Test 1
1. One sign of pregnancy is nausea upon awakening. Other signs are
increase in size and tenderness of the breasts. Still other signs include
increase in the frequency of urination and an increase in the size of the
abdomen. Thus, aside from pregnancy tests, a woman can sometimes
recognize the early signs and symptoms of pregnancy.
Thesis Statement:
Test 2
Read the text below and complete the topic outline that follows. Write yours answer on
your notebook.
Origins of Writing
Ancient civilizations attributed the origins of writing to the gods. For the ancient
Egyptians, their god Thoth was the creator of writing and, in some stories, also the
creator of speech. The ancient Sumertans and Assyrians also believed that writing
originated with certain gods, as did the ancient Maya. In Chinese mythology, the
creation of writing is attributed to an ancient sage and was used for communication
with the gods. Clearly, writing was highly valued even by ancient peoples.
Humans began painting pictures on cave walls 25,000 years ago or more, but
writing systems did not develop until groups of people began settling in farming
communities. Scholars say that writing systems developed independently in at least
three different parts of the world: Mesopotamia, China, and Mesoarnertca.
The oldest known writing system developed among the ancient Sumertans in
Mesopotamia around 3000 B.C. Along with the rise of agricultural societies carne the
development of property ownership and the need to keep records of it. In early
agricultural societies, property consisted largely of land, livestock such as cattle, and
grain. Originally, clay tokens of various shapes were used to count these possessions.
From this developed a system of impressing the shapes onto clay tablets. One of the
earliest clay tablets of this type was found in excavations in Mesopotamia and dates
from the time of the Sumertan culture. Scribes then began using reeds instead of
tokens to mark the clay, developing a system of wedgelike shapes to represent the
tokens. This system of writing using wedge shapes is known as cuneiform. It was later
adopted by other cultures and became the basis for other writing systems. Originating
in a system that used pictures to represent objects, cuneiform writing eventually
developed into systems that used symbols to represent the sounds of language.
The oldest form of Chinese writing dates from around 1500 B.c. It is called
oracle bone script because it was carved on animal bones and shells that were used
for predicting the future. At a later period, Chinese writing appeared on bronze vases
and later still developed into a system that was used to record government affairs. The
Chinese writing system was also the original basis for both the Japanese and Korean
writing systems.
In Mesoarnertca, a region that encompasses parts of Mexico and Central
Arnertca, it is the ancient Mayans who are famous for the writing they inscribed on
temple walls and other religious structures. However, scholars believe that writing in
that part of the world may have begun before the rise of the Mayan civilization. The
Zapotec culture, centered on Oaxaca, Mexico, was already using writing around 400
B.C., or possibly earlier. The Olmec culture may have developed a writing system
even earlier than that. Recent discoveries show that the Mayans may have begun
writing around 2,300 years ago. They used a system of symbols that represented
words and syllables to record information about the deeds of their rulers as well as
information connected to their calendar and astronomy. Their system of writing
survived until the time of the Spanish Conquest in the 1500s.
In ancient times, only specialized people such as scholars, priests, or
government officials used writing. Today, close to three-quarters of the world's
adult population can read and write, and literacy is considered a basic skill
necessary to function in the modern world
Origins of Writing
Thesis Statement: The origin of writing systems can be
attributed to ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, China,
and Mesoamerica. I. Ancient Sumerian in Mesopotamia A.
Recording of property ownership
1. Clay tokens
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________
4. _______________________________
II. Oldest form of Chinese writing
A. _______________________________________
1. Used for predicting the future
B. _______________________________________
2. Basis for Japanese and Korean writing systems
III. Writing systems in Mesoamerica
A.
__________________________________
_____
1. Temple walls and religious structure
inscriptions
2. Used a system of symbols
B. Zapotec Culture
2. Writing around 400 B.C.
C.
__________________________________
____
1. Developed earlier a writing system
Test 3
