阅读文章讨论了3个导致帝国覆灭的原因。但是听力觉得这三个原因都站不住脚。
首先，阅读文章说那些战败的城邦会反抗帝国，这导致了帝国的崩溃。但是教授说了，一旦帝国攻占了那些城邦，就会拆除城里的城墙。没有这些保护性的城墙，战败城邦的反抗就是徒劳的。
其次，有关阅读文章提到的雨水稀少导致帝国破灭，教授说，雨水少的确是事实。但是帝国有灌溉系统，能把水从很远的地方引来。能满足人们的需求。所以不是因为干旱导致的帝国灭亡。
最后，不公平的贸易的确存在，也的确激起了一些不满。但是教授指出，帝国有能力建立新的贸易关系。所以，即便是与以前的贸易伙伴关系破灭，新的贸易伙伴也能弥补损失。帝国不会由于这个原因就消失了。
参考范文：
The reading passage discusses three reasons that may lead to the downfall of an empire. However, the professor finds these reasons groundless.
First, the reading material argues that resistance from defeated city-states may lead to the downfall of the empire. However, the professor immediately points out that after those city-states was defeated, their defensive walls were torn down. Without protective walls, their resistance was in vain.
Second, about the scarce rainfall, the professor says that although it’s true that sometimes the empire would suffer from periods of drought, their irrigation system could help bring water from very far away which could meet the needs of the empire therefore the empire did not disappear because of the little rainfall.
Third, it is true that there existed unfair trade which indeed aroused some estrangement. However, the professor claims that the empire had the ability to establish new trading contacts which could mak up for the costs resulted from the breakup of former business relationships.