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Iron Working in Africa Paragraph 1: Many scholars believe that the secret of iron smelting (the process of extracting the iron from the rock that contains it) came with Phoenician merchants. The Phoenicians living on the shores of the Mediterranean were smelting iron by 1,000 B.C.E. They were a seafaring people whose square-rigged ships sailed along the North African coast, where they established settlements that became colonies. The most famous was Carthage, modern Tunisia, founded about 800 B.C.E, but other settlement there scattered along the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast of Africa as far south as Mauritania. The indigenous peoples of North Africa who surrounded these Phoenician colonies were Berbers who cultivated wheat, barley, and millet on the rich coast lands between their pastures for sheep, goats, and cattle. The Phoenicians were traders as well as sailors who exchanged iron implements and the technology to make them in return for the livestock of the Berbers. 1. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. A. The Berbers supplied labor for the Phoenician colonies, working in their fields and caring for their animals. B. Surrounding the Phoenician were the Berbers, native North African people who grew grains and raised animals. C. The Berbers grew wheat, barley, and millet on the lowlands surrounding Phoenician animal pastures. D. Like the native Berbers, the Phoenician colonies grew wheat, barley, and millet and millet and raised sheep, goals, and cattle. 2. According to paragraph 1, many scholars believe that iron smelting in Africa first began when the technique was A. brought by Phoenicians who settled on the North African coast B. discovered by the Berbers around 1,000 B.C.E C. brought back from Phoenicia by seafaring African merchants D. discovered in Carthage in modern Tunisia around 800 B.C.E Paragraph 2: By 600 B.C.E, Carthage had become a wealthy and powerful city in the western Mediterranean whose commerce depended on goods brought across the Sahara by the pastoral, nomadic, Berbers of the interior who controlled the early trans-Saharan routes. Two hundred years later, these routes were to become great arteries of trade between Africa and the Mediterranean world in 500 B.C.E. However, they were paths used to connect the chain of Saharan oases inhabited by Berbers who since great antiquity had maintained the line of communications and contacts between the regions of Africa south of the Sahara and Mediterranean coast north of it. The paintings in the rock shelters of the Sahara graphically depict the two-wheeled, horse-drawn chariots, most probably used for war but also able to transport African gold, ivory, and slaves taken in raids in return for salt, cloth, beads, and iron from North Africa. 3. Why does the author include the information that rock shelters in the Sahara contain images of “two-wheeled, horse-drawn chariots”? A. To support the claim that the Berbers used horses to carry their soldiers in times of war B. To show how scholars discovered that the Berbers used slaves C. To argue that the ancient Berbers obtained goods primarily by raids D. To help explain how the Berbers maintained contact and trade between the northern coast and interior of Africa Paragraph 3: Not all scholars believe that iron entered Africa exclusively through the Phoenicians and their Berber trading partners. Some argue that it is more likely that its diffusion occurred in a wide area stretching from Morocco to Yemen. Others believe that Africans developed iron-smelting technology independently of the Phoenicians, perhaps even separately in East and West Africa and there is evidence to support this view. 4. The word exclusively in the passage is closest in meaning to A. originally B. only C. directly D. gradually 5. According to paragraph 3, which of the following is NOT a theory about the development of the iron-smelting process in Africa? A. It arrived in Africa through trade between the Phoenicians and Berbers. B. It was invented independently in different parts of Africa. C. It first appeared in East Africa and then was carried by the Phoenicians to other parts of the world. D. It was adopted by African traders living in a wide area between Morocco and Yemen. Paragraph 4: Regardless of where the technology originated, by the middle of the first millennium B.C.E iron furnaces were in use in central Niger, in the inland delta of the Niger river in Mali, and in central Nigeria at Trauma on the Jos Plateau. Trauma is near the site of the Nok culture, known for its exquisitely fashioned terra-cotta figurines of clay baked in furnaces adaptable to iron technology. Slag (the by-product of smelting) has been found in thirteen furnaces in the Trauma area, the oldest dating to 400 B.C.E. The beehive and cylindrical furnaces of West Africa were quite different from those of North Africa and Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and were indicative of innovations in, if not the invention of, iron-smelting technology that were unique to Africa. 6. The word Regardless of in the passage s closest in meaning to A. No matter B. Because of C. As for D. Depending on 7. In stating that the furnaces were “adaptable to” iron technology, the author means that the furnaces A. led to improvements in iron technology B. were made with iron technology C. were superior to iron technology D. could be used with iron technology 8. The author mentions “the beehive and cylindrical furnaces of West Africa” in order to A. provide evidence that Africans developed original iron-smelting technology that was not found elsewhere. B. support the argument that iron working was more important to West African societies than to those of North Africa and Mesopotamia. C. provide evidence that West Africa may have developed smelting technology before North Africa did. D. argue that iron working moved east from the West African coast to Niger and Nigeria. Paragraph 5: Whether imported or independently developed, iron technology was dispersed widely and rapidly throughout western Africa. Equipped with iron tools and weapons, the Africans could now assault the natural and political obstacles to their expansion. The land could be cleared, the forest penetrated, and large wild animals more successfully hunted. Iron tools made possible more intensive and productive farming that required a distinct division of labor in societies where everyone had hitherto been completely involved in growing a sufficient amount of food for subsistence. This division of labor created not only a ruling class but also groups of artisans, craftsman, and commercial traders, all of whom no longer tilled the soil. 9. The word distinct in the passage s closest in meaning to A. permanent B. basic C. clear D. fair 10. According to paragraph 5, once iron technology reached western Africa, it A. was exported to other continents. B. was used only in a few key regions. C. was available only to the ruling classes. D. spread quickly over a large area. 11. According to paragraph 5, the development of iron technology throughout Africa made all of the following possible EXCEPT A. the means for clearing natural barriers. B. greater success in hunting large animals. C. the use of animals to help farm the land. D. a society more divided by class and occupation. Paragraph 6: Linguists have observed that dates for early iron working in West Africa correspond roughly with the beginning of the dispersal of the Bantu languages out of their homeland, but similar dates alone are insufficient evidence to conclude that the spread of iron technology and Bantu linguistics were in some way related. The assumption by early historians that Bantu migration throughout the continent was precipitated and made possible by the discovery of iron technologies is an overly simple explanation of historical movement that was, in reality, extremely complex. 12. Paragraph 6 suggests that scholars today believe which of the following about iron technology and the spread of the Bantu languages? A. The Bantu-speaking peoples were able to migrate across Africa because they gained access to iron technology. B. Although iron technology and Bantu languages spread at about the same time, no causal connection has been shown. C. The spread of Bantu languages and the spread of iron technology occurred at different times and were unrelated events. D. The migratory Bantu-speaking peoples were responsible for the wide dispersal of iron technology across Africa. Paragraph 2: By 600 B.C.E, Carthage had become a wealthy and powerful city in the western Mediterranean whose commerce depended on goods brought across the Sahara by the pastoral, nomadic, Berbers of the interior who controlled the early trans-Saharan routes. ■Two hundred years later, these routes were to become great arteries of trade between Africa and the Mediterranean world in 500 B.C.E. ■However, they were paths used to connect the chain of Saharan oases inhabited by Berbers who since great antiquity had maintained the line of communications and contacts between the regions of Africa south of the Sahara and Mediterranean coast north of it. ■The paintings in the rock shelters of the Sahara graphically depict the two-wheeled, horse-drawn chariots, most probably used for war but also able to transport African gold, ivory, and slaves taken in raids in return for salt, cloth, beads, and iron from North Africa.■ 13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Archaeological evidence has shed light on how the Berbers traveled along these routes. Where would the sentence best fit? 14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the 3 answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. Drag your choices to the spaces where they belong. To review the passage, click on View Text. There are competing theories about how iron technology first came to Africa, but it is agreed that once there, it had great social impact. Answer Choices A. One theory is that the Phoenicians first brought iron to North Africa and that the Berbers were responsible for spreading it south. B. Paintings in the rock shelters of the Sahara provide evidence for the presence of iron in Africa even before the formation of Carthage in 800B.C.E. C. Some scholars believe that trans-Saharan routes were first used for trading iron but were later used for war and for trading other types of goods. D. There is some evidence, such s various styles of furnaces, that supports the view that iron technology developed independently in different parts of Africa. E. Iron tools made farmers and hunters more productive, which allowed other members of society to focus on politics, arts, crafts, and trade. F. Numerous artifacts provide evidence that Bantu-speaking peoples used iron technology to conquer large areas of West Africa. |
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