The second test of English

Code of Hammurabi

The code of Hammurabi is well-preserved Babylonian law code,dating to 1780 BC.It is one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the world.The sixth Babylonian King,Hammurabi enacted the code & partial copies exist on a human-sized stone stele & various clay tablets.The code consists of 282 laws,with scaled punishments,adjusting"an eye for an eye,a tooth for a tooth" as graded depending on social status of slaves versus free man.

Nearly one-half of the code deals with matters of contracts,establishing for example the wages to be paid to an ox driver or a surgeon.Other provisions set the terms of a transaction,establishing the liability of a builder for a house that collapse,or property that is damaged while left in the care of another.A third of the code addresses issues concerning household & family relationships such as inheritance,divorce.

Only one provision establishes that the judge who reaches an incorrect decision is to be fined & removed from the bench permanently.One nearly complete example of the code survives today,on a diorite stele in the shape of huge index finger.The code is inscribed in the Akkadian language,using cuneiform script carved into the stele.It is currently on display in the Louvre,with an exact replica in the University of Chicago.

From Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia

1/Say whether statements are (T) or (F)/correct the false ones from the passage:

a-The code of Hammurabi referred to the Sumerians.

b-It was based on " an eye for an eye,a tooth for a tooth" legislation.

c-Judges were not responsible for their errata in that period.

d-The survivor example of the code is exposed for visitors in Chicago.


2/Answer these questions according to the passage:

a-Did the code of Hammurabi deal only with punishments?if no,how?

b-How did the Babylonians record & keep the code?

c-What were the main social classes in ancient Babylon?


3/ Is the text:

a)prescriptive b)narrative c)expository

4/ Match words with its definitions:

definitions words

a-succeed in reading or understanding sth not clear 1-cuneiform


b-The act of receiving property,money fromsomeone 2-Decipher
who has died.

c-Type of writing used by Babylonians. 3-Inheritance

5/ Join these pairs of sentences using the appropriate connector from the list below:

(When – in order to – until – although)

a/The code based on"an eye for an eye,a tooth for tooth" legislation/It depended on social status of slaves versus free man.

b/The builder would be punished/ the house collapsed.

ions that the underlined words are answers:Ex6/ Ask quest

about 1780 BCthe code enactedThe sixth Babylonian king Hammurabi

(1) (2)

7/ Classify these words according to the pronunciation of their final /ed/:

Preserved – deciphered – enacted – sized – scaled – graded – collapsed – divorced.

/id/ /d/ /t/