1、托福 TPO 阅读 48 文本+ 题目+ 答案下载Chinese Population GrowthIncreases in population have usually been accompanied (indeed facilitated) by an increase in trade. In the Western experience, commerce provided the conditions that allowed industrialization to get started, which in turn led to growth in science, tec
2、hnology, industry, transport, communications, social change, and the like that we group under the broad term of “development.” However, the massive increase in population that in Europe was at first attributed to industrialization starting in the eighteenth century occurred also and at the same peri
3、od in China, even though there was no comparable industrialization.It is estimated that the Chinese population by 1600 was close to 150 million. The transition between the Ming and Qing dynasties (the seventeenth century) may have seen a decline, but from 1741 to 1851 the annual figures rose steadil
4、y and spectacularly, perhaps beginning with 143 million and ending with 432 million. If we accept these totals, we are confronted with a situation in which the Chinese population doubled in the 50 years from 1790 to 1840. If, with greater caution, we assume lower totals in the early eighteenth centu
5、ry and only 400 million in 1850, we still face a startling fact: something like a doubling of the vast Chinese population in the century before Western contact, foreign trade, and industrialization could have had much effect.To explain this sudden increase we cannot point to factors constant in Chin
6、ese society but must find conditions or a combination of factors that were newly effective in this period. Among these is the almost complete internal peace maintained under Manchu rule during the eighteenth century. There was also an increase in foreign trade through Guangzhou (southern China) and
7、some improvement of transportation within the empire. Control of disease, like the checking of smallpox by variolation may have been important. But of most critical importance was the food supply.Confronted with a multitude of unreliable figures, economists have compared the population records with
8、the aggregate data for cultivated land area and grain production in the six centuries since 1368. Assuming that Chinas population in 1400 was about 80 million, the economist Dwight Perkins concludes that its growth to 700 million or more in the 1960s was made possible by a steady increase in the gra
9、in supply, which evidently grew five or six times between 1400 and 1800 and rose another 50 percent between 1800 and 1965. This increase of food supply was dueperhaps half to the increase of cultivated area, particularly by migration and settlement in the central and western provinces, and half to g
10、reater productivitythe farmers success in raising more crops per unit of land.This technological advance took many forms: one was the continual introduction from the south of earlier-ripening varieties of rice, which made possible double-cropping (the production of two harvests per year from one fie
11、ld). New crops such as corn (maize) and sweet potatoes as well as peanuts and tobacco were introduced from the Americas. Corn, for instance, can be grown on the dry soil and marginal hill land of North China, where it is used for food, fuel, and fodder and provides something like one-seventh of the
12、food energy available in the area. The sweet potato, growing in sandy soil and providing more food energy per unit of land than other crops, became the main food of the poor in much of the South China rice area.Productivity in agriculture was also improved by capital investments, first of all in irr
13、igation. From 1400 to 1900 the total of irrigated land seems to have increased almost three times. There was also a gain in farm tools, draft animals, and fertilizer, to say nothing of the population growth itself, which increased half again as fast as cultivated land area and so increased the ratio
14、 of human hands available per unit of land. Thus the rising population was fed by a more intensive agriculture, applying more labor and fertilizer to the land.Paragraph 1Increases in population have usually been accompanied (indeed facilitated) by an increase in trade. In the Western experience, com
15、merce provided the conditions that allowed industrialization to get started, which in turn led to growth in science, technology, industry, transport, communications, social change, and the like that we group under the broad term of “development.” However, the massive increase in population that in E
16、urope was at first attributed to industrialization starting in the eighteenth century occurred also and at the same period in China, even though there was no comparable industrialization.1. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passa
17、ge? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A. Commerce, industrialization, and development are common features of the Westernexperience.B. Trade, industrialization, and development accelerated social change in Western societies.C. Trade and industri
18、alization brought about development in Western societies.D. In Western societies, social change provided the conditions for development in a number of areas.2. The word “attributed” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. accustomedB. creditedC. exposedD. transformedParagraph 1 and Paragraph 2Incr
19、eases in population have usually been accompanied (indeed facilitated) by an increase in trade. In the Western experience, commerce provided the conditions that allowed industrialization to get started, which in turn led to growth in science, technology, industry, transport, communications, social c
20、hange, and the like that we group under the broad term of “development.” However, the massive increase in population that in Europe was at first attributed to industrialization starting in the eighteenth century occurred also and at the same period in China, even though there was no comparable indus
21、trialization.It is estimated that the Chinese population by 1600 was close to 150 million. The transition between the Ming and Qing dynasties (the seventeenth century) may have seen a decline, but from 1741 to 1851 the annual figures rose steadily and spectacularly, perhaps beginning with 143 millio
22、n and ending with 432 million. If we accept these totals, we are confronted with a situation in which the Chinese population doubled in the 50 years from 1790 to 1840. If, with greater caution, we assume lower totals in the early eighteenth century and only 400 million in 1850, we still face a start
23、ling fact: something like a doubling of the vast Chinese population in the century before Western contact, foreign trade, and industrialization could have had much effect.3. According to paragraphs 1 and 2, which of the following is true of Chinese population growth between 1741and 1851?A. It coinci
24、ded with the beginning of industrialization in China.B. It prompted speculation about the actual number of people living in China in previous centuries.C. It continued the steady growth in population of previous centuries.D. It occurred in the absence of certain conditions generally associated with
25、population growth.4. According to paragraph2, the estimated population of China in the mid 1700s was ?A. 143 millionB. 150 millionC. 400 millionD. 432 millionParagraph 3To explain this sudden increase we cannot point to factors constant in Chinese society but must find conditions or a combination of
26、 factors that were newly effective in this period. Among these is the almost complete internal peace maintained under Manchu rule during the eighteenth century. There was also an increase in foreign trade through Guangzhou (southern China) and some improvement of transportation within the empire. Co
27、ntrol of disease, like the checking of smallpox by variolation may have been important. But of most critical importance was the food supply.5. The word “constant ” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. uniqueB. dominantC. alteredD. unchanging6. Paragraph 3 supports all of the following statement
28、s about eighteenth-century Chinese society EXCEPT:A. It was troubled by frequent conflicts with foreign nations.B. It improved its transportation system.C. It experienced growth in international commerce.D. It managed to prevent the spread of certain diseases.Paragraph 4Confronted with a multitude o
29、f unreliable figures, economists have compared the population records with the aggregate data for cultivated land area and grain production in the six centuries since 1368. Assuming that Chinas population in 1400 was about 80 million, the economist Dwight Perkins concludes that its growth to 700 mil
30、lion or more in the 1960s was made possible by a steady increase in the grain supply, which evidently grew five or six times between 1400 and 1800 and rose another 50 percent between 1800 and 1965. This increase of food supply was due perhaps half to the increase of cultivated area, particularly by
31、migration and settlement in the central and western provinces, and half to greater productivitythe farmers success in raising more crops per unit of land.7. Paragraph 4 answers which of the following questions about Chinas population growth between 1400 and 1965?A. Which figures relating to Chinas p
32、opulation growth were unreliable?B. Why did Dwight Perkins assume that Chinas population in 1400 was about 80 million?C. Where in China did most of the population increase take place?D. What factors made Chinas population growth between 1400 and 1965 possible?8. The word “aggregate” in the passage i
33、s closest in meaning toA. availableB. reliableC. combinedD. recordedParagraph 5This technological advance took many forms: one was the continual introduction from the south of earlier-ripening varieties of rice, which made possible double-cropping (the production of two harvests per year from one fi
34、eld). New crops such as corn (maize) and sweet potatoes as well as peanuts and tobacco were introduced from the Americas. Corn, for instance, can be grown on the dry soil and marginal hill land of North China, where it is used for food, fuel, and fodder and provides something like one-seventh of the
35、 food energy available in the area. The sweet potato, growing in sandy soil and providing more food energy per unit of land than other crops, becamethe main food of the poor in much of the South China rice area.9. What can be inferred from paragraph 5 about the introduction of corn and sweet potatoe
36、s in China?A. These crops required much more care than other crops.B. These crops were consumed in limited quantities.C. These crops permitted an expansion of the area used for farming.D. These crops became available all over China within a short period of time.Paragraph 6Productivity in agriculture
37、 was also improved by capital investments, first of all in irrigation. From 1400 to 1900 the total of irrigated land seems to have increased almost three times. There was also a gain in farm tools, draft animals, and fertilizer, to say nothing of the population growth itself, which increased half ag
38、ain as fast as cultivated land area and so increased the ratio of human hands available per unit of land. Thus the rising population was fed by a more intensive agriculture, applying more labor and fertilizer to the land.10. The word “ratio” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. proportionB. ava
39、ilabilityC. importanceD. costParagraph 5 and Paragraph 6This technological advance took many forms: one was the continual introduction from the south of earlier-ripening varieties of rice, which made possible double-cropping (the production of two harvests per year from one field). New crops such as
40、 corn (maize) and sweet potatoes as well as peanuts and tobacco were introduced from the Americas. Corn, for instance, can be grown on the dry soil and marginal hill land of North China, where it is used for food, fuel, and fodder and provides something like one-seventh of the food energy available
41、in the area. The sweet potato, growing in sandy soil and providing more food energy per unit of land than other crops, became the main food of the poor in much of the South China rice area.Productivity in agriculture was also improved by capital investments, first of all in irrigation. From 1400 to
42、1900 the total of irrigated land seems to have increased almost three times. There was also a gain in farm tools, draft animals, and fertilizer, to say nothing of the population growth itself, which increased half again as fast as cultivated land area and so increased the ratio of human hands availa
43、ble per unit of land. Thus the rising population was fed by a more intensive agriculture, applying more labor and fertilizer to the land.11. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraphs 5 and 6 as one of the strategies the Chinese applied in agriculture?A. The growing of two crops on the sa
44、me field during the same yearB. The improvement of systems to supply crops with waterC. The application of increasing amounts of fertilizer to the landD. The reduction in the amount of human labor per unit of land12. What purpose does paragraph 5 serve in the larger discussion about Chinas populatio
45、n growth?A. It provides evidence of Chinas emerging foreign trade relations.B. It illustrates how the Chinese increased their food supply.C. It provides evidence of why population growth was most noticeable in the south.D. It shows how foreign crops gradually gained greater acceptance in China.13.Lo
46、ok at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.Other developments addressed the problems of dry and sandy areas unsuitable for growing Chinas native crops.Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.This tec
47、hnological advance took many forms: one was the continual introduction from the south of earlier-ripening varieties of rice, which made possible double-cropping (the production oftwo harvests per year from one field). New crops such as corn (maize) and sweet potatoes as well as peanuts and tobacco w
48、ere introduced from the Americas. Corn, for instance, can be grown on the dry soil and marginal hill land of North China, where it is used for food, fuel, and fodder and provides something like one-seventh of the food energy available in the area. The sweet potato, growing in sandy soil and providin
49、g more food energy per unit of land than other crops, became the main food of the poor in much of the South China rice area. 14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.Drag your answer choices to the spaces where they belong. To remo
