Listen and consider : Identify the five major ancient civilizations and the rise and fall of civilizations

🔊 The teacher reads for you

Sumer, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China, Greece: five great civilizations — and almost all of them grew on the banks of a river. On the radio, a historian explains when each of them began, why they chose rivers, and why, one day, they fell. Which one is the oldest, and what brought them down?

🎓في نهاية هذا الدرس ستكون قادرا على:

فهم مقابلة إذاعية عن الحضارات القديمة، واستخراج معلومات دقيقة منها: الأعداد والتواريخ والأسباب
ترتيب الحضارات الخمس الكبرى ترتيبا زمنيّا انطلاقا ممّا سمعت
التمييز بين ما قيل في المسموع وما لم يُقل فيه ⁦(true · false · not mentioned)⁩
شرح أسباب ازدهار الحضارات القديمة وانهيارها بالإنجليزية، شفهيّا

🔑يفترض هذا الدرس أنّك تتقن:

قراءة الأعداد الكبيرة والتواريخ بالإنجليزية ⁦(5,500 years ago · 150 B.C.)⁩
الماضي البسيط في رواية الأحداث
كلمات أساسية: ⁦civilization · river · farming · city⁩

Before you listen

قبل الاستماع : أجب عن الأسئلة، ثمّ اضغط زرّ الاستماع أعلى الصفحة. لا تفتح النصّ إلّا بعد أن تجيب.

1. Name the ancient civilizations you know. Which one do you think is the oldest? 2. Why do you think the first civilizations flourished near great rivers? 3. What is your definition of civilization? What do you associate with it? ⭐ On this page the recording is read aloud by the listening button, at the top. Listen once without opening anything — exactly as you would in class.

The recording

نصّ المسموع. ⛔ لا تفتحه قبل أن تستمع وتجيب.

A radio interview — Dr. Victor Skipp, a historian, answers questions about ancient civilizations First part Radio interviewer: I'll start with a tricky question, if you don't mind. How many civilizations has the world known so far? Dr. Skipp: Well, historians don't agree on the exact number. According to some of them, there have been 26 or 27 civilizations on the whole. Radio interviewer: And which one is the world's earliest civilization? Dr. Skipp: The world's earliest civilization is probably the Sumerian civilization. It flourished on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) about 5,500 years ago. As for the Egyptian civilization, it emerged about 5,000 years ago. It was based along the Nile Valley. Then came the Indus Valley civilization about 4,500 years ago, and the Chinese civilization along the lower valley of the Yellow River about 4,200 years ago. Radio interviewer: What about what is known as Ancient Greek civilization? Dr. Skipp: Well, Ancient Greek civilization started in the Island of Crete some 4,000 years ago and then spread to mainland Greece where it flourished until approximately 150 B.C. Radio interviewer: This was when the Romans took over, I suppose. Dr. Skipp: Right you are! Radio interviewer: Now, what about the New World? Did any civilization emerge there? Dr. Skipp: Yes, of course. For instance, the Olmec civilization emerged in Central America; and so did the Chavin civilization about 2,800 years ago, in Peru. That was much earlier than the Maya, the Aztec and the Inca ones. Second part Radio interviewer: Right. How can you explain that practically all of the civilizations you have mentioned developed around rivers? Dr. Skipp: That's a good point. If you allow me, I'll begin by defining what we exactly mean by civilization. I would say that civilization is 'the art of living in cities.' But before the first cities could be built, and with them the earliest civilizations, people had to learn how to farm the land, tame wild animals, and live the simple life of a farming village. What I mean is that the foundations of civilization were first laid by farmers and craftsmen. And naturally, where could these farmers find a more fertile land to cultivate and sustain city life than on the banks of rivers like the Tigris, the Euphrates, or the Nile? Radio interviewer: And I suppose that it must have taken quite a long time for civilization to become 'visible' and develop on the banks of these rivers. Dr. Skipp: That's right. Let's take the case of the Sumerian civilization. As you can imagine, hardly any rain fell in Mesopotamia even at that time. So away from the rivers the soil was too dry for farming. On the other hand, every year the rivers flooded, which meant that, close to them, most of the land was a permanent swamp. In some places there was too little water, in others too much. So if progress from village life to city life was to be made, the Sumerians had to control a great river. This they were able to do. First, they built huge banks on both sides of the Euphrates, so that even at flood time, it could be contained within its own bed. Then, they constructed an irrigation system constituted of canals, reservoirs and dams to control the distribution of water. Radio interviewer: I imagine that before the Sumerians were able to build their cities and develop their civilization, they had other difficulties to overcome. Dr. Skipp: Certainly. For example the Sumerians had to import many raw materials necessary for civilized life because they were not available in Mesopotamia. They imported these raw materials from different localities of the world situated in Syria, Oman, Afghanistan, and even in Europe. The Sumerians had no money. But their farming was so efficient by this time that the land was producing far more than the inhabitants actually needed for themselves. So they used to barter their products, exchanging their own surplus of corn and dates, leather, wool, and pottery for the goods they needed. Radio interviewer: I see. Another question, if you allow me. Dr. Skipp: Please, go ahead. Radio interviewer: Is there any explanation as to why ancient civilizations collapsed after having built imposing cities, fine palaces and temples? Dr. Skipp: Well, the explanation is simple. For the most part, progress from cave life to civilization had taken place in peaceful and settled conditions. But at one stage of Ancient History, these civilized countries were invaded and destroyed by less civilized ones in search of food. Often the cities were unable to protect themselves because they had internal problems, and their peoples had become too soft and easygoing as a result of their wealth and prosperity. The invaders, on the other hand, though they were less clever, were tough, vigorous and determined. Adapted from Victor Skipp, Out of the Ancient World

First listening — when did they begin?

الاستماع الأوّل : دوّن، لكلّ حضارة من الحضارات الخمس، منذ كم سنة بدأت. اكتب العدد كما تسمعه.

Task 1 — Listen to the first part and note down how long ago each civilization began.

Ancient Greek civilization: …… Ancient Egyptian civilization: …… Sumerian civilization: …… Indus Valley civilization: …… Chinese civilization: ……

Task 1 — what the historian says

ما قاله المؤرّخ عن كلّ حضارة.

Civilization	It began about…	Where
Sumerian	5,500 years ago	Mesopotamia, on the Tigris and the Euphrates
Ancient Egyptian	5,000 years ago	along the Nile Valley
Indus Valley	4,500 years ago	the Indus Valley
Chinese	4,200 years ago	the lower valley of the Yellow River
Ancient Greek	4,000 years ago	the Island of Crete, then mainland Greece

Notice the little word before each number: about, some. The historian gives an estimate, not an exact date — and so should you when you report it.

Task 2 — Put the five civilizations in chronological order, from the oldest.

رتّب الحضارات الخمس من الأقدم إلى الأحدث.

the Sumerian civilization — about 5,500 years ago
the Egyptian civilization — about 5,000 years ago
the Indus Valley civilization — about 4,500 years ago
the Chinese civilization — about 4,200 years ago
the Ancient Greek civilization — some 4,000 years ago

The bigger the number of years ago, the older the civilization. And the New World came much later: the Olmec and the Chavin civilizations emerged about 2,800 years ago — much earlier, though, than the Maya, the Aztecs and the Incas.

Second listening — true, false or not mentioned?

الاستماع الثاني : قرّر لكلّ جملة هل هي صحيحة ⁦(T)⁩ أو خاطئة ⁦(F)⁩ أو غير مذكورة ⁦(NM)⁩ في المقابلة.

Task 3 — True (T), false (F) or not mentioned (NM)? The first one is done for you.

A. The Sumerian civilization is the oldest civilization in the world. — T B. Most of the ancient civilizations rose along rivers. C. Agriculture did not form the basis of ancient civilizations. D. Ancient civilizations flourished during periods of peace. E. Most ancient civilizations fell into ruins because of war. F. Ancient Egyptians invented agriculture.

Task 3 — the answers, with the words that prove them

الإجابات، مع الكلمات التي تثبتها من المسموع.

B — T. « practically all of the civilizations you have mentioned developed around rivers ».
C — F. It is the opposite: « the foundations of civilization were first laid by farmers and craftsmen ».
D — T. « progress from cave life to civilization had taken place in peaceful and settled conditions ».
E — T. They « were invaded and destroyed by less civilized ones in search of food » — the historian adds a second cause: internal problems, and peoples grown too soft and easygoing.
F — NM. The interview says where farming was easy, never who invented it.

Not mentioned is the trap of this task: a sentence can sound true and still not be in the recording. Before you tick T, find the words that say it.

Speaking — ask and answer about a civilization

التعبير الشفهيّ : أكمل الحوار بما سمعت، ثمّ مثّله مع زميلك.

Task 4 — Use the information from the recording to complete the dialogue.

You: ……………………………………? Your partner: Well, according to some historians the world has known 26 or 27 civilizations so far. You: ……………………………………? Your partner: The world's earliest civilization is probably the Sumerian civilization. You: ……………………………………? Your partner: It started in Mesopotamia about 5,500 years ago. You: What about ……………? Your partner: Well, the ancient Egyptian civilization ……………, …………… You: What was the major cause of the collapse of these civilizations? Your partner: ……………………………………

Task 4 — a model dialogue

حوار نموذجيّ.

You: How many civilizations has the world known so far? Your partner: Well, according to some historians the world has known 26 or 27 civilizations so far. You: Which one is the world's earliest civilization? Your partner: The world's earliest civilization is probably the Sumerian civilization. You: When and where did it start? Your partner: It started in Mesopotamia about 5,500 years ago. You: What about the ancient Egyptian civilization? Your partner: Well, the ancient Egyptian civilization emerged about 5,000 years ago, along the Nile Valley. You: What was the major cause of the collapse of these civilizations? Your partner: They were invaded and destroyed by less civilized peoples in search of food, and often the cities could not protect themselves because they had internal problems.

The rise and fall of civilizations

ازدهار الحضارات وانهيارها : ما يقوله المؤرّخ في الجزء الثاني من المقابلة.

For the historian, civilization is the art of living in cities. But before the first cities, people had to learn to farm, to tame wild animals and to live in villages: civilization was built on farming. That is why it grew on the banks of rivers, where the land was fertile. Rivers were also a danger. In Mesopotamia hardly any rain fell, and every year the rivers flooded. The Sumerians rose because they learned to control the Euphrates: they built huge banks on both sides of the river, then an irrigation system of canals, reservoirs and dams. Their farming became so efficient that they produced a surplus, and since they had no money, they bartered it — corn, dates, leather, wool, pottery — for the raw materials they lacked. Civilizations fell when less civilized peoples, in search of food, invaded them. The cities could not always protect themselves: they had internal problems, and their peoples had become soft and easygoing through wealth. The invaders were less clever — but tough, vigorous and determined.

Why did the Sumerians need a great river — and why was it not enough to live beside it?

لماذا احتاج السومريون إلى نهر كبير؟ ولماذا لم يكفهم أن يسكنوا بجانبه؟

They needed it because away from the river the soil was too dry for farming. But living beside it was not enough: every year it flooded, and close to it the land was a permanent swamp — too little water in some places, too much in others. They had to control it, with banks, canals, reservoirs and dams, before village life could become city life.

Do this alone, out loud. In four sentences, tell the rise and fall of one civilization of the interview: where and when it began, what made it prosper, and what brought it down. Record yourself on your phone, listen back once, and check one thing: did you say about before each number?

تحدّث وحدك بصوت مرتفع في أربع جمل عن حضارة من حضارات المقابلة، ثمّ سجّل صوتك واستمع إليه مرّة واحدة.

The written exam plays no recording: what this lesson brings to it is the vocabulary to read and write about civilizations — flourish, emerge, rise, collapse, invade, barter, surplus — and the way figures are read: about 5,500 years ago, 150 B.C. Have ready the three causes of the fall given by the historian: invaders in search of food, internal problems, peoples grown soft through wealth. The frequent mistake: reading B.C. dates the wrong way round — before Christ, the bigger the number, the older the event.

What I keep — Five great civilizations, in the order in which they began: Sumer (about 5,500 years ago), Egypt (5,000), the Indus Valley (4,500), China (4,200) and Greece (4,000). Almost all of them grew along rivers, because the first cities needed farmers, and farmers needed fertile, watered land. They rose in peace — and many fell to invaders in search of food, when their own peoples had grown soft with wealth.

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