Some of the earliest human civilizations arose in southernMesopotamia, in what is now southern Iraq, in the fourthmillenniumB.C.E. In thesecondhalf of themillennium, in the south around the city of Uruk, there was anenormousescalation in the area occupied bypermanentsettlements. A large part of that increase took place in Uruk itself, which became a realurbancenter surrounded by a set of secondary settlements. Whilepopulationestimates are notoriously unreliable, scholarsassumethat Uruk inhabitants were able to support themselves from the agricultural production of thefieldsurrounding the city, which could be reached with a dailycommute. But Uruk’sdominantsize in the entireregion, far surpassing that of other settlements, indicates that it was a regional center and a true city. Indeed, it was the first city in humanhistory.

Thevastmajorityof itspopulationremained active inagriculture,eventhose people livingwithinthe city itself. But a smallsegmentof theurbansociety started tospecializein nonagricultural tasks as a result of the city’s role as a regional center. Withintheproductivesector, there was a growth of avarietyof specialist craftspeople. Early in the Uruk period, the use of undecoratedutilitarianpotterywas probably the result ofspecializedmassproduction. In an early fourth-millenniumlevelof the Eannaarchaeologicalsite at Uruk, apotterystyle appears that is mostcharacteristicof thisprocess, theso-calledbeveled-rim bowl. It is a rathershallowbowl that was crudely made in amold; hence, in only a limited number ofstandardsizes. For some unknownreason, many were discarded, often stillintact, and thousands have been found all over the Near East. The beveled-rim bowl is one of the most tellingdiagnosticfinds for identifying an Uruk-period site. Of importance is the fact that it was produced rapidly in large amounts, most likely by specialists in a central location.

Avarietyofdocumentationindicates that certain goods, once made by a family member as one of many duties, were later made by skilled artisans. Certain imagesdepictgroups of people, most likely women, involved in weaving textiles, anactivitywe know from later third-millennium texts to have beenvitalin theeconomyand to have been centrally administered. Also, aspecializedmetal-producing workshop may have been excavated in a small area at Uruk. It contained a number of channels lined by asequenceof holes, about 50 centimeters deep, all showing burn marks and filled with ashes. This has been interpreted as the remains of a workshop wheremoltenmetal was scooped up from thechanneland poured into molds in the holes. Some type ofmassproduction by specialists were involved here.

Objects themselves suggest that they were the work of skilled professionals.

In the late Uruk period(3500-3100 B.C.E.), there first appeared a type of object that remainedcharacteristicforMesopotamiathroughoutits entire history: thecylinderseal. This was a smallcylinder, usually no more than 3 centimeters high and 2 centimeters indiameter, ofshell, bone, faience

(a glassy type of stoneware), or various types of stones, on which ascenewas carved into the surface. When rolled over asoftmaterial----primarily theclayof bullae (round seals), tablets,

orclaylumps attached to boxes, jars, or door bolts----thescenewouldappearinrelief, easilylegible. Thetechnologicalknowledge needed to carved it was farsuperiorto that forstampseals,

which had happened in the earlyNeolithicperiod (approximately10,000-5000 B.C.E.). From the firstappearanceofcylinderseals, the carved scenes could be highlyelaborateandrefined, indicating

the work of specialist stone-cutters. Similarly, the late Uruk period shows the firstmonumentalart,relief, and statuary in the round, made with adegreeof mastery that only aprofessionalcould

have produced.

Questions:
question_stem: which of the sentences below best express the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
choices: tag: A
text: Although scholars cannot accurately determine the size of the Uruk population, they know the citizens were not dependent on agriculture.

tag: B
text: scholars do not have enough evidence to determine whether the agriculture areas just outside of Uruk were large enough to feed the city’s population.

tag: C
text: Because city populations cannot feed themselves, scholars think the surrounding farms provided food to the people in Uruk.

tag: D
text: Scholars believe that the inhabitants of Uruk were able to support themselves from product grown in field surrounding the city.
answer_key: D
explanation: D 首先分析句子的主要逻辑，这个句子的主要逻辑是转折，转折之后的内容是重点。对转折之后的那部分句子成分分析，句子主谓宾,主语是 scholars，谓语 assume，宾语是从句说”当地住民可以自给自足“。 根据这些信息去对照选项，很容易得到 D。A 选项说不依赖于农业，与原文矛盾；B 说学者不能确定农业产品是否够用，也不对；C 的前半句就错了，并且原句也没有因果的逻辑关系，排除。

question_stem: The word “surpassing”in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: proceeding

tag: B
text: exceeding

tag: C
text: challenging

tag: D
text: outlasting
answer_key: B
explanation: B  surpassing: 超出，优于。A.在……之前；B.超出；C.挑战；D.比……长久。根据词义可选出 B。

question_stem: According to paragraph 1, all of the following are true of the ancient settlement at Uruk EXCEPT:
choices: tag: A
text: It was a permanent settlement.

tag: B
text: It was self-sufficient.

tag: C
text: It was one of a group of other larger settlements.

tag: D
text: It had easy access to the land where its crops were grown.
answer_key: C
explanation: C A 对应于原文第二句后半句，B 对应第一题的高亮句，C 与原文矛盾，Uruk 是最大的 settlement，D 对应高亮句，说他们可以自给自足。所以 C 项错误，选。

question_stem: The word “intact”in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: unsold

tag: B
text: unused

tag: C
text: undamaged

tag: D
text: unpainted
answer_key: C
explanation: C  intact: 完整的，未受损伤的。A 未售的；B 没用过的；C 未受损的；D 未上色的。根据意思可以选择 C 选项。

question_stem: According to paragraph 2, which of the following best describes the beveled-rim bowls from the Eanna Archaeological site at Uruk.
choices: tag: A
text: They were discarded because they became unpopular.

tag: B
text: They varied greatly in shape and decoration.

tag: C
text: They were each individually styled.

tag: D
text: They were made in only a few sizes.
answer_key: D
explanation: D   A，原文说不知道为什么被抛弃了，错。B，原文说这种陶器长得都一样(made in amold)，而且没有 decoration。C，原文对其 style 进行了描述说它是一种很浅的用模具做得碗。因此可知它的 style 是很统一的。D 正确对应原文“hence, in only a limited number of standard sizes“.

question_stem: Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 2 about craft production in the Uruk period?
choices: tag: A
text: Specialists in nonagricultural tasks obtained a higher status than those engaged in agricultural production.

tag: B
text: People not needed for farming could perform other more specialized activities.

tag: C
text: Ancient crafts were beginning to be produced for both utilitarian and decorative purposes.

tag: D
text: Pottery making was the only known during the fourth millennium.
answer_key: B
explanation: B  A 原文并没说不从事农业的人有更高的社会地位。B 原文第二句 but…说有些人开始了 specialized activities，正确选。C 对应原文第四句，说这种碗是“undecorated， utilitarian”，所以 C 错。 D 原文第三句说到了 growth of variety，而选项说单一，所以矛盾，不选。

question_stem: According to paragraph 3, which of the following is true of textile production after the fourth millennium?
choices: tag: A
text: It had an important commercial value.

tag: B
text: It existed but was not well organized.

tag: C
text: It is not documented in the archaeological record.

tag: D
text: It was carried on by individuals in their own homes.
answer_key: A
explanation: A 根据 textile production 定位至第二句。已用红色部分标出。原文写到的，have been centrally administered。于此可判断 B,D 错误，C 根据 from later third millennium texts 证明是 documented，所以 C 不对。正确答案为 A，对应 vital in the economy。

question_stem: The word “interpreted”in the passage (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: documented

tag: B
text: debated

tag: C
text: displayed

tag: D
text: understood
answer_key: D
explanation: D  interpreted：解释，解读。A 是文件证明；B 是争论；C 是显示；D 是理解。D 选项最接近。

question_stem: What is the purpose of paragraph 3?
choices: tag: A
text: To contrast the productivity of crafts workers in the third and fourth millennia

tag: B
text: To provide additional evidence of mass production by crafts workers

tag: C
text: To suggest that an early form of urban settlement may have exist before Uruk

tag: D
text: To contrast the development of weaving and pottery in Uruk
answer_key: B
explanation: B 前面几段都提到了各种类型的 mass production，这段第一句也又一次提到了 certain goods were later made by skilled artisian。A，D 都不对，因为原文没有对比的逻辑。C 也不符合上下文逻辑，文章本段主题也不是这个。B 正确。

question_stem: The word “legible”in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: printable

tag: B
text: enjoyable

tag: C
text: recognizable

tag: D
text: available
answer_key: C
explanation: C legible: 易读的，清晰的。A 是可排版的；B 是有趣味的；C 是可看清的,可辨认的；D 是可利用的。根据词意，C 正确。

question_stem: Paragraph 4 suggests which of the following about the significances of Mesopotamian cylinder seals?
choices: tag: A
text: They were designed more for home than for legal use.

tag: B
text: They demonstrate that their creators were professionals.

tag: C
text: They were the first example of seals made from materials other than stone.

tag: D
text: They were the first example of carved seals.
answer_key: B
explanation: B  整段文章都在写 cylinder seal ，本段的第一句话也就是中心句说 Objects themselves suggest that they were the work of skilled professionals,证明这段是在举例说明去 professional skill，因此选择 B。

question_stem: According to paragraph 4, one of the artistic achievements of the late Uruk culture was
choices: tag: A
text: Its sophisticated sculpture and relief carving

tag: B
text: Its architecturally complex monuments

tag: C
text: Its invention of stamp seals carved from stone

tag: D
text: Its use of highly refined glassy stoneware
answer_key: A
explanation: A  正确答案为 A,整段都在强调雕刻印章的技艺精湛。段落中也多次强调了 relief。