Sample Response

Listen again and repeat after the response. Pay close attention to pronunciation, intonation and word stress.

The professor says that the success of ancient cities depended largely on their location near large water sources.

First, building ancient cities near water sources made them successful because water gave people a way to grow food.

For example, the Samarians watered their crops with water from nearby rivers. Because they did not have to search for food, they could devote more time to other things, like developing their culture.

Living close to water also allowed ancient peoples to trade with each other. This made many of them prosperous.

The Egyptians, for example, used the Nile River to transport goods between cities in their empire.

Therefore, it was important for ancient people to build their cities along these waterways in order to trade with other civilizations.