TPO 35
Memphis: United Egypt’s First Capital
The city of Memphis, located on the Nile near the modern city of Cairo, was founded around 3100 B.C. as the first capital of a recently united Egypt. The choice of Memphis by Egypt’s first kings reflects the site’s strategic importance. First, and most obvious, the apex of the Nile River delta was a politically opportune location for the state’s administrative center, standing between the united lands of Upper and Lower Egypt and offering ready access to both parts of the country. The older predynastic (pre-3100BC) centers of power, This and Hierakonplis, were too remote from the vast expan of the delta, which had been incorporated into the unified state. Only a city within easy reach of both the Nile valley to the south and the more spread out, difficult terrain to the north could provide the necessary political control that the rulers of early dynastic Egypt (roughly 3000-2600 B.C.) required.
The region of Memphis must have also rved as an important node for transport and communications, even before the unification of Egypt. The region probably acted as a conduit for much, if not all, of the river-bad trade between northern and southern Egypt. moreover, commodities (such as wine, precious oils, and metals) imported from the Near East by the royal courts of predynastic Upper Egypt
would have been channeled through the Memphis region on their way south. In short, therefore, the site of Memphis offered the rules of the Early Dynastic Period an ideal location for controlling internal trade within their realm, an esntial requirement for a state-directed economy that depended on the movement of goods.
Equally important for the national administration was the ability to control communications within Egypt. The Nile provided the easiest and quickest artery of communication, and the national capital was, again, ideally located in this respect. Recent geological surveys of the Memphis region have revealed much about its topography in ancient times. It appears that the location of Memphis may have been even more advantageous for controlling trade, transportation, and communications than was previously appreciated. Surveys and drill cores have shown that the level of the Mile floodplain has steadily rin over the last five millenniums. When the floodplain was much lower, as it would have been in predynastic and early dynastic times, the outwash fans (fan-shaped deposits of diments) of various wadis (stream-beds or channels that carry water only during rainy periods) would have been much more prominent features on the east bank. The fan associated with the Wadi Hof extended a significant way into the Nile floodplain, forming a constriction in the vicinity of Memphis. The valley may have narrowed at this point to a mere three kilometers, making it the ideal place for controlling river traffic.
Furthermore, the Memphis region ems to have been favorably located for the control not only of river-bad trade but also of dert trade routes. The two outwash fans in the area gave access to the extensive wadi systems of the eastern dert. In predynastic times, the Wadi Digla may have rved as a trade rout between the Memphis region and the Near East, to judge from the unusual concentration of foreign artifacts found in the predynastic ttlement of Maadi. Access to and control of, trade routes between Egypt and the Near East ems to have been a preoccupation of Egypt’s rulers during the period of state formation. The desire to monopolize foreign trade may have been one of the primary factors behind the political unification of Egypt. The foundation of the national capital at the junction of an important trade route with the Nile valley is not likely to have been accidental. Moreover, the Wadis Hof and Digla provided the Memphis region with accessible dert pasturage. As was the ca with the cities of Hierakonpolis and Elkab, the combination with the the same area of both dert pasturage and alluvial arable land (land suitable for growing crops) was aa particularly
Paragraph 1: The city of Memphis, located on the Nile near the modern city of Cairo, was founded around 3100 B.C. as the first capital of a recently united Egypt. The choice of Memphis by Egypt’s first kings reflects the site’s strategic importance. First, and most obvious, the apex of the Nile River
delta was a politically opportune location for the state’s administrative center, standing between the united lands of Upper and Lower Egypt and offering ready access to both parts of the country. The older predynastic (pre-3100BC) centers of power, This and Hierakonplis, were too remote from the vast expan of the delta, which had been incorporated into the unified state. Only a city within easy reach of both the Nile valley to the south and the more spread out, difficult terrain to the north could provide the necessary political control that the rulers of early dynastic Egypt (roughly 3000-2600 B.C.) required.
1. The world “vast” in the passage is clost in meaning to
A. fertile
B. huge
C. unique
D.irregular
2. According to paragraph 1, why was Memphis a better choice for the capital of a united Egypt than either This
or Hierakonplis
A. Memphis was in a better location for maintaining administrative control.
B. Memphis had long been a regional administrative center by the time Egypt was united.
C. This and Hierakonplis had never actually been incorporated into the unified state.
D. Egyptian rulers had failed to keep political control over This and Hierakonplis in predynastic times.
3. Which of the following best describes how paragraph 1 is organized?
A. Two simultaneous developments are described, as well as the reasons why neither one would have
occurred without the other.
B. A hypothesis is prented, and then points in favor of that hypothesis as well as points against it are
discusd.
C. A major event is described, and then the most obvious effects of that event are prented.
D. A decision is described, and then one likely motivation for that decision is prented.
4. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that one conquence of the unification of Egypt was
brainchild
A. the reduction of the strategic importance of older centers of power
B. the opportunity for the recently united Egypt to become economically lf-sufficient
C. the increa in political tensions between the rulers of Upper and Lower Egypt
D. the reduction of Egypt’s dependence upon the Nile for trade and communications
Paragraph 2：The region of Memphis must have also rved as an important node for transport and communications, even before the unification of Egypt. The region probably acted as a conduit for much, if not all, of the river-bad trade between northern and southern Egypt. Moreover, commodities (such as wine, precious oils, and metals) imported from the Near East by the royal courts of predynastic Upper Egypt would have been channeled through the Memphis region on their way south. In short, therefore, the site of Memphis offered the rules of the Early Dynastic Period an i
deal location for controlling internal trade within their realm, an esntial requirement for a state-directed economy that depended on the movement of goods.
5. According to paragraph 2, when did Egypt import goods from the Near East?
A. Once internal trade was fully controlled from Memphis.
B. Not until early dynastic Egypt established its state-directed economy.
6. Which of the ntences below best express the esntial information in the highlighted ntence in the passage. Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out esntial information.
A. Thus in Memphis, the rulers of the Early Dynastic Period were ideally placed to control internal trade,
which they had to do in order to run their economy.
B. Therefore the rulers of the Early Dynastic Period thought Memphis was the ideal location for trade with
nearby countries.
C. In short, a state-directed economy like that of the Early Dynastic Period requires choosing a single location
to which goods can be moved just as Memphis, in this ca.
D. In sum, then, a state-directed economy first developed during Egypt’s Early Dynastic Period becau
三明治英文Memphis was an ideal location for controlling trade.
Paragraph 3：Equally important for the national administration was the ability to control communications within Egypt. The Nile provided the easiest and quickest artery of communication, and the national capital was, again, ideally located in this respect. Recent geological surveys of the Memphis region have revealed much about its topography in ancient times. It appears that the location of Memphis may have been even more advantageous for controlling trade, transportation, and communications than was previously appreciated. Surveys and drill cores have shown that the level of the Mile floodplain has steadily rin over the last five millenniums. When the floodplain was
much lower, as it would have been in predynastic and early dynastic times, the outwash fans (fan-shaped deposits of diments) of various wadis (stream-beds or channels that carry water only during rainy periods) would have been much more prominent features on the east bank. The fan associated with the Wadi Hof extended a significant way into the Nile floodplain, forming a constriction in the vicinity of Memphis. The valley may have narrowed at this point to a mere three kilometers, making it the ideal place for controlling river traffic.
7. The word “appreciated” in the passage is clost in meaning to
A. propod
B. understood
C. approved
D. expected
8. The word “vicinity” in the passage is clost in meaning to
A. center
B. fields
C. city
D. surrounding area
9. According to paragraph 3, recent rearch into the topography of the Memphis region in ancient times suggests which of the following.
实现梦想英文A. The level of the Nile floodplains was much higher in predynastic and dynastic times than in later times.
B. The diment deposits of wadis were not as noticeable in predynastic and dynastic times than in latter times.
C. The Nile valley at the point of Memphis was narrower in predynsastic and dynastic times than it was in
later times.
你是谁的英文
D. Frequent rainy periods may have caud a significant reduction of trade traffic during the predynastic and
dynastic times.
Paragraph 4：Furthermore, the Memphis region ems to have been favorably located for the control not only of river-bad trade but also of dert trade routes. The two outwash fans in the area gave access to the extensive wadi systems of the eastern dert. In predynastic times, the Wadi Digla may have rved as a trade rout between the Memphis region and the Near East, to judge from the unusual concentration of foreign artifacts found in the predynastic ttlement of Maadi. Access to and control of, trade routes between Egypt and the Near East ems to have been a preoccupation of Egypt’s rulers during the period of state formation. The desire to monopolize foreign trade may have been one of the primary factors behind the political unification of Egypt. The foundation of the national capital at the junction of an important trade route with the Nile valley is not likely to have been accidental. Moreover, the Wadis Hof and Digla provided the Memphis region with accessible dert pasturage. As was the ca with the cities of Hierakonpolis and Elkab, the combination with the the same area of both dert pasturage and alluvial arable land (land suitable for growing crops) was aa particularly attractive one for early ttlement; this combination no doubt c
ontributed to the prosperity of the Memphis region from early predynastic times.
汽车行驶中熄火10. According to paragraph 4, which of the following is NOT a reason Memphis was chon as the capital of a
united Egypt
A. It was at the junction of a major trade route with the Nile valley.
B. It was near land that could be ud for animal grazing and for growing crops.
C. The nearby outwash fans led into wadis that could be ud as dert trade routes.
D. Since foreign traders had ttled in nearby Maddi, trade between the two cities could be established.
11. The world “to have been accidental” in the passage is clost in meaning to
A. to have gone wrong
B. to have been helpful
C. to have occurred by chance
D. to have made agovernmental
12. In paragraph 4, why does the author mention the cities of Hierahonplis and Elkab?
A. to give an indication of the level of prosperity that Memphis is thought to have enjoyed from its earliest days
B. to compare the Memphis region to them in terms of their similar combinations of characteristics providing
advantages for early ttlement
C. to identify the models that the founders of Memphis followed in laying out the national capital
D. to suggest that the combination of dert pasturage and alluvial arable land in the same area was very common
Paragraph 1: The city of Memphis, located on the Nile near the modern city of Cairo, was founded ar
ound 3100 B.C. as the first capital of a recently united Egypt. The choice of Memphis by Egypt’s first kings reflects the site’s strategic importance. ▉First, and most obvious, the apex of the Nile River delta was a politically opportune location for the state’s administrative center, standing between the united lands of Upper and Lower Egypt and offering ready access to both parts of the country. The older predynastic (pre-3100BC) centers of power, This and Hierakonplis, were too remote from the vast expan of the delta, which had been incorporated into the unified state. ▉Only a city within easy reach of both the Nile valley to the south and the more spread out, difficult terrain to the north could provide the necessary political control that the rulers of early dynastic Egypt (roughly 3000-2600 B.C.) required. ▉
Paragraph 2：The region of Memphis must have also rved as an important node for transport and communications, even before the unification of Egypt. The region probably acted as a conduit for much, if not all, of the river-bad trade between northern and southern Egypt. ▉Moreover, commodities (such as wine, precious oils, and metals) imported from the Near East by the royal courts of predynastic Upper Egypt would have been channeled through the Memphis region on their way south. In short, therefore, the site of Memphis offered the rules of the Early Dynastic Period an ideal location for controlling internal trade within their realm, an esntial requirement for a state-directed economy that depended on the movement of goods.
参谋部
urbanplanning
13. Look at the four squares [▉] that indicate where the following ntence could be added to the passage. Where
does the ntence best fit?
While considerations of political power and ea of administration were decisive in choosing the Location of the new capital, the site clearly had other advantages.
A. ▉
B. ▉
C. ▉
autolaborD. ▉
14. Directions: An introductory ntence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the
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summary by lecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage.
Some ntences do not belong in the summary becau they express ideas that are not prented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
A. River-bad trade from northern Egypt and imported goods going south all pasd through the Memphis
region, making Memphis an ideal location for controlling trade.
B. After Memphis became the capital city, river-bad trade along the Nile gained in importance, while
land-bad trade dert trade declined in importance.
C. Recent geological surveys suggest that the topographical features of the Memphis region made it
particularly well-suited for controlling communications and trade.
D. The Nile, despite a constriction of its valley near Memphis, was the most advantageous route for
communication and travel once the floodplain had begun to ri.
E. The rulers of unified Egypt enjoyed a monopoly over foreign trade becau all such trade was required
to go through the Wadi Digla, to which the rulers controlled all access.
F. While the location of Memphis was agricultureally favorable, it was particularly attractive becau it
enabled Egypt’s rulers to control trade moving through the dert from the Near East.
