Mesopotamian and Egyptian Settlement Patter ns
1. According to paragraph 1, which of the following
best describes how ancient societies were organized?
A. Ancient societies were classified as either city-
states or village states
B. Most ancient societies started out as city-states
and then became territorial--or village--states
C. With the exception of Mesopotamia and Egypt,
ancient societies were generally not urbanized
D. Ancient societies likely followed a number of
different urban settlement patterns
2. 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. Although composed of very similar societies,
Mesopotamian city-states were also characterized
by conflicts among elites over trade, territory, and
resources
B. City-states that shared a common language,
status symbols, and economic systems were more
likely to compete militarily than were other city-
states
C. Most military conflicts among Mesopotamian
city-states were about economic issues, such as
territory or trade routes, but some were over the
status symbols of elites
D. Despite the military control of elites,
Mesopotamian city-states tended to compete with
each other.
Paragraph 1
On the basis of available evidence, there existed in
ancient state level societies a variety of urban types.
These have been classified under a number of
different headings ranging from city-states to
territorial--or village--states. Mesopotamia and
Egypt, for example, traditionally represent the two
opposing extremes along a spectrum of possible
settlement distributions and types
Paragraph 2
Mesopotamian city-state systems were made up of
densely populated urban areas that shared a
common language, status symbols, and economic
systems, but their elites tended to compete with
each other, often militarily, to control territory,
trade routes, and other resources. Each city-state
controlled a relatively small territory, often only a
few hundred square kilometers, and had its own
capital city, which in many cases was enclosed by a
wall. In addition to its capital. a city-state might
govern a number of smaller centers, as well as
numerous farming villages and hamlets. Ancient
Sumer is a classic example of such a system
3. According to paragraph 3, what determined the
size of an urban center in ancient Mesopotamia?
A. The number of people defending it
B. The amount of available space between the city
and its nearest neighbor
C. The extent of its political and economic
enforcement power over its neighbors
D. The number of farmers and the amount of food
they produced
4. According to paragraph 4, which of the following
is NOT true of commercial activity in ancient
Mesopotamia?
A. Perhaps 20 percent of the population was
involved in commercial activity rather than food
production
B. Commercial exchanges took place not only
between urban and rural areas, but also between
cities
C. Although most urban centers had marketplaces,
the largest ones were located in southern
Mesopotamia
D. Goods were plentiful and widely available to
inhabitants of Mesopotamian cities
5. The word "exotic” in the passage is closest in
meaning to
A. high-quality
B. popular
C. diverse
D. foreign
Paragraph 3
In ancient Mesopotamia, urban centers tended to be
relatively large, with populations ranging from less
than 1,000 to more than 100,000 inhabitants,
depending on the ability of a particular city-state to
control and collect payments from its neighbors.
Often, a considerable number of farmers lived in
these centers to secure greater protection for
themselves and their possessions. It is estimated
that in southern Mesopotamia (circa 2900-2350 BC)
more than 80 percent of the total population lived in
cities.
Paragraph 4
These cities also supported craft production, which
sought to satisfy the demands of the urban elite and
society as a whole. The development of craft
specialization and commercial exchanges between
town and countryside as well as between
neighboring urban centers encouraged the growth
of public markets. Although the evidence for actual
marketplaces is less than clear for southern
Mesopotamia, the remnants of shop-lined streets
indicate vigorous commercial activity involving
large numbers of people. This activity in turn
promoted competition among city-states to obtain
supplies of exotic raw materials. As a result of
widespread access to goods produced by full-time
specialists and the development of more intensive
agriculture close to urban centers, Mesopotamian
city-states were able to support numerous nonfood
producers, possibly as high a proportion as 20
percent of the total population
6. The word "dominate” in the passage is closest in
meaning to
A.enclose
B.control
C.protect
D.acquire
7. In paragraph 5, why does the author provide the
information that all Egyptian villages and towns
were located near the Nile and had equal access to
the river?
A.To explain why flooding was a frequent problem
for the Egyptian people
B.To identify a contributing cause of the dispersal
of Egypt's population
C.To support the claim that Egypt had well-defined
borders
D.To demonstrate the similarity between Egyptian
and Mesopotamian settlement patterns
8. Paragraph 6 suggests that Egypt’s urban centers
were located near stream beds called wadis because
these areas
A. had the most fertile soil
B. provided opportunities for trade
C. had increased their water supplies
D. could easily be protected from invaders
Paragraph 5
In contrast to Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt’s
population has traditionally been perceived as more
evenly dispersed across the landscape, a
characteristic of village-states. Topography and the
formation of the early state were the major factors
contributing to this dispersal. Unlike Mesopotamia,
Egypt had relatively secure and defined borders,
allowing a single state to dominate the area.
Additionally, the villages and towns of Egypt, all of
which were situated near the Nile on the rivers
narrow flood plain, had approximately equal access
to the river and did not have to compete among
themselves for water as their contemporaries in
Mesopotamia were forced to do. As the main
highway through Egypt, the Nile offered
innumerable harbors for shipping and trading, so
there was no strong locational advantage to be
gained in one area as opposed to another, hence the
Egyptian population generally remained dispersed
throughout the valley and delta in low densities.
Trade specialists apparently were evenly spread
throughout Egypt, supported by both independent
workshops in small towns and royal patronage in
the territorial capitals. In contrast to the defensive
walls of Mesopotamian city-states, the walls of
Egyptian towns primarily defined and delineated
sections of the town (for example, a temple precinct
from a residential area).
Paragraph 6
Egypt, however, was not without urban centers. At
points where pods entered the Nile valley via
maritime routes or overland routes from the Red sea
via wadis (stream beds that remain dry except
during the rainy season), the right circumstances
existed for the growth of larger cities. Egyptian
cities and towns shared certain characteristics with
other contemporary societies but also displayed
unique traits influenced by the culture and
environment of the Nile valley. Thus, the
geopolitical system that evolved in ancient Egypt
was different from that of Mesopotamia: Egypt
developed a village or territorial state characterized
by dispersed settlements of varying size, a form of
urbanism that have formed its distinctive identity
9. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where
the following sentence could be added to the
passage
For example, Egypt's capital, Memphis, was
located at a strategic point near the mouth of the
Nile and grew to be one of the largest settlements
of its time
Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a
square ■ to add the sentence to the passage
Paragraph 6
■Egypt, however, was not without urban centers ■
At points where pods entered the Nile valley via
maritime routes or overland routes from the Red sea
via wadis (stream beds that remain dry except
during the rainy season), the right circumstances
existed for the growth of larger cities. ■Egyptian
cities and towns shared certain characteristics with
other contemporary societies but also displayed
unique traits influenced by the culture and
environment of the Nile valley. ■ Thus, the
geopolitical system that evolved in ancient Egypt
was different from that of Mesopotamia: Egypt
developed a village or territorial state characterized
by dispersed settlements of varying size a form of
urbanism that have formed its distinctive identity
10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete
the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage.
Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the
passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points

Mesopotamian settlements ar e gener ally classified as city-states, while ancient Egypt followed a
ter r itor ial- or village- state system

Answer Choices

A. Mesopotamia was characterized by large, densely-populated urban centers, while the population of Egypt
was more evenly distributed across the Nile valley.

B. While defense was crucial in Mesopotamian cities due to competition for territory, trade routes, and raw
materials, it was less important in Egypt

C. Differences in settlement patterns help to explain why the Egyptian central government survived and the
Mesopotamian city-states did not

D. Unlike Mesopotamian city-states, which were culturally and economically distinct, Egyptian villages and
towns shared a common language and economy

E. Once they realized that craft production was more profitable than crop production, many Mesopotamians
moved from rural to urban areas

F. Trade specialists were evenly spread throughout Egypt, while Mesopotamia's vibrant commercial trade
was concentrated in its large urban centers
 Amphibian Distr ibution and Abundance
1. The word “ideal" in the passage is closest in
meaning to
A. normal
B. perfect
C. comfortable
D. healthy
2. According to paragraph 1, which of the following
has the least amount of influence on the distribution
and abundance of amphibians?
A. Major features of climate
B. Important aspects of landscape
C. Historical events
D. Biological interactions among species
3. The comparison between amphibian diversity in
South America and amphibian diversity in Africa in
paragraph 1 strongly suggests which of the
following?
A. Species diversity for animals other than
amphibians is generally also higher in South
America than it is in Africa.
B. Amphibian diversity is increasing in South
America, but it is decreasing in Africa.
C. Amphibian diversity is greater in tropical rain
forests than it is in tropical grasslands.
D. The evolution of amphibians in many different
forms was more extensive on large continents than
it was on small continents.
Paragraph 1
Amphibians are cold-blooded animals such as frogs,
toads, and salamanders that develop from an
immature form that breathes in water to an adult
form that breathes in air. On a global and regional
scale, the distribution and abundance of amphibians
probably has little to do with biological interactions
among species and a great deal to do with historical
events and major features of landscape and climate.
The global distribution and diversity of amphibian
species is strongly affected by latitude. In both the
Old World and New World, amphibians are far
more diverse in the tropics than in temperate
latitudes. This is not surprising, since the relatively
constant temperatures and wet environments of
tropical habitats are ideal for amphibians, especially
those that lay eggs out of water. The diversity of
amphibians is much higher in the New World
tropics than in the Old World tropics. South
America, for example, has nearly three times as
many species of amphibians as does Africa, which
is a much larger continent. In part this reflects the
larger expanses of tropical forests in South America
compared to tropical Africa, which has extensive
grassland habitats. It also reflects the evolution of
several large families of anurans (frogs and toads)
in tropical South America into many different forms.
Islands tend to have a much lower diversity of
amphibians than do mainland habitats, even in the
tropics, but species diversity increases with island
size. Large tropical islands such as Borneo have
high amphibian species diversity, whereas small
tropical islands in the Caribbean have much smaller
numbers of species.
4. Why does the author mention that in North
America, "amphibians are most diverse in the
southern Appalachian Mountains and the
southeastern Coastal Plain (flat lowlands along the
Atlantic coast)"?
A. To argue that amphibians are more diverse in
mountain habitats than they are in lowland regions
B. To identify the areas of North America with the
largest amphibian populations
C. To illustrate the strong positive correlation
between high rainfall and high amphibian diversity
D. To suggest that rainfall has a larger impact on
species diversity in North America than in other
regions
5. The word “harbor” in the passage is closest in
meaning to
A. display
B. produce
C. contain
D. Originate
6. According to paragraph 2. which of the following
is a true statement about amphibian diversity in
mountain habitats?
A. Amphibian diversity is lower in North American
mountain habitats than it is in mountain habitats in
Africa.
B. Anuran diversity in North American mountain
habitats is not higher than it is in North American
lowlands.
C. Salamander diversity is higher in mountain
regions of Africa than it is in mountain regions of
South America.
D. Anuran diversity is higher in mountain regions
of North America than it is in mountain regions of
South America.
7. According to paragraph 3, which of the following
types of amphibians would likely be successful in
mountain regions?
A. Amphibians that do not lay their eggs in water
B. Amphibians that breed in ponds that have water
all year
C. Amphibians that breed in ponds that have water
only part of the year
D. Amphibians that deposit their eggs in water but
not in streams
Paragraph 2
In both the tropics and the temperate zone,
amphibian diversity is strongly affected by rainfall.
In North America, for example, amphibians are
most diverse in the southern Appalachian
Mountains and the southeastern Coastal Plain (flat
lowlands along the Atlantic coast), both areas of
high rainfall. A strong positive correlation or a high
likelihood of interdependence between amphibian
species diversity and rainfall is seen in other
regions as well. Amphibian species diversity also is
strongly affected by altitude. In North America,
salamanders are more diverse in mountain habitats
than in lowland habitats, but anurans are not. In
South America, the wet slopes of the Andes harbor
the highest diversity of anuran species in the world.
Mountain regions of Africa generally have fewer
species of amphibians than do New World
mountains, but nevertheless these areas often are
rich in local species with limited altitudinal
distributions.
Paragraph 3
Certain lineages of amphibians have been
particularly successful in mountain regions, which
often lack permanent or temporary ponds that can
be used by amphibians for breeding. In the New
World tropics, amphibians that deposit eggs out of
water are particularly successful in the mountains.
Stream-breeding frogs also are very diverse in the
mountains.
8. What can be inferred from paragraph 4 about
amphibian species living in an area of tropical rain
forest in South America?
A. They interact with each other ecologically in
more complex ways than amphibian species living
in areas of similar size in North America do.
B. They move from one habitat to another within
the area more frequently than amphibian species
living in areas of similar size in North America do.
C. They use a smaller variety of microhabitats for
laying eggs than amphibian species living in areas
of similar size in North America do.
D. Their reproductive modes are less diverse than
those of amphibian species living in areas of similar
size in North America.
Paragraph 4
Global and regional patterns of amphibian diversity
are due largely to independent responses of
different lineages to physical factors such as
landscape and rainfall, as well as historical factors
such as the formation of new species and their
dispersal. Similar habitats in relatively close
proximity to one another often have slightly
different assemblages of species present. Some
species are distributed across a wide geographic
area and live in a variety of habitats. Others have
much more restricted ranges or more specialized
habitat requirements. The resulting patterns of
species diversity set the stage for ecological
interactions among species in particular localities.
Such interactions are likely to be more complex in
areas with large numbers of species than in
communities composed of only a few species. In
any given area of tropical rain forest in South
America, for example, the number of species in a
given locality is likely to be much larger than in
areas of similar size in North America. In part this
is due to the much greater diversity of reproductive
modes in the tropics, where anurans make use of all
sorts of microhabitats for laying eggs that are not
found in temperate habitats. Within North America,
assemblages of streamside salamanders are very
diverse in the southern Appalachians, with five or
six species present in some areas. In more northern
habitats, there may be no more than two or three
species living in the same type of habitat.
Ecological interactions may be similar in these two
types of assemblages, but clearly the number of
possible interactions between different species is
larger in the more diverse assemblage.
9, Look at the four squares [█] that indicate where
the following sentence could be added to the
passage.
The correlation between altitude and diversity,
however, is not always a positive one for all
amphibian species.
Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a
square [█] to add the sentence to the passage.
Paragraph 2
In both the tropics and the temperate zone,
amphibian diversity is strongly affected by rainfall.
In North America, for example, amphibians are
most diverse in the southern Appalachian
Mountains and the southeastern Coastal Plain (flat
lowlands along the Atlantic coast), both areas of
high rainfall. A strong positive correlation or a high
likelihood of interdependence between amphibian
species diversity and rainfall is seen in other
regions as well. █ Amphibian species diversity also
is strongly affected by altitude.█ In North America,
salamanders are more diverse in mountain habitats
than in lowland habitats, but anurans are not. █In
South America, the wet slopes of the Andes harbor
the highest diversity of anuran species in the world.
Mountain regions of Africa generally have fewer
species of amphibians than do New World
mountains, but nevertheless these areas often are
rich in local species with limited altitudinal
distributions.█
10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete
the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage.
Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the
passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

The distr ibution and diver sity of amphibian species lar gely depends on major featur es of geogr aphy
and climate as well as on par ticular events of evolutionar y histor y

Answer Choices

A.In general, diversity of amphibian species is much higher in the New World than in the Old, in tropical
latitudes than in temperate ones, and in areas of higher rainfall.

B.Although in the New World amphibians are more diverse in the mountains than in the lowlands, regions
of high altitude in Africa have only a limited variety of amphibian species.

C.Ecological interactions between different amphibian species tend to be more complex in areas where there
is higher diversity.

D.Islands, being cut off from the mainland, stimulate more competition and species formation, with the
largest islands developing more amphibian species diversity than the mainland develops.

E.Diversity tends to be higher in mountain habitats than in lowland habitats but only for certain amphibian
species, particularly those that deposit eggs out of water or breed in streams.

F.Amphibian species are generally confined to particular, specialized habitats, and the same species are
rarely found in widely separated geographical areas.
 Science and Nineteenth-Centur y Visual Ar ts
1. According to paragraph 1, which of the following
statements best describes the effect of science on
European art in the middle of the nineteenth century?
A. Scientists successfully advocated new uses of
technology in art.
B. Scientific developments led artists to represent
their subjects in a more objective way.
C. Technology and scientists became popular
subjects in new works of art
D. Artists competed with scientists to describe
reality most accurately
2. The word "profound" in the passage is closest in
meaning to
A. gradual
B. immediate
C. surprising
D. significant
3. Which of the following can be inferred about
works by artists who felt that "realism was no
longer necessary" in art?
A. They were displayed in museums more often
than other works.
B. They depicted objects with great exactness than
did most other works of art.
C. They were less popular with the viewing public
than realistic paintings.
D. They were generally considered representative
and intelligible
4. According to paragraph 2, advances in camera
technology had which of the following
consequences?
A. Camera use became specialized and was
practiced by professionals only
B. Photographers began to create and sold
photographs that looked like traditional paintings.
C. Photography became less expensive and more
available to ordinary people.
D. Most painters gave up their craft and made their
living from photography
Paragraph 1
In the middle of the nineteenth century, rapid
developments in the sciences and popular
fascination with recent technological advances
were being reflected in European art. Many artists
believed they could portray reality with greater
accuracy if they adopted a scientific approach,
depicting their subjects with a strict and detached
objectivity. New technologies and ideas about how
the mind perceives the world inspired completely
new artistic methods that abandoned traditional
standards and often surprised the public.
Paragraph 2
Camera photography, based on the exposure of
chemically coated film to light, had a profound
impact on the art of the nineteenth century.
Improvements by the Frenchman Louis Daguerre
made the camera a useful tool by the 1830s, though
remained large and cumbersome until the dry plate
and miniature camera were introduced in the 1870s.
Photographic services were already in high demand
by mid-century; in the 1860s 30,000 people in Paris
were making their living from photography and
allied fields. The use of celluloid film and George
Eastman invention of the Kodak camera in 1880s
which quickly became mass-produced and
affordable, gave wide public access to the practice
of photography. The ability of photography to
depict a scene with exactitude had a significant
impact on art. On the one hand, it encouraged many
artists to be true to reality, to reproduce on canvas a
visual image akin to that of photograph. On the
other hand, other artists now felt that such realism
was no longer necessary in their sphere. However,
the great majority of the public, which now had
wide access to museum exhibitions, was
accustomed to photographic accuracy and desired
art that was representative and intelligible. Realistic
works of art met the need, at least superficially.
5. The word "proclaimed" in the passage is closest
in meaning to
A. declared
B. believed
C. wished
D. forced
6. In paragraph 3, why does the author discuss
William Holman Hunt's trip to Palestine?
A. To illustrate the importance some artists placed
on correctly reproducing the world as it actually is
B. To explain why some nineteenth-century English
artists looked to Renaissance Italy for models
C. To explain why Pre-Raphaelites were less
concerned than earlier artists about composition and
perspective
D. To show that English painters were more
enthusiastic than French painters about applying the
methods of photography
7. According to paragraph 3, the Pre-Raphaelites
were a group of painters who
A. modeled their work on that of Gustave Courbet
and Jean-Francois Millet
B. devoted much effort to depicting the subjects
realistically
C. preferred to paint historical scenes situated in
distant places
D. had a very strong attachment to ideals and
religion
8. According to paragraph 3, the unusual framing of
Degas's Orchestra of the Opera indicates
A. the artist's rejection of the ideas of the Pre-
Raphaelites
B. the artist’s concern with composition and
perspective
C. the problem of representing three-dimensional
objects in two-dimensional space
D. the influence of photography
Paragraph 3
Many artists began to reject myths and symbols,
choosing to portray the world as it actually was, or
at least as it appeared to them--a world without
illusions, everyday life in all its grimness. The
realist painter Gustave Courbet proclaimed himself
to be "without ideals and without religion." His
fellow Frenchman Jean-Francois Millet held a
similar opinion. Instead of romanticizing peasants
in the manner of earlier artists, he painted the harsh
physical conditions under which they labored. In
England, the so-called Pre-Raphaelites took as their
model painters who came before Raphael
Renaissance Italy and who had depicted the realistic
simplicity of nature. In painting historical scenes,
these artists meticulously researched the landscape,
architecture, fauna, and costumes of their subjects.
William Holman Hunt, one of the movement's
founders, traveled all the way to Palestine before
painting The Scapego in order to guarantee accurate
portrayal of the Dead Sea. In the past, artists had
been concerned about composition and perspective
(the representation of three-dimensional objects in a
two-dimensional space), but under the influence of
photography they began to paint incomplete off-
center pictures. Orchestra of the Opera, by French
painter Edgar Degas looks as if its edges have been
cut off, with the musicians only partially visible and
the dancers' heads out of the frame.
Paragraph 4

On April 15, 1874. six French artists--Edgar Degas,

Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Auguste Renoir,
Alfred Sisley, and Bert Morisot--opened an
exhibition in Paris that a critic scornfully called
"impressionist, after the title of one of Monet's
paintings Impression: Sunrise. The Impressionists
were influenced by new theories of physics that
claimed images are transmitted to the brain as small
light particles that the brain then reassembles. The
Impressionists wanted their paintings to capture
what things look like before the brain "distorts"
them. Many of these painters left their studios to
paint objects exactly as they look outdoors when
light hits them at a certain angle. Monet, for
example, emphasized outdoor painting and the need
for spontaneity--for reproducing subjects without
preconceptions about how earlier artists had
depicted them--and seeking to show exactly how
the colors and shapes struck the eye. Monet was
particularly interested in creating multiple paintings
of the same scene--from different viewpoints, under
different weather conditions, at different times of
day--to underscore that no single “correct”
depiction could possibly capture a subject.
9. Look at the four squares ■ that indicate where the
following sentence could be added to the passage.
This influence on art grew steadily, thanks to
periodic advances in photographic technology
Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a
square ■ to add the sentence to the passage.
Paragraph 2
Camera photography, based on the exposure of
chemically coated film to light, had a profound
impact on the art of the nineteenth century. ■
Improvements by the Frenchman Louis Daguerre
made the camera a useful tool by the 1830s, though
remained large and cumbersome until the dry plate
and miniature camera were introduced in the 1870s.
■ Photographic services were already in high
demand by mid-century; in the 1860s 30,000 people
in Paris were making their living from photography
and allied fields. ■ The use of celluloid film and
George Eastman invention of the Kodak camera in
1880s which quickly became mass-produced and
affordable, gave wide public access to the practice
of photography. ■ The ability of photography to
depict a scene with exactitude had a significant
impact on art. On the one hand, it encouraged many
artists to be true to reality, to reproduce on canvas a
visual image akin to that of photograph. On the
other hand, other artists now felt that such realism
was no longer necessary in their sphere. However,
the great majority of the public, which now had
wide access to museum exhibitions, was
accustomed to photographic accuracy snd desired
art that was representative and intelligible. Realistic
works of art met the need, at least superficially.
10. Dir ections: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete
the summary by selecting the 3 answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some
sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or
are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

By the mid-nineteenth centur y in Eur ope, a new er a of technological and scientific advances was being
r eflected in the ar ts.

Answer Choices

A. As cameras and camera images became more familiar, people grew to value photographic exactitude in
the painted image.

B. Many painters abandoned symbolic and idealized images, preferring to depict the world as they
experienced it directly.

C. The Pre-Raphaelites' concern with composition and perspective was rejected by realists such as Degas,
who painted incomplete, off-center pictures.

D. Access to photographic services and Kodak cameras caused the public to conclude that realism was no
longer necessary in the artistic sphere.

E. Photographs of grim peasant labor led the Pre-Raphaelites to give up romantic illusions about peasant life
and turn historical subjects.

F. New theories about how the mind perceives images led the Impressionists to experiment with daylight
and other variables