deposits.     C) encouraged large populations.     D) all of the above   10. The practice of dividing Chinese history into periods ____________     A) did not begin till the Shang dynasty.     B) is based on the dynasties of ruling families.     C) is an invention of Western historians.     D) is based on 1000-year epochs.