The Empire That Vanished
(1) Using archaeological studies, and Greek writings, historians now know much
more than ever before about the mysterious group of people called the Scythians. (2)
Historians have long known that they were nomadic, barbaric horsemen and a powerful force in Europe for about 400 years. (3) These people ruled a vast area of land for several centurys and then seemed to have vanished completely. (4) Artifacts found in the territory that the Scythians controlled have given clues about how they lived and what things they valued. (5) However, no evidence has been found of a centralized community, nor do historians know what eventually happened to these people. (6) Historians believe that the Scythians originally came from Asia around 700
B.C., searching for better pastures and other peoples to conquer. (7) At its peak the
Scythian kingdom reached from the Danube river east across the Ukraine, the Crimea, and Russia. (8) Historians disagree about the size of the Scythian population. (9) Some think it numbered around half a million; other contend that it numbered only in the tens of thousands. (10) According to evidence uncovered by archaeologists, both the men and the women were feirce warriors. (11) They often traded their surplus goods and furs for crafted gold and fine ceramics made in Greece and central Asia. (12) The Scythians were especially proud of their adornments made of gold and precious stones. (13) They liked to show their wealth and even decorated their horses with gold. (14) Because of their fighting ability, the Scythians were able to acquire great riches. (15) Many of the Scythians’ gold ornaments found in Russia are formed into shapes that tell stories about their everyday life. (16) One elaborate gold neckpiece has figures of a resting calf, a boy milking a sheep, and bare-chested warriors with their weapons close at hand. (17) Into the image of a Scythian woman, another piece was worked, showing what the people looked like. (18) Archaeologists are still working trying to find out what happened to these people. (19) Although the Scythians left many of their treasure behind, researchers have found no trace of where these mighty warriors went.
6.What is the most effective way to improve
the organization of paragraph 3 (sentences
10-14)?
A. Move sentence 14 to the beginning of the paragraph
B. Insert sentence 14 after sentence 10
C. Move sentence 11 to the end of the paragraph
D. Delete sentence 10
7. Which transitions should be added to
the beginning of sentence 16?
A. For instance,
B. Nevertheless,
C. Furthermore,
D. However,
8. What is the most effective
way to rewrite sentence 17?
A. Showing what the people looked like, into the image of a Scythian woman another piece was worked.
B. Another piece was worked into the image of a Scythian woman, showing what the
people looked like.
C. Another piece was worked into the image of a Scythian
woman, it showed what the people looked like.
D. Worked into the image of a Scythian woman, it was another piece showing what
the people looked like.
9. Which of these sentences
could be added to paragraph
4 (sentences 15-17)?
A. Some experts say that the
Scythians wanted to conquer Greece.
B. The Scythians practiced a
religion with many rituals.
C. Scholars still debate the meaning of these designs.
D. The Scythians also traded
with the Greeks for wine.