题目：
Prosperity in British North America
The British colonies of North America developed at a remarkable pace throughout the later colonial period. Colonial trade with Britain grew by 700 percent in the period 1689-1760， while the population increased from 250,000 to around 1.5 million. At the same time per capita (per person) income rose by at least 0.5 percent a year in real terms, so that the standard of living for most of the population improved by between 50 and 100 percent. The American colonies were one of the first societies to escape the cycle in which increased resources merely stimulated population growth and ultimate decline in per capita income (the total national income divided by the number of people in the nation). The colonies never experienced the kind of severe food shortages which afflicted most European societies through the nineteenth century.
One indication of colonial well-being was the reaction of visitors. In the seventeenth century it was the wild appearance of the continent which drew comment, whereas by the 1750s visitors were impressed by the general prosperity of the inhabitants. Most people had land, and there seemed to be little poverty or unemployment. As a British officer commented, “Everybody has property and everybody knows it.” The general progress was well symbolized by the rise of Philadelphia, a town which did not exist in 1682,but which by 1760 was on a par with Dublin, Edinburgh, or Bristol.
The attractions of living in America were constantly emphasized by Benjamin Franklin. He pointed out how much better off the inhabitants of America were compared with their counterparts in the British Isles. The same points were made by Thomas Hutchinson in his History of Massachusetts. He wrote, “Property is more equally distributed in the colonies… especially those to the northward of Maryland than in any nation in Europe.” The reason, of course, was the availability of land.
More recently historians have also been paying attention to other types of evidence. Documents such as wills, for example, tend to support the view that living standards were improving. Whereas in the seventeenth century most inheritances consisted of only a few tools, some rough furniture, and livestock, eighteenth-century inventories reveal a much richer standard of living, including china rather than coarse pottery, silverware, furniture, clocks, warming pans, and other household items designed for decoration or comfort rather than mere survival. Additional evidence can be obtained from the records of colonial imports. After 1700 these increasingly included what earlier would have been considered inessential luxury items: tea, coffee, French wines, Indian silks and calicos, glass, porcelain, and even furniture. Previously colonials had made their own, found substitutes, or done without. The first sixty years of the eighteenth century witnessed a consumer boom which seems to suggest a standard of living 20 percent higher than in Britain, for the middle classes at least.
How was this prosperity achieved? One answer was greater efficiency. Although historians have generally condemned the American colonial farmer for wasteful land usage, improvements did occur through greater knowledge of the climate and terrain. Some modest technological improvements occurred in manufacturing and commerce, though less so in farming. Most colonials were still using tools similar to those of their seventeenth-century ancestors, though implements like plows were now used more widely. In addition the colonial period was generally one in which prices remained stable or actually fell as production methods improved and transport became cheaper, giving settlers greater purchasing power. Throughout the period the colonists continued to enjoy that almost unique combination of abundant land, cheap food, and unlimited fuel.
Lastly, the growth in living standards was ironically fueled by the consumer boom itself. Until the end of the sixteenth century only the upper classes were expected to live opulently as a sign of their rank and a means whereby the social order could be maintained. Ordinary people, it was assumed, would merely be corrupted by such consumption into idleness and vice. By the end of the seventeenth century such attitudes had changed in favor of personal improvement. Now it was argued that many of these same luxuries were items of refinement which could be defended on moral grounds as leading to propriety. This change in attitudes had two consequences. One was a surge in demand. The other was an increase in production, as people sought to improve their standard of living.
1
The British colonies of North America developed at a remarkable pace throughout the later colonial period. Colonial trade with Britain grew by 700 percent in the period 1689-1760， while the population increased from 250,000 to around 1.5 million. At the same time per capita (per person) income rose by at least 0.5 percent a year in real terms, so that the standard of living for most of the population improved by between 50 and 100 percent. The American colonies were one of the first societies to escape the cycle in which increased resources merely stimulated population growth and ultimate decline in per capita income (the total national income divided by the number of people in the nation). The colonies never experienced the kind of severe food shortages which afflicted most European societies through the nineteenth century.
The word “stimulated” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
Acontrolled
Bsuggested
Cencouraged
Dfollowed
2
The British colonies of North America developed at a remarkable pace throughout the later colonial period. Colonial trade with Britain grew by 700 percent in the period 1689-1760， while the population increased from 250,000 to around 1.5 million. At the same time per capita (per person) income rose by at least 0.5 percent a year in real terms, so that the standard of living for most of the population improved by between 50 and 100 percent. The American colonies were one of the first societies to escape the cycle in which increased resources merely stimulated population growth and ultimate decline in per capita income (the total national income divided by the number of people in the nation). The colonies never experienced the kind of severe food shortages which afflicted most European societies through the nineteenth century.
According to paragraph 1, what made the pattern of growth in the American colonies unusual?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AThe population grew even though there was no substantial increase in resources
BIncreased resources did not lead to population growth.
CPer capita income increased, even as the population increased.
DIncreased resources led to an ultimate decline in per capita income
3
The attractions of living in America were constantly emphasized by Benjamin Franklin. He pointed out how much better off the inhabitants of America were compared with their counterparts in the British Isles. The same points were made by Thomas Hutchinson in his History of Massachusetts. He wrote, “Property is more equally distributed in the colonies… especially those to the northward of Maryland than in any nation in Europe.” The reason, of course, was the availability of land.
The word “counterparts” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
Aequivalents
Bopponents
Cassociates
Dsupporters
4
The attractions of living in America were constantly emphasized by Benjamin Franklin. He pointed out how much better off the inhabitants of America were compared with their counterparts in the British Isles. The same points were made by Thomas Hutchinson in his History of Massachusetts. He wrote, “Property is more equally distributed in the colonies… especially those to the northward of Maryland than in any nation in Europe.” The reason, of course, was the availability of land.
According to paragraph 3, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Hutchinson both pointed out that
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
Apeople in the American colonies were generally richer than people in Europe
Blife would have been better in the American colonies if property were more evenly distributed
Cthe American colonists had a way of life very similar to that of people in the British Isles
Dproperty was more equally distributed in Massachusetts than in Maryland
5
More recently historians have also been paying attention to other types of evidence. Documents such as wills, for example, tend to support the view that living standards were improving. Whereas in the seventeenth century most inheritances consisted of only a few tools, some rough furniture, and livestock, eighteenth-century inventories reveal a much richer standard of living, including china rather than coarse pottery, silverware, furniture, clocks, warming pans, and other household items designed for decoration or comfort rather than mere survival. Additional evidence can be obtained from the records of colonial imports. After 1700 these increasingly included what earlier would have been considered inessential luxury items: tea, coffee, French wines, Indian silks and calicos, glass, porcelain, and even furniture. Previously colonials had made their own, found substitutes, or done without. The first sixty years of the eighteenth century witnessed a consumer boom which seems to suggest a standard of living 20 percent higher than in Britain, for the middle classes at least.
In paragraph 4, why does the author discuss records of colonial imports?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
ATo argue that tea, coffee, wines, and the like had always been considered essential goods in the colonies
BTo provide evidence that the standard of living in the colonies was higher after 1700 than before
CTo support the claim that the consumer boom of the first half of the eighteenth century was sparked by rivalry with Britain
DTo provide examples of the kinds of luxury items most colonists either found substitutes for or made themselves.
6
How was this prosperity achieved? One answer was greater efficiency. Although historians have generally condemned the American colonial farmer for wasteful land usage, improvements did occur through greater knowledge of the climate and terrain. Some modest technological improvements occurred in manufacturing and commerce, though less so in farming. Most colonials were still using tools similar to those of their seventeenth-century ancestors, though implements like plows were now used more widely. In addition the colonial period was generally one in which prices remained stable or actually fell as production methods improved and transport became cheaper, giving settlers greater purchasing power. Throughout the period the colonists continued to enjoy that almost unique combination of abundant land, cheap food, and unlimited fuel.
Paragraph 5 suggests which of the following about technological development during the colonial period?
Inference Questions推理题
AIts biggest impact was on the farming sector, specifically with the introduction of a new type of plow.
BIt played a relatively small role in the colonies’ overall prosperity but did contribute to price stability
CIt was so limited that efficiency in manufacturing and commerce remained unchanged or actually fell throughout the colonial period.
DSurprisingly, the pace of technological development was faster in the seventeenth century than in the eighteenth.
7
How was this prosperity achieved? One answer was greater efficiency. Although historians have generally condemned the American colonial farmer for wasteful land usage, improvements did occur through greater knowledge of the climate and terrain. Some modest technological improvements occurred in manufacturing and commerce, though less so in farming. Most colonials were still using tools similar to those of their seventeenth-century ancestors, though implements like plows were now used more widely. In addition the colonial period was generally one in which prices remained stable or actually fell as production methods improved and transport became cheaper, giving settlers greater purchasing power. Throughout the period the colonists continued to enjoy that almost unique combination of abundant land, cheap food, and unlimited fuel.
According to paragraph 5, all of the following helped to increase prosperity in colonial America EXCEPT
Negative Factual Information Questions否定事实信息题
Aincreased knowledge about the climate
Bless expensive means of transport
Cincreased numbers of workers available year round
Dabundant sources of fuel
8
Lastly, the growth in living standards was ironically fueled by the consumer boom itself. Until the end of the sixteenth century only the upper classes were expected to live opulently as a sign of their rank and a means whereby the social order could be maintained. Ordinary people, it was assumed, would merely be corrupted by such consumption into idleness and vice. By the end of the seventeenth century such attitudes had changed in favor of personal improvement. Now it was argued that many of these same luxuries were items of refinement which could be defended on moral grounds as leading to propriety. This change in attitudes had two consequences. One was a surge in demand. The other was an increase in production, as people sought to improve their standard of living.
According to paragraph 6, how did attitudes about class and consumption change from the end of the sixteenth century to the end seventeenth century?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AIt became acceptable for ordinary people to consume more.
BMembers of the upper classes were expected to provide their employees with more goods and income
CThe upper classes started to be criticized because of their overconsumption
DConsumption suddenly took on a moral significance, especially for the upper classes.
9
The attractions of living in America were constantly emphasized by Benjamin Franklin. He pointed out how much better off the inhabitants of America were compared with their counterparts in the British Isles. [■]The same points were made by Thomas Hutchinson in his History of Massachusetts. [■]He wrote, “Property is more equally distributed in the colonies… especially those to the northward of Maryland than in any nation in Europe.” [■]The reason, of course, was the availability of land.[■]
Look at the four squaresthat indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage
In fact, so much was available that most inhabitants were able to provide their children with a piece as they reached adulthood.
Insert Text Questions句子插入题
Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square sentence to the passage.
10
In the first sixty years of the eighteenth century, the British colonies of North America experienced a period of remarkable prosperity.
Prose Summary Questions概要小结题
Select 3 answers
AEven without a significant increase in trade, the colonies managed to increase their per capita income, an achievement not seen in most European nations.
BBecause resources, and especially land, were plentiful, the standard of living increased substantially even as the population expanded.
CThe colonies attracted more and more skilled and experienced craftspeople, who provided furniture, silverware, silken fabrics, and other luxury goods.
DCities such as Philadelphia, which had been plagued by poverty and unemployment throughout the 1600s, saw vast economic improvements.
EEvidence of wide spread prosperity can be found in reports from visitors and notable inhabitants, as well as in documents such as wills and import records.
FGreater efficiency in manufacturing and farming, stable or falling prices, and new attitudes about the propriety of consumption led to improving living standards.
