托福阅读原文之美索不达米亚和古埃及城市的对比

1、智课网TOEFL备考资料托福阅读原文之美索不达米亚和古埃及城市的对比阅读真题:TOPIC Mesopotamian and Egyptian City Structure文章比较了美索不达米亚(M和古埃及(E的城市形态,包括农业、贸易等。解析:本文文章结构清晰明白,属于对比类文章,也是托福文章中较简单的类型。文章涉及的美索不达米亚和古埃及这两个地区都是托福常考地点,话题并不陌生。Egypt and Mesopotamia ComparedThe development of two great early civilizations in the Middle East andNorth Af

2、rica encourages a first effort at comparative analysis. Because ofdifferent geography, different degrees of exposure to outside invasion andinfluence, and different prior beliefs, Egypt and Mesopotamia were in contrastto one another in many ways. Egypt emphasized strong central authority, whileMesop

3、otamian politics shifted more frequently over a substructure of regionalcity-states. Mesopotamian art focused on less monumental structures, whileembracing a pronounced literary element that Egyptian art lacked.These cultural differences can be explained partly by geography:Mesopotamians lacked acce

4、ss to the great stones that Egyptians could importfor their monuments. The differences also owed something to differentpolitics, for Egyptian ability to organize masses of laborers followed fromits centralized government structures and strong bureaucracy. The differencesowed something, finally, to d

5、ifferent beliefs, for the Mesopotamians lackedthe Egyptian concern for preparations for the afterlife, which so motivatedthe great tombs and pyramids that have made Egypt and some of the pharaohslive on in human memory.Both societies traded extensively, but there was a difference in economictone. Me

6、sopotamia was more productive of technological improvements, because their environment was more difficult to manage than the Nile valley. Tradecontacts were more extensive, and the Mesopotamians gave attention to amerchant class and commercial law.Social differences were less obvious because it is d

7、ifficult to obtaininformation on daily life for early civilizations. It is probable, though,that the status of women was greater in Egypt than in Mesopotamia (wherewomens position seems to have deteriorated after Sumer. Egyptians paid great respect to women at least in the upper classes, in part bec

8、ause marriagealliances were vital to the preservation and stability of the monarchy. Also,Egyptian religion included more pronounced deference to goddesses as sources of creativity.Comparisons in politics, culture, economics, and society suggestcivilizations that varied substantially because of larg

9、ely separate originsand environments. The distinction in overall tone was striking, with Egyptbeing more stable and cheerful than Mesopotamia not only in beliefs about gods and the afterlife but in the colorful and lively pictures the Egyptiansemphasized in their decorative art. Also striking was th

10、e distinction ininternal history, with Egyptian civilization far less marked by disruptionthan its Mesopotamian counterpart.Comparison must also note important similarities, some of themcharacteristic of early civilizations. Both Egypt and Mesopotamia emphasizedsocial stratification, with a noble, l

11、andowning class on top and masses ofpeasants and slaves at the bottom. A powerful priestly group also figured inthe elite. While specific achievements in science differed, there was a commonemphasis on astronomy and related mathematics, which produced durable findings about units of time and measure

12、ment. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt changed only slowly by the standards of more modern societies. Details of change have not been preserved, but it is true that having developed successful political and economic systems there was a strong tendency toward conservation. Change, when it came, was usually

13、 brought by outside forces - natural disasters or invasions. Both civilizations demonstrated extraordinary durability in the basics. Egyptian civilization and a fundamental Mesopotamian culture lasted far longer than the civilizations that came later, in part because of relative isolation within each respective region and because of the deliberate effort to maintain what had been achieved, rather than experiment widely.Both civilizations, finally, left an important heritage in