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Unit 1 The Ham Code mu f bi o ra Ancient Mesopotamia In ancient times , Mesopotamia was the name of the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers , located mostly in what is now Iraq. This area is often referred to as the “cradle of civilization,” as it is the place where agriculture and written language were born. Tigris river Between 2900 and 1100 B.C., a time known as the Bronze Age , great empires such a Sumer , Akkad , Babylonia , and Assyria existed in Mesopotamia. Each new group of people that settled in the region adopted some of the customs , traditions and beliefs of the existing culture. Therefore , while certain aspects of civilization in Mesopotamia changed over time , others remained the same for centuries. The Code of Hammurabi The ancient region of Mesopotamia was ruled by many empires. Before 2000 B.C., the Akkadian Empire was the most powerful. Soon after this , however , the Akkadians were conquered by a people called the Amorites. The Amorite capital was a city named Babylon , located in modern-day Iraq. Therefore , the empire they built became known as the Babylonian Empire. Life in the Babylonian Empire was very orderly. The kings of Babylon built irrigation canals , defensive walls , massive public buildings , and street grids. They also started one of the earliest systems of taxation to collect money from Babylonian citizens. The most famous king of Babylon was Hammurabi. Although he was a great warrior , he is better remembered for something else : the Code of Hammurabi. Hammurabi’s code was a collection of laws that were written down and put on display for everyone to see. It not only described what was against the law but also what punishments would be given to lawbreakers. For example , the code stated that stealing property from temples was illegal. It also said that anyone caught doing this would be put to death. The range of the code was quite broad , covering issues from money lending to military service. Some of the 281 laws in the code came from Amorite tradition. Others were borrowed from earlier empires , such as the Akkadians. Still others were brand new. The principle of “an eye for an eye” was an example of a new method of justice. If people caused others harm , they would be punished by having the same type of harm inflicted on them. Many copies of Hammurabi’s code were written on large slabs of stone or wood and placed in public areas. This was the first time a government’s laws had been explained and distributed like this. Eventually , the Babylonian Empire fell , just as its predecessors had. It was conquered by the Kassites , a people from present-day Iran. But the Kassites didn’t destroy Babylon. In fact , they adopted many elements of Babylonain culture , including the Code of Hammurabi. In this way , the code was passed from empire to empire , guiding the development of different legal systems. Its influence can ever be seen in the laws we follow today. Vocabulary Building 1-5 Complete each sentence with one of the words from the box. conquer / illegal / inflict / distribute / influence distribute 1. Relief workers will …………………………………. food to hungry children. 2. The young painter’s art shows influence the…………………………………of his great teacher. conquer 3. The king’s plan to………………………………….the enemy failed. conquer / illegal / inflict / distribute / influence inflict 4. Bullies like to ………………………………….harm on others. illegal 5. It’s ………………………………….to download copyrighted movies without permission 6-10 Choose the words that are closet in meaning to the underlined ones. 6. I won’t deceive her because it’s against all my principles. a) Religion b) truth c) clues d) beliefs 7. The predecessor made laws that banned criticism before the current ruler came to power. a) Forerunner b) officer c) lawyer d) manager 8. An orderly schedule can make everyone’s job easier. a) disciplined b) regular c) organized d) excellent 9. I don’t think that’s quite the word to describe his appearance. a) define b) remember c) forget d) diminish 10. It took fifty strong men to move the massive rock from the middle of the road. a) huge b) minor c) unmanageable d) overall 11-13 Complete each sentence with the following idioms. 11. They thought the boy was lying , in fact but……………………………….he was telling the truth. 12. His last painting put on display was……………………………………….at the National Art Museum. 13. There are many reasons to raise taxes , such as ………………………………………the need to build more schools. Reading Comprehension 1. What is the main idea of the passage? a) King Hammurabi developed laws that were fair to everyone. b) The Babylonians were more advanced than the Akkadians. c) King Hammurabi created one of the first written legal codes. d) Daily life during Babylonian times was difficult for citizens. 2. According to the passage , what was a feature of the Babylonian Empire? a) It was founded by the Amorites. b) Its people had to pay high taxes. c) It was located next to the Akkadian Empire d) Its kings were disorganized. 3. What was the Code of Hammurabi primarily written on? a) blocks of stone or wood b) pieces of paper c) sheets of soft metal d) walls of public buildings 4. The word adopted in the passage is closet in meaning to a) removed b) borrowed c) withheld d) changed 5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as an issue covered by Hammurabi’s laws? a) service in the army b) stealing objects c) the printing of money d) personal injury 6. What can be inferred about later Mesopotamian empires? a) Their rulers neglected Hammurabi’s code. b) They lasted longer than the Babylonian Empire. c) They were governed without clear laws. d) Their laws closely resembled those of Babylon 7. Where did the laws in the Code of Hammurabi come from? Some laws came from Amorite tradition, others came from earlier empires like the Akkadians, and still others were brand new. 8. What does “an eye for an eye” mean? "An eye for an eye" means that if people cause others harm, they will be punished by having the same type of harm inflicted upon them. 9. What did Hammurabi’s code of laws describe? They described what was against the law and what punishments would be given to lawbreakers. Summary Read the passage again and complete the outline with the words below. Akkadians / Babylon / Kassite/ orderly / in public/ issues / punishments / legal systems / created / survived I. The Babylonian Empire Akkadians A) The Amorites conquered the ……………………………… around 2000 B.C. orderly B) Babylon was ruled in a(n) ………………………………..……. fashion by its kings. Akkadians / Babylon / Kassite/ orderly / in public/ issues / punishments / legal systems / created / survived II. King Hammurabi Babylon A) The best known king of…………………………………………….. . Created B) ……………………………………a system of laws called the Code of Hammurabi. III. The Code of Hammurabi issues A) Included laws for a variety of………………………………………… . punishments B) Introduced…………………………………..based on the idea of “an eye for an eye”. in public C) Was written down and displayed …………………………………… for all to see. IV. The end of the Babylonian Empire Kassite A) Conquered by the……………………………………….people. survived B) The Code of Hammurabi……………………………………and legal systems influenced later …………………………………. . Complete the summary with your own words based on the outline The Amorites conquered the…………………….around 2000 B.C. and ruled Babylon in a(n)……………………..fashion. …………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… The Code of Hammurabi………………………………….and influenced later……………………………… The Amorites conquered the Akkadians around 2000 B.C. and ruled Babylon in an orderly fashion. The best-known king of Babylon was King Hammurabi, and he created a system of laws called the Code of Hammurabi. The laws dealt with a variety of social issues. They also introduced new punishments based on the idea of "an eye for an eye." Hammurabi had his code written down and displayed in public for everyone to see. The Babylonian Empire was eventually conquered by the Kassite people. The Code of Hammurabi survived and influenced later legal systems.