Egyptian Society and Economy Like most ancient civilizations, Egypt had a hierarchical social structure. At the top of society was the pharaoh, who was not only the monarch, but also considered to be a living god. Next were government officials and priests, and then there was a large middle class composed of merchants, soldiers, farmers, and artisans. Most Egyptians belonged to this class, and farming was the most usual occupation. At the bottom of the social ladder were slaves and servants.
Because of its location near the Mediterranean & Red Seas, it was easy for Egyptians to trade with other civilizations nearby, such as Nubia, Palestine, and Greece. Exports included grain, linen, and papyrus; imports included lumber, gold, and incense. The female pharaoh Hatshepsut is especially well-known for promoting trade.

Question: What is the topic of this passage? Use R & A from RACE.

recent brain research has shown some surprising benefits as a result of formal musical training. learning to play a musical instrument appears to develop parts of the brain that can even influence academic results. the studies indicate that the earlier a child begins training, the more benefits there are. one such study showed that children who began musical studies before the age of seven had a more developed brain in the region where language production and auditory processing take place. scientists believe there is mounting evidence to show that early musical training can improve brain function.

explanation:

a complex sentence consists of an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.  

to write complex sentences, we must use subordinating conjunctions.  

all the complex sentences begin with a subordinating conjunction and when it occurs, a comma must be place at the end of the dependent clause. on the contrary, if the sentence begins with an independent clause, then no comma is used.

after  

although  

as  

because  

before  

if  

since  

when  

for example,  

after she won the competition, she became very popular.  

although my father was hurt, he continued fighting for his rights.  

as all of you got a ten, you will be able to leave early today.  

before he went to the war, he asked his parents to bless him.  

if it is cold, i won’t go out.  

since you didn’t bring the homework, you will get low grades.  

when it is hot in the town, everyone goes to the beach.  

the answer is b brothers