Industrial production in eighteenth-century Europe was facilitated by the use of a new energy source, coal. Traditionally, charcoal had fueled the smelting of iron-the melting process used to extract iron from iron ore. Britain, however, ran low on wood-the source of charcoal-before other European countries did and needed an alternative fuel. There was plenty of coal, but it contained impurities, particularly sulfur, that contaminated the materials with which it came into contact. In 1708 the British iron master Abraham Darby discovered that coal in a blast furnace could smelt iron without these attending complications. His discovery triggered the iron industry’s use of coal. In 1777 the introduction of a steam engine to operate the blast furnace considerably increased efficiency. In 1783 a steam engine was used to drive a forge hammer to shape the iron: three years later steam-driven rollers flattened the iron into sheets. With these innovations, the output of the British iron industry doubled between 1788 and 1796 and again in the following eight years.
The greater supply of iron stimulated other changes. Relatively cheap and durable iron machines replaced wooden machines, which wore out rapidly. The new machines opened the door to further advances. Improvements in manufacturing methods and techniques led to the production of ever-larger amounts of goods, usually at lower prices. Industrial change started with cotton, but breakthroughs in the use of iron and coal continued and sustained these changes.
Before the age of industry, the basic sources of power were humans, animals, wind, and water. Humans and animals were limited in their capacities to drive the large mills needed to grind grain or cut wood. Wind was unreliable because it was not constant Water-driven mills depended on the seasons-streams dried up in the summer and froze in the winter. And water mills could be placed only where a downward flow of water was strong enough to drive a mill. Clearly the infant industries needed a power source that was constant and not confined to riverbanks. The steam engine invented and improved on in Britain. met that need and stoked Britain’s industrial growth. As late as the 1860s. people. animals, and wind- and water-operated machines still supplied more than half of the energy needs of manufacturing in Great Britain and the United States. But the steam engine was clearly the power source of the future.
The steam engine was first used to pump water out of coal mines. As mining shafts were dug ever deeper through groundwater, drainage became a critical factor. In 1712 Thomas Newcomen invented a steam-operated water pump. Its use spread rapidly. The first steam engine in the Americas was a Newcomen engine installed in New Jersey in 1753. James Watt improved on the Newcomen engine considerably, making it twice as efficient in energy output. Eventually, by developing a separate condenser, Watt devised an engine that enabled the steam engine to power a variety of machines. Thus steam engines could operate mills that had previously been powered by water or wind. The high-pressure steam engine was even more powerful and energy efficient. The use of steam engines spread in Britain and then to the rest of Europe and to the United States.
The steam engine centralized the workplace. With the machine as a central power source, it became practical and commonplace to organize work in a factory. Locating a manufacturing plant where it was most convenient eliminated the expense of transporting raw materials to be worked on at a natural but fixed power source such as a waterfall. The central factory also reinforced work discipline. These factories were large buildings without decoration. sometimes inspired by military architecture and therefore resembling soldiers housing. With the introduction of blast furnaces and other heat producing manufacturing methods. the tall factory chimney became a common sight on the industrial landscape.
The steam engine powered a dramatic growth in production. It increased the force of blast furnaces and the mechanical power of machinery used to forge iron and to produce equipment for spinning and weaving. Assisted by machines. workers were enormously more productive than when they depended solely on hand-operated tools.
题目：
1
Industrial production in eighteenth-century Europe was facilitated by the use of a new energy source, coal. Traditionally, charcoal had fueled the smelting of iron-the melting process used to extract iron from iron ore. Britain, however, ran low on wood-the source of charcoal-before other European countries did and needed an alternative fuel. There was plenty of coal, but it contained impurities, particularly sulfur, that contaminated the materials with which it came into contact. In 1708 the British iron master Abraham Darby discovered that coal in a blast furnace could smelt iron without these attending complications. His discovery triggered the iron industry’s use of coal. In 1777 the introduction of a steam engine to operate the blast furnace considerably increased efficiency. In 1783 a steam engine was used to drive a forge hammer to shape the iron: three years later steam-driven rollers flattened the iron into sheets. With these innovations, the output of the British iron industry doubled between 1788 and 1796 and again in the following eight years.
The word “triggered” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Aencouraged
Btransformed
Cstarted
Djustified
2
Industrial production in eighteenth-century Europe was facilitated by the use of a new energy source, coal. Traditionally, charcoal had fueled the smelting of iron-the melting process used to extract iron from iron ore. Britain, however, ran low on wood-the source of charcoal-before other European countries did and needed an alternative fuel. There was plenty of coal, but it contained impurities, particularly sulfur, that contaminated the materials with which it came into contact. In 1708 the British iron master Abraham Darby discovered that coal in a blast furnace could smelt iron without these attending complications. His discovery triggered the iron industry’s use of coal. In 1777 the introduction of a steam engine to operate the blast furnace considerably increased efficiency. In 1783 a steam engine was used to drive a forge hammer to shape the iron: three years later steam-driven rollers flattened the iron into sheets. With these innovations, the output of the British iron industry doubled between 1788 and 1796 and again in the following eight years.
According to paragraph 1, why was Britain in need of an alternative fuel source?
AIts industry demanded fuel sources that would be more efficient than traditional fuels.
BIt was no longer able to obtain additional charcoal from the rest of Europe.
CIts traditional fuel source, charcoal. contaminated the iron being produced.
DIt had used up much of the wood that could be used as fuel.
3
The greater supply of iron stimulated other changes. Relatively cheap and durable iron machines replaced wooden machines, which wore out rapidly. The new machines opened the door to further advances. Improvements in manufacturing methods and techniques led to the production of ever-larger amounts of goods, usually at lower prices. Industrial change started with cotton, but breakthroughs in the use of iron and coal continued and sustained these changes.
The word “Relatively” in the passage is closest in meaning to
AComparatively
BSurprisingly
CExtremely
DGenerally
4
The greater supply of iron stimulated other changes. Relatively cheap and durable iron machines replaced wooden machines, which wore out rapidly. The new machines opened the door to further advances. Improvements in manufacturing methods and techniques led to the production of ever-larger amounts of goods, usually at lower prices. Industrial change started with cotton, but breakthroughs in the use of iron and coal continued and sustained these changes.
According to paragraph 2, the increased availability of iron had all of the following effects EXCEPT:
AIron machines took the place of wooden machines in industries.
BGoods were produced in increasingly larger quantities.
CManufacturers charged more for goods to finance improvements in industry.
DManufacturing methods and techniques improved.
5
Before the age of industry, the basic sources of power were humans, animals, wind, and water. Humans and animals were limited in their capacities to drive the large mills needed to grind grain or cut wood. Wind was unreliable because it was not constant Water-driven mills depended on the seasons-streams dried up in the summer and froze in the winter. And water mills could be placed only where a downward flow of water was strong enough to drive a mill. Clearly the infant industries needed a power source that was constant and not confined to riverbanks. The steam engine invented and improved on in Britain. met that need and stoked Britain’s industrial growth. As late as the 1860s. people. animals, and wind- and water-operated machines still supplied more than half of the energy needs of manufacturing in Great Britain and the United States. But the steam engine was clearly the power source of the future.
According to paragraph 3. all of the following were problems for one or another of the power sources used prior to the steam engine EXCEPT
Aexpense of using on a large scale
Bavailability for only a limited period during the year
Climited ability to generate the power needed to operate machinery
Drestricted availability in many areas
6
The steam engine was first used to pump water out of coal mines. As mining shafts were dug ever deeper through groundwater, drainage became a critical factor. In 1712 Thomas Newcomen invented a steam-operated water pump. Its use spread rapidly. The first steam engine in the Americas was a Newcomen engine installed in New Jersey in 1753. James Watt improved on the Newcomen engine considerably, making it twice as efficient in energy output. Eventually, by developing a separate condenser, Watt devised an engine that enabled the steam engine to power a variety of machines. Thus steam engines could operate mills that had previously been powered by water or wind. The high-pressure steam engine was even more powerful and energy efficient. The use of steam engines spread in Britain and then to the rest of Europe and to the United States.
According to paragraph 4, what problem did early steam engines help to solve?
AThe need for multiple power sources to operate mills.
BThe need to transport coal through mines.
CThe inability of a factory to power more than one machine at a time.
DThe inability to remove water from coal mines.
7
The steam engine centralized the workplace. With the machine as a central power source, it became practical and commonplace to organize work in a factory. Locating a manufacturing plant where it was most convenient eliminated the expense of transporting raw materials to be worked on at a natural but fixed power source such as a waterfall. The central factory also reinforced work discipline. These factories were large buildings without decoration. sometimes inspired by military architecture and therefore resembling soldiers housing. With the introduction of blast furnaces and other heat producing manufacturing methods. the tall factory chimney became a common sight on the industrial landscape.
According to paragraph 5, which of the following is true about the steam engine in industry?
AIt allowed work to be organized in one place.
BIt eliminated the need to locate factories near raw materials.
CIt reduced the expense of transporting workers to the location of manufacturing plants.
DIt made it more convenient to locate plants near natural sources of power like waterfalls.
8
The steam engine centralized the workplace. With the machine as a central power source, it became practical and commonplace to organize work in a factory. Locating a manufacturing plant where it was most convenient eliminated the expense of transporting raw materials to be worked on at a natural but fixed power source such as a waterfall. The central factory also reinforced work discipline. These factories were large buildings without decoration. sometimes inspired by military architecture and therefore resembling soldiers housing. With the introduction of blast furnaces and other heat producing manufacturing methods. the tall factory chimney became a common sight on the industrial landscape.
In paragraph 5, why does the author compare factory buildings to military architecture?
ATo explain why it was practical to organize work in a factory
BTo show why the tall factory chimney became a common sight on the industrial landscape
CTo point out that factory buildings were used for multiple purposes, including to house soldiers
DTo support the claim that factories demanded a great deal of discipline from workers
