托福阅读真题：7世纪的欧洲经济增长
2013-10-14 23:36阅读：
对于托福阅读的备考，我认为经常做些老托福阅读真题，让同学们了解托福阅读考试的特点和适应托福阅读考试的考试形式，可能帮助同学们提高托福阅读分数。下面我想跟大家分享老
托福阅读真题及答案，供大家练习参考：7世纪的欧洲经济增长。
In the late sixteenth century and into the seventeenth, Europe
continued the growth that had lifted it out of the relatively less
prosperous medieval period (from the mid 400s to the late 1400s).
Among the key factors behind this growth were increased
agricultural productivity and an expansion of trade.
Populations cannot grow unless the rural economy can produce
enough additional food to feed more people. During the sixteenth
century, farmers brought more land into cultivation at the expense
of forests and fens (low-lying wetlands). Dutch land reclamation in
the Netherlands in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries provides
the most spectacular example of the expansion of fa
rmland: the Dutch reclaimed more than 36.000 acres from 1590 to
1615 alone.
Much of the potential for European economic development lay in
what at first glance would seem to have been only sleepy villages.
Such villages, however, generally lay in regions of relatively
advanced agricultural production, permitting not only the survival
of peasants but also the accumulation of an agricultural surplus
for investment. They had access to urban merchants, markets, and
trade routes.
Increased agricultural production in turn facilitated rural
industry, an intrinsic part of the expansion of industry. Woolens
and textile manufacturers, in particular, utilized rural cottage
(in-home) production, which took advantage of cheap and plentiful
rural labor. In the German states, the ravages of the Thirty Years'
War (1618-1648) further moved textile production into the
countryside. Members of poor peasant families spun or wove cloth
and linens at home for scant remuneration in an attempt to
supplement meager family income.
More extended trading networks also helped develop Europe's
economy in this period. English and Dutch ships carrying rye from
the Baltic states reached Spain and Portugal. Population growth
generated an expansion of small-scale manufacturing, particularly
of handicrafts, textiles, and metal production in England,
Flanders, parts of northern Italy, the southwestern German states,
and parts of Spain. Only iron smelting and mining required
marshaling a significant amount of capital (wealth invested to
create more wealth).
The development of banking and other financial services
contributed to the expansion of trade. By the middle of the
sixteenth century, financiers and traders commonly accepted bills
of exchange in place of gold or silver for other goods. Bills of
exchange, which had their origins in medieval Italy, were
promissory notes (written promises to pay a specified amount of
money by a certain date) that could be sold to third parties. In
this way, they provided credit. At mid-century, an Antwerp
financier only slightly exaggerated when he claimed, “0ne can no
more trade without bills of exchange than sail without water.'
Merchants no longer had to carry gold and silver over long,
dangerous journeys. An Amsterdam merchant purchasing soap from a
merchant in Marseille could go to an exchanger and pay the
exchanger the equivalent sum in guilders, the Dutch currency. The
exchanger would then send a bill of exchange to a colleague in
Marseille, authorizing the colleague to pay the Marseille merchant
in the merchant's own currency after the actual exchange of goods
had taken place.
Bills of exchange contributed to the development of banks, as
exchangers began to provide loans. Not until the eighteenth
century, however, did such banks as the Bank of Amsterdam and the
Bank of England begin to provide capital for business investment.
Their principal function was to provide funds for the state.
The rapid expansion in international trade also benefitted from
an infusion of capital, stemming largely from gold and silver
brought by Spanish vessels from the Americas. This capital financed
the production of goods, storage, trade, and even credit across
Europe and overseas. Moreover an increased credit supply was
generated by investments and loans by bankers and wealthy merchants
to states and by joint-stock partnerships - an English innovation
(the first major company began in 1600). Unlike short-term
financial cooperation between investors for a single commercial
undertaking, joint-stock companies provided permanent funding of
capital by drawing on the investments of merchants and other
investors who purchased shares in the company.
Paragraph 1：In the late sixteenth century and into the
seventeenth, Europe continued the growth that had lifted it out of
the relatively less prosperous medieval period (from the mid 400s
to the late 1400s). Among the key factors behind this growth were
increased agricultural productivity and an expansion of
trade.
1. According to paragraph 1, what was true of Europe
during the medieval period?
○ Agricultural productivity declined.
○ There was relatively little economic growth.
○ The general level of prosperity declined.
○ Foreign trade began to play an important role in the
economy.
2. The word key in the passage is closest in meaning
to
○ historical
○ many
○ important
○ hidden
Paragraph 2：Populations cannot grow unless the rural economy can
produce enough additional food to feed more people. During the
sixteenth century, farmers brought more land into cultivation at
the expense of forests and fens (low-lying wetlands). Dutch land
reclamation in the Netherlands in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries provides the most spectacular example of the expansion of
farmland: the Dutch reclaimed more than 36.000 acres from 1590 to
1615 alone.
3. According to paragraph 2, one effect of the desire to
increase food production was that
○ land was cultivated in a different way
○ more farmers were needed
○ the rural economy was weakened
○ forests and wetlands were used for farming
Paragraph 3：Much of the potential for European economic
development lay in what at first glance would seem to have been
only sleepy villages. Such villages, however, generally lay in
regions of relatively advanced agricultural production, permitting
not only the survival of peasants but also the accumulation of an
agricultural surplus for investment. They had access to urban
merchants, markets, and trade routes.
4. According to paragraph 3, what was one reason villages
had such great economic potential?
○ Villages were located in regions where agricultural production
was relatively advanced.
○ Villages were relatively small in population and size compared
with urban areas.
○ Some village inhabitants made investments in industrial
development.
○ Village inhabitants established markets within their
villages.
Paragraph 4：Increased agricultural production in turn facilitated
rural industry, an intrinsic part of the expansion of industry.
Woolens and textile manufacturers, in particular, utilized rural
cottage (in-home) production, which took advantage of cheap and
plentiful rural labor. In the German states, the ravages of the
Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) further moved textile production into
the countryside. Members of poor peasant families spun or wove
cloth and linens at home for scant remuneration in an attempt to
supplement meager family income.
5. Paragraph 4 supports the idea that increased
agricultural production was important for the expansion of industry
primarily because it.
○ increased the number of available workers in rural areas
○ provided new types of raw materials for use by industry
○ resulted in an improvement in the health of the rural cottage
workers used by manufacturers
○ helped repair some of the ravages of the Thirty Years’
War
6. The word meager in the passage is closest in meaning
to
○ very necessary
○ very low
○ traditional
○ primary
Paragraph 5：More extended trading networks also helped develop
Europe's economy in this period. English and Dutch ships carrying
rye from the Baltic states reached Spain and Portugal. Population
growth generated an expansion of small-scale manufacturing,
particularly of handicrafts, textiles, and metal production in
England, Flanders, parts of northern Italy, the southwestern German
states, and parts of Spain. Only iron smelting and mining required
marshaling a significant amount of capital (wealth invested to
create more wealth).
7. Why does the author mention that English and Dutch
ships carrying rye from the Baltic states reached Spain and
Portugal?
○ To suggest that England and the Netherlands were the two most
important trading nations in seventeenth-century Europe
○ To suggest how extensive trading relations were
○ To contrast the importance of agricultural products with
manufactured products
○ To argue that shipping introduced a range of new products
Paragraph 6：The development of banking and other financial
services contributed to the expansion of trade. By the middle of
the sixteenth century, financiers and traders commonly accepted
bills of exchange in place of gold or silver for other goods. Bills
of exchange, which had their origins in medieval Italy, were
promissory notes (written promises to pay a specified amount of
money by a certain date) that could be sold to third parties. In
this way, they provided credit. At mid-century, an Antwerp
financier only slightly exaggerated when he claimed, “0ne can no
more trade without bills of exchange than sail without water.'
Merchants no longer had to carry gold and silver over long,
dangerous journeys. An Amsterdam merchant purchasing soap from a
merchant in Marseille could go to an exchanger and pay the
exchanger the equivalent sum in guilders, the Dutch currency. The
exchanger would then send a bill of exchange to a colleague in
Marseille, authorizing the colleague to pay the Marseille merchant
in the merchant's own currency after the actual exchange of goods
had taken place.
8. By including the quotation in paragraph 6 by the
financier from Antwerp, the author is emphasizing
that
○ sailing was an important aspect of the economy
○ increasing the number of water routes made trade possible
○ bills of exchange were necessary for successful trading
○ financiers often exaggerated the need for bills of
exchange
9. According to paragraph 6, merchants were able to avoid
the risk of carrying large amounts of gold and silver
by
○ using third parties in Marseille to buy goods for them
○ doing all their business by using Dutch currency
○ paying for their purchases through bills of exchange
○ waiting to pay for goods until the goods had been
delivered
Paragraph 7：Bills of exchange contributed to the development of
banks, as exchangers began to provide loans. Not until the
eighteenth century, however, did such banks as the Bank of
Amsterdam and the Bank of England begin to provide capital for
business investment. Their principal function was to provide funds
for the state.
10. According to paragraph 7, until the eighteenth
century, it was the principal function of which of the following to
provide funds for the state?
○ Bills of exchange
○ Exchangers who took loans
○ Banks
○ Business investment
Paragraph 8：The rapid expansion in international trade also
benefitted from an infusion of capital, stemming largely from gold
and silver brought by Spanish vessels from the Americas. This
capital financed the production of goods, storage, trade, and even
credit across Europe and overseas. Moreover an increased credit
supply was generated by investments and loans by bankers and
wealthy merchants to states and by joint-stock partnerships - an
English innovation (the first major company began in 1600). Unlike
short-term financial cooperation between investors for a single
commercial undertaking, joint-stock companies provided permanent
funding of capital by drawing on the investments of merchants and
other investors who purchased shares in the company.
11. The phrase an English innovation in the passage is
closest in meaning to
○ a new development introduced by the English
○ an arrangement found only in England
○ a type of agreement negotiated in English
○ a type of partnership based on English law
12. According to paragraph 8, each of the following was a
source of funds used to finance economic expansion
EXCEPT
○ groups of investors engaged in short-term financial
cooperation
○ the state
○ wealthy merchants
○ joint-stock companies
Paragraph 6：The development of banking and other financial
services contributed to the expansion of trade. By the middle of
the sixteenth century, financiers and traders commonly accepted
bills of exchange in place of gold or silver for other goods. Bills
of exchange, which had their origins in medieval Italy, were
promissory notes (written promises to pay a specified amount of
money by a certain date) that could be sold to third parties. In
this way, they provided credit. At mid-century, an Antwerp
financier only slightly exaggerated when he claimed, “0ne can no
more trade without bills of exchange than sail without water.'
Merchants no longer had to carry gold and silver over long,
dangerous journeys. An Amsterdam merchant purchasing soap from a
merchant in Marseille could go to an exchanger and pay the
exchanger the equivalent sum in guilders, the Dutch currency. The
exchanger would then send a bill of exchange to a colleague in
Marseille, authorizing the colleague to pay the Marseille merchant
in the merchant's own currency after the actual exchange of goods
had taken place.
13. Look at the four squares [] that indicate where the following
sentence could be added to the passage.
They could also avoid having to identify and assess the value of
a wide variety of coins issued in many different places.
Where would the sentence best fit?
14.Directions: An introductory sentence for a
brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the
summary by selecting the THREE answer that express the most
important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the
summary because they express ideas that not presented in the
passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2
points.
In late sixteenth-and early seventeenth-century Europe, increased
agricultural production and the expansion of trade were important
in economic growth
Answer choices
○ Bringing more land under cultivation produced enough food to
create surpluses for trade and investment as well as for supporting
the larger populations that led to the growth of rural
industry.
○ Most rural villages established an arrangement with a nearby
urban center that enabled villagers to take advantage of urban
markets to sell any handicrafts they produced.
○ Increases in population and the expansion of trade led to
increased manufacturing, much of it small-scale in character but
some requiring significant capital investment.
○ Increased capital was required for the production of goods, for
storage, for trade, and for the provision of credit throughout of
Europe as well as distant markets overseas.
○ Bills of exchange were invented in medieval Italy but became
less important as banks began to provide loans for merchants.
○ The expansion of trade was facilitated by developments in
banking and financial services and benefitted from the huge influx
of capital in the form of gold silver from the Americas.
参考答案：
1. ○2
2. ○3
3. ○4
4. ○1
5. ○1
6. ○2
7. ○2
8.○3
9. ○3
10. ○3
11. ○1
12. ○2
13. ○3
14. ○1 3 6
参考译文：
17世纪的欧洲经济增长
在十六和十七世纪之交，欧洲经济保持着脱离中世纪(公元5世纪中至公元15世纪末)衰微的势头继续增长。拉动经济增长最关键的因素是农业生产力的提高和贸易规模的扩大。
如果乡村经济不能生产足够的食物的话，人口增长就不可能。在十六世纪的时候，农民们砍伐森林，开发湿地来扩大耕地面积。荷兰的土地开发利用无疑是十六到十七世纪中最引人注目的：单单是在1590年到1615年间，荷兰就开发利用了36000多英亩的土地。
欧洲经济增长的巨大潜力是在那些第一眼看过去好像沉睡着的乡镇。这些乡镇大多地处农业相对发达的地区，在这儿，不仅农民得以生存，可用于投资的富余农产品也得以积累。这些乡镇邻近城市的商人，市场以及贸易线路。
农业的发展反过来促进了工业中的一份子——农村工业的发展。尤其是羊毛和纺织制造商们，他们利用农村大量廉价的劳动力来进行工场制的生产。在德国，由“三十年战争”所造成的破坏进一步促使纺织业向乡村迁移。为了补贴本已经微薄的家庭收入，贫困潦倒的农民们通过在家纺织衣料或亚麻来换取少量的报酬。
扩大的贸易网络也促进了这段时期欧洲经济的增长。英国和荷兰的商船从波罗的海各国带黑麦到西班牙和葡萄牙来卖。在英国，佛南德斯，意大利北部，德国西南部和西班牙部分地区，人口的增长促进了小规模手工业的发展，尤其是手工艺品，纺织品和金属制品。
银行和其他金融服务促进了贸易的发展。到十六世纪中叶，从事金融和贸易的人员已经基本接受了使用汇票取代金银进行交易。始于中世纪意大利的汇票是一种可以和第三方进行交易的期票(其上注明在规定时间内支付特定数额的钱)。就这样，这些汇票具有了信用。在这个世纪的中期，一位安特卫普的金融从业人员并没有过分夸张地说：“缺少了汇票，贸易根本就不可能进行下去，比没有水的航行还不可能。”商人就此再也不用携带金银踏上漫长危险的旅途了。一位向马赛商人购买肥皂的阿姆斯特丹商人可以找到一位兑换人，然后付给那位兑换人等值的荷兰货币——荷兰盾。那位兑换方其后将会给他在马赛的同事寄去汇票，凭借此汇票，当货物交易完成后，马赛的兑换人就会以卖家本国的货币支付给卖家相应的钱。
随着兑换人开始提供贷款服务，汇票对于银行的发展起到了促进作用。然而，直到十八世纪，诸如阿姆斯特丹银行和英格兰银行才开始商业投资贷款业务。它们的首要功能是为政府提供资金。
由西班牙商船从美国带来的金银成为了促进国际贸易快速发展的资本注入。这些资本资助了商品的生产，存储，交易，甚至是全欧洲乃至海外的贷款。不仅如此，投资，政府向银行家和商人的借贷以及一项英国的革新——股份制公司(第一家主要的股份制公司始于1600年)都增加了贷款的供应。与由投资家组成的以单个商业项目为目的的短期财团不同，股份制公司通过商人和其他投资者购买公司股份所带来的投资提供长期的资金筹集。
以上就是我跟大家分享新托福阅读真题详解：17世纪的欧洲经济增长的详细内容，希望对大家备考托福阅读有所帮助。最后预祝大家在托福考试中取得佳绩！
嘉卓教育(http://www.jiazhuoedu.com/)汇聚全明星海归团队为您呈现最新鲜热辣的留学资讯。如有疑问，欢迎咨询嘉卓教育专家!
