Indus Valley Civ

Unit 1: Ancient Civilizations
A) Comprehension
We know very little about this civilization, but what we know is amazing! Over 4,000 years ago, in the
Indus Valley, people built huge cities, with straight streets, and brick homes with private baths! Kids
!played with toys and women wore lipstick
How do we know this information about the Indus? In 1922, archaeologists found the remains of two
ancient cities, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. The civilization is called the Indus Valley Civilization. It
existed from about 3000 BC to about 1500 BC, about the same time as the Egyptian and Sumerian
.civilizations
The houses were one or two storeys high made of brick, with flat roofs, and were all the same. Each
house was built around a yard. There were no windows on the outside walls, only on the inside. Each
!home had its own private bathroom
People were very good farmers. They grew peas, melons, wheat, and dates. They raised sheep, pigs and
zebus (a kind of cow). Each town had a large central building where they kept crops for all in the town
to enjoy. The people used camels, oxen and elephants to travel over land. They had carts with wooden
.wheels. They also had ships to sail around the Arabian Sea
Men and women dressed in colourful robes.Women wore jewellery of gold and precious stones.They had
a written language but we cannot understand it. The ancient Indus civilization mysteriously disappeared
.around 1500 BC. No one knows what happened to these people, or where they went
based on information from: http://www.historyforkids.org/index.htm

The text is 1
a) a newspaper article b) an extract from an encyclopedia c) a web article
?’Are these sentences ‘true’ or ‘false .2

.a Little is known about the Indus Civilization
.b The Indus Civilization existed before the Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations
.c Houses didn’t have windows on the inside
.d The Indus people kept crops in their houses
.Reorder the ideas (a-d) from 1 to 4 as they are mentioned in the text .3
a. The end of a nation
b. clothes and fashion
c. means of transportation
d. food grown in the Indus valley
.Answer the following questions according to the text .4

?How long ago did the Indus Valley Civilization start .1
?Where did it grow .2
?What were the main occupations in ancient Indus Valley society .3
?What did the Indus people wear .4
?When did the Indus Valley Civilization disappear .5
?Who or what do the underlined words refer to in the text .5

:a) It (§2): b) its (§3)
Choose the most appropriate title for the text .6

a Life in the Past
b About Two Cities
c The Mysterious Indus Civilization
B) Text Exploration
Find in the text words or phrases closest in meaning to the following .1
a) very large (§1) b) travel by ship (§4)
.Complete the following chart as shown in the example .2
Verb Noun Adjective

Example : to civilize civilization civilized
to understand ..…………………… ……………………
.………………… information ……………………
.Ask the questions that the underlined words answer .3

.a) I think the Sumerians invented writing
.b) They kept crops in a large central building
.Give the correct form of the verbs in brackets .4

..……… The Sumerians…………. (move) to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers about 3500 BC, but we
.……… where they ………….(come) from. They……………(be) probably nomads who )not/ know (
.the fertile land between the rivers )discover(
.Reorder the following sentences to make a coherent paragraph .5

.a) Wool from the sheep was used to make textiles
.b) Most Sumerians made their living by growing crops or raising livestock
.c) Sumerians also raised cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats
.d) The major crops were barley, wheat, dates, and vegetables
.’Classify the following verbs according to the pronunciation of their final ‘ed .6
disappeared dressed existed happened
/t/ /d/ / id /
Part two : Written Expression

.Choose one of the topics
Topic 1: Write a composition of about 80 to 100 words stating why ancient civilizations collapsed.
.Illustrate with examples
conflicts within ruling families -
civil wars / external invasions -
decrease of scientific and economic progress -
natural disasters: drought / floods / famine -
.Topic 2: Do you think that life today is better than it was in the past. Illustrate with examples

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Unit 1: Ancient Civilizations

based on information from: http://www.historyforkids.org/index.htm

?’Are these sentences ‘true’ or ‘false .2

.Answer the following questions according to the text .4

?Who or what do the underlined words refer to in the text .5

Choose the most appropriate title for the text .6

.Complete the following chart as shown in the example .2

Verb Noun Adjective

.Ask the questions that the underlined words answer .3

.Give the correct form of the verbs in brackets .4

.Reorder the following sentences to make a coherent paragraph .5

Part two : Written Expression

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