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1、众所周知，托福阅读一直是中国考生的薄弱项，我们为帮助广大托福考生突破阅读瓶颈，提高阅读成绩，特地精心整理了托福阅读高分分类素材库。那快来托福阅读高分素材库汲取营养吧！SumerandtheFirstCitiesoftheAncientNearEast苏美尔与古代近东第一城市TheearliestofthecitystatesoftheancientNearEastappearedatthesouthernendoftheMesopotamianplain,theareabetweentheTigrisandEuphratesriversin
2、whatisnowIraq.ItwasherethatthecivilizationknownasSumeremergedinitsearliestforminthefifthmillennium.Atfirstsight,theplaindidnotappeartobealikelyhomeforacivilization.Therewerefewnaturalresources,notimber,stone,ormetals.Rainfallwaslimited,andwhatwatertherewasrushedacrossthepl
3、ainintheannualfloodofmeltedsnow.Astheplainfellonly20metersin500kilometers,thebedsoftheriversshiftedconstantly.Itwasthisthatmadetheorganizationofirrigation,particularlythebuildingofcanalstochannelandpreservethewater,essential.Oncethiswasdoneandthesiltcarrieddownbytheriversw
4、asplanted,therewardswererich:fourtofivetimeswhatrain-fedearthwouldproduce.Itwastheseconditionsthatallowedanelitetoemerge,probablyasanorganizingclass,andtosustainitselfthroughthecontrolofsurpluscrops.Itisdifficulttoisolatethefactorsthatledtothenextdevelopment—theemergenceof
5、urbansettlements.Theearliest,thatofEridu,about4500B.C.E.,andUruk,athousandyearslater,centeronimpressivetemplecomplexesbuiltofmudbrick.Insomeway,theelitehadassociatedthemselveswiththepowerofthe13gods.Uruk,forinstance,hadtwopatrongods—Anu,thegodoftheskyandsovereignofallother
6、gods,andInanna,agoddessofloveandwar—andtherewereothers,patronsofdifferentcities.Humanbeingswereattheirmercy.ThebiblicalstoryoftheFloodmayoriginateinSumer.Intheearliestversion,thegodsdestroythehumanracebecauseitsclamorhadbeensodisturbingtothem.Itusedtobebelievedthatbefore30
7、00B.C.E.thepoliticalandeconomiclifeofthecitieswascenteredontheirtemples,butitnowseemsprobablethatthecitieshadsecularrulersfromearliesttimes.Withinthecitylivedadministrators,craftspeople,andmerchants.(Tradingwasimportant,assomanyrawmaterials,thesemipreciousstonesforthedecor
8、ationofthetemples,timbersforroofs,andallmetals,hadtobeimported.)Anincreasinglysophisticat
