托福阅读tpo63R-1原文+译文+题目+答案+背景知识.pdf

托福阅读TPO63R-1TheSumeriansandRegionalInterdependence

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原文

TheSumeriansandRegionalInterdependence

①WiththeemergenceoftheSumeriancivilizationinabout3100B.C.,

anewerainhumanexperiencebegan-oneinwhichtheeconomic,

political,andsocialmechanismscreatedbyhumansbegantoaffectthe

livesofcities,towns,andvillageslocatedhundredsandperhaps

thousandsofmilesapart.Inarealsense,arapidlyevolvingworld

systemlinkedhundredsofSouthwestAsiansocietiesallthewayfrom

modern-dayeasternIrantotheeasternMediterraneanandtheNile

Valley.Thisnascentworldsystemdevelopedasaresultofinsatiable

demandsfornonlocalrawmaterialsindifferentecologicalregions

wheresocietiesweredevelopingalongverysimilarevolutionarytracks

towardgreatercomplexity.Ineacharea,socialdevelopmentsand

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technologicalinnovationsweretriggerednotonlybybasiceconomic

needsbutalsobythecompetitiveinstinctsofnewlyurbanizedelites,

whousedlavishdisplayandexoticluxuriestoreaffirmtheirsocial

prestigeandauthority.Sumeriancivilizationisamirrorofthis

developingregionalinterdependence.

②Sumeriancivilizationcameintobeingasaresultofacombinationof

environmentalandsocialfactors.TheSumerianslivedinatreeless,

lowlandenvironmentwithfertilesoilsbutnometal,littletimber,and

nosemipreciousstones.Theyobtainedthesecommoditiesbytrading

withareaswheresuchitemswereinabundance.Sumerianrulers

controllednotonlylargegrainsurplusesthatcouldbemovedinriver

craftbutalsoaflourishingindustryintextilesandotherluxuries.The

trademovedupanddownthegreatrivers,especiallytheplacid

Euphrates.AncientoverlandtraderouteslinkedtheTigrisand

EuphratesriverswiththedistantcitiesandportsintheLevant(eastern

Medit