2024年4月29日发(作者：)

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23

套

Memphis:UnitedEgypt’sFirstCapital

ThecityofMemphis,locatedontheNilenearthemoderncityofCairo,wasfounded

iceof

MemphisbyEgypt’sfirstkingsreflectsthesite’,and

mostobvious,theapexoftheNileRiverdeltawasapoliticallyopportunelocationfor

thestate’sadministrativecenter,standingbetweentheunitedlandsofUpperand

er

predynastic(pre-3100BC)centersofpower,ThisandHierakonpolis,weretooremote

fromthevastexpanseofthedelta,whichhadbeenincorporatedintotheunifiedstate.

OnlyacitywithineasyreachofboththeNilevalleytothesouthandthemorespread

out,difficultterraintothenorthcouldprovidethenecessarypoliticalcontrolthatthe

rulersofearlydynasticEgypt(roughly30002600B.C.)required.

dvastinthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

e

lar

ingtoparagraph1,whywasMemphisabetterchoiceforthecapitalof

aunitedEgyptthaneitherThisorHierakonpolis

swasinabetterlocationformaintainingadministrativecontrol.

shadlongbeenaregionaladministrativecenterbythetimeEgyptwas

united.

dHierakonpolishadneveractuallybeenincorporatedintotheunifiedstate.

anrulershadfailedtokeeppoliticalcontroloverThisandHierakonpolisin

predynastictimes.

fthefollowingbestdescribeshowparagraph1isorganized

ultaneousdevelopmentsaredescribed,aswellasthereasonswhy

neitheronewouldhaveoccurredwithouttheother.

hesisispresented,andthenpointsinfavorofthathypothesisaswell

aspointsagainstitarediscussed.

eventisdescribed,andthenthemostobviouseffectsofthateventare

presented.

ionisdescribed,andthenonelikelymotivationforthatdecisionis

presented.

einferredfromparagraph1thatoneconsequenceoftheunificationof

Egyptwas

uctionofthestrategicimportanceofoldercentersofpower

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ortunityfortherecentlyunitedEgypttobecomeeconomically

self-sufficient

reaseinpoliticaltensionsbetweentherulersofUpperandLowerEgypt

uctionofEgypt'sdependenceupontheNilefortradeandcommunications

TheregionofMemphismusthavealsoservedasanimportantnodefortransportand

communications,ionprobablyactedasa

conduitformuch,ifnotall,oftheriver-basedtradebetweennorthernandsouthern

er,commodities(suchaswine,preciousoils,andmetals)imported

fromtheNearEastbytheroyalcourtsofpredynasticUpperEgyptwouldhavebeen

channeledthroughtheMemphisregionontheirwaysouth.

【

Inshort,therefore,the

siteofMemphisofferedtherulersoftheEarlyDynasticPeriodanideallocationfor

controllinginternaltradewithintheirrealm,anessentialrequirementfora

state-directedeconomythatdependedonthemovementofgoods.

】

ingtoparagraph2,whendidEgyptimportgoodsfromtheNearEast

ternaltradewasfullycontrolledfromMemphis

ilearlydynasticEgyptestablisheditsstate-directedeconomy

yaspredynastictimes

enlocalsuppliesofthosegoodshadbeencompletelyusedup

fthesentencesbelowbestexpressestheessentialinformationinthe

highlightedsentenceinthepassageIncorrectchoiceschangethemeaningin

importantwaysorleaveoutessentialinformation.

【

Inshort,therefore,thesiteofMemphisofferedtherulersoftheEarlyDynastic

Periodanideallocationforcontrollinginternaltradewithintheirrealm,anessential

requirementforastate-directedeconomythatdependedonthemovementofgoods.

】

Memphis,therulersoftheEarlyDynasticPeriodwereideallyplaced

tocontrolinternaltrade,whichtheyhadtodoinordertoruntheireconomy.

oretherulersoftheEarlyDynasticPeriodthoughtMemphiswasthe

ideallocationfortradewithnearbycountries.

t,astate-directedeconomylikethatoftheEarlyDynasticPeriod

requireschoosingasinglelocationtowhichgoodscanbemovedj

a

Memphis,in

thiscase.

,then,astate-directedeconomyfirstdevelopedduringEgypt'sEarly

DynasticPeriodbecauseMemphiswasanideallocationforcontrollingtrade.

Equallyimportantforthenationaladministrationwastheabilitytocontrol

eprovidedtheeasiestandquickestarteryof

communication,andthenationalcapitalwas,again,ideallylocatedinthisrespect.

RecentgeologicalsurveysoftheMemphisregionhaverevealedmuchaboutits

arsthatthelocationofMemphismayhavebeen

evenmoreadvantageousforcontrollingtrade,transport,andcommunicationsthan

sanddrillcoreshaveshownthatthelevelofthe

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efloodplain

wasmuchlower,asitwouldhavebeeninpredynasticandearlydynastictimes,the

outwashfans(fan-shapeddepositsofsediments)ofvariouswadis(stream-bedsor

channelsthatcarrywateronlyduringrainyperiods)wouldhavebeenmuchmore

associatedwiththeWadiHofextended

asignificantwayintotheNilefloodplain,formingaconstrictioninthevicinityof

leymayhavenarrowedatthispointtoamerethreekilometers,

makingittheidealplaceforcontrollingrivertraffic.

dappreciatedinthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

ed

tood

ed

ed

dvicinityinthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

ndingarea

ingtoparagraph3,recentresearchintothetopographyoftheMemphis

regioninancienttimessuggestswhichofthefollowing

eloftheNilefloodplainswasmuchhigherinpredynasticanddynastic

timesthaninlatertimes.

imentdepositsofwadiswerenotasnoticeableinpredynasticanddynastic

timesthaninlatertimes.

evalleyatthepointofMemphiswasnarrowerinpredynasticanddynastic

timesthanitwasinlatertimes.

ntrainyperiodsmayhavecausedasignificantreductionoftradetraffic

duringthepredynasticanddynastictimes.

Furthermore,theMemphisregionseemstohavebeenfavorablylocatedforthe

outwash

fan

predynastictimes,theWadiDiglamayhaveservedasatraderoutebetweenthe

MemphisregionandtheNearEast,tojudgefromtheunusualconcentrationof

to,andcontrol

of,traderoutesbetweenEgyptandtheNearEastseemstohavebeenapreoccupation

ofEgypt’iretomonopolize

foreigntrademayhavebeenoneoftheprimaryfactorsbehindthepolitical

ndationofthenationalcapitalatthejunctionofan

importanttraderoutewiththeNilevalleyisnotlikelytohavebeenaccidental.

Moreover,theWadisHofandDiglaprovidedtheMemphisregionwithaccessible

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hecasewiththecitiesofHierakonpolisandElkab,the

combinationwithinthesameareaofbothdesertpasturageandalluvialarableland

(landsuitableforgrowingcrops)wasaparticularlyattractiveoneforearlysettlement;

thiscombinationnodoubtcontributedtotheprosperityoftheMemphisregionfrom

earlypredynastictimes.

ingtoparagraph4,whichofthefollowingisNOTareasonMemphis

waschosenasthecapitalofaunitedEgypt

tthejunctionofamajortraderoutewiththeNilevalley.

earlandthatcouldbeusedforanimalgrazingandforgrowingcrops.

rbyoutwashfansledintowadisthatcouldbeusedasdeserttraderoutes.

oreigntradershadsettledinnearbyMaadi,tradebetweenthetwocities

couldbeestablished.

asetohavebeenaccidentalinthepassageisclosestinmeaningto

gonewrong

B,tohavebeenhelpful

occurredbychance

madeadifference

graph4,whydoestheauthormentionthecitiesofHierakonpolisand

Elkab

anindicationofthelevelofprosperitythatMemphisisthoughttohave

enjoyedfromitsearliestdays

B,TocomparetheMemphisregiontothemintermsoftheirsimilarcombinations

ofcharacteristicsprovidingadvantagesforearlysettlement

tifythemodelsthatthefoundersofMemphisfollowedinlayingoutthe

nationalcapital

estthatthecombinationofdesertpasturageandalluvialarablelandin

thesameareawasverycommon

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thefoursquaresthatindicatewherethefollowingsentencecouldbeaddedtothepassage.

Whileconsiderationsofpoliticalpowerandeaseofadministrationweredecisiveinchoosingthe

locationofthenewcapital,thesiteclearlyhadotheradvantages.

WherewouldthesentencebestfitClickonasquaretoaddthesentencetothepassage.

Paragraph2:

【

A

】

TheregionofMemphismusthavealsoservedasanimportantnodefortransportand

communications,evenbeforetheunificationofEgypt.

【

B

】

Theregionprobablyactedasaconduit

formuch,ifnotall,oftheriver-basedtradebetweennorthernandsouthernEgypt.【C】Moreover,

commodities(suchaswine,preciousoils,andmetals)importedfromtheNearEastbytheroyal

courtsofpredynasticUpperEgyptwouldhavebeenchanneledthroughtheMemphisregionontheir

waysouth.

【

D

】

Inshort,therefore,thesiteofMemphisofferedtherulersoftheEarlyDynastic

Periodanideallocationforcontrollinginternaltradewithintheirrealm,anessentialrequirementfor

astate-directedeconomythatdependedonthemovementofgoods.

ewthepassage,clickonView

Choices

-basedtradefromnorthernEgyptandimportedgoodsgoingsouthallpassedthroughthe

Memphisregion,makingMemphisanideallocationforcontrollingtrade.

emphisbecamethecapitalcity,river-basedtradealongtheNilegainedinimportance,

whileland-baseddeserttradedeclinedinimportance.

geologicalsurveyssuggestthatthetopographicalfeaturesoftheMemphisregionmadeit

particularlywell-suitedforcontrollingcommunicationsandtrade.

e,despiteaconstrictionofitsvalleynearMemphis,wasthemostadvantageousroutefor

communicationandtraveloncethefloodplainhadbeguntorise.

ersofunifiedEgyptenjoyedamonopolyoverforeigntradebecauseallsuchtradewas

requiredtogothroughtheWadiDigla,towhichtherulerscontrolledallaccess.

helocationofMemphiswasagriculturallyfavorable,itwasparticularlyattractivebecause

itenabledEgypt'srulerstocontroltrademovingthroughthedesertfromtheNearEast.

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PopulationGrowthinNineteenth-CenturyEurope

Paragraph1

Becauseofindustrialization,butalsobecauseofavastincreaseinagricultural

outputwithoutwhichindustrializationwouldhavebeenimpossible,Western

Europeansbythelatterhalfofthenineteenthcenturyenjoyedhigherstandardsof

livingandlonger,healthierlivesthanmostoftheworld’peasa

whole,1900,

virtuallyeveryareaofEuropehadcontributedtothetremendoussurgeofpopulation,

buteachmajorregionwasatadifferentstageofdemographicchange.

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