Beginning in the 1160s, the opening of new silver mines in northern Europe led to the minting andcirculationofvastquantities of silver coins. Thewidespreaduse of cash greatly increased thevolumeof internationaltrade. Business procedures changedradically. Theindividualtravelingmerchantwho alone handledvirtuallyall aspects ofexchangeevolved into an operation involving threeseparatetypes of merchants: thesedentarymerchantwho ran the "home office" financing and organizing the firm's entire export-importtrade; the carriers who transported goods by land and sea; and thecompanyagentsresidentin citiesabroadwho, on the advice of the home office, looked after sales and procurements.

Commercialcorrespondence, unnecessary when one businessperson oversaw everything and made direct bargains with buyers and sellers, multiplied. Regularcourierservice amongcommercialcities began. Commercialaccountingbecame morecomplexwhen firms had todealwith shareholders, manufacturers, customers,branchoffices, employees, andcompetingfirms. Tolls on roads became high enough tofinancewhat has been called a roadrevolution, involving new surfaces and bridges, new passes through the Alps, and new inns and hospices for travelers. The growth ofmutualtrust among merchants facilitated the growth of sales oncreditand led to new developments infinance, such as thebillofexchange, adevicethat made the long, slow, and very dangerous shipment of coins unnecessary.

The ventures of the German HanseaticLeagueillustratethese advancements. The HanseaticLeaguewas amercantileassociationof European towns dating from 1159. Theleaguegrew by the end of the fourteenthcenturyto include about 200 cities from Holland to Poland. Acrossregular, well- definedtraderoutes along the Baltic and North seas, the ships ofleaguecities carried furs,wax,copper, fish,grain,timber, and wine. These goods were exchanged for finished products, mainly cloth and salt, from western cities. At cities such as Bruges and London, Hanseatic merchants securedspecialtrading concessions, exempting them from all tolls and allowing them totradeatlocalfairs. Hanseatic merchants established foreign trading centers, the most famous of which was the London Steelyard, a walledcommunitywith warehouses, offices, a church, andresidentialquarters forcompanyrepresentatives. By the late thirteenthcentury, Hanseatic merchants had developed an important businesstechnique, the businessregister. Merchants publicly recorded their debts and contracts and received aleagueguaranteefor them. Thisdeviceproved a decisivefactorin the laterdevelopmentofcreditandcommercein northern Europe.

These developments added up to what one modernscholarhas called "acommercialrevolution." In the long run, thecommercialrevolutionof the High Middle Ages (a d 1000-1300) brought aboutradicalchange in European society. Oneremarkableaspectof this change was that thecommercialclasses constituted a small part of the totalpopulation—never more than 10 percent. They exercised an influence far inexcessof their numbers. Thecommercialrevolutioncreated a greatdealof new wealth, which meant a higherstandardof living. Theexistenceof wealth did notescapetheattentionof kings and other rulers. Wealth could be taxed, and throughtaxation, kings could create strong andcentralizedstates. In the years to come, alliances with the middle classes were to enable kings to weaken aristocratic interests and build the states that came to be called modern.

Thecommercialrevolutionalso provided theopportunityfor thousands of agricultural workers toimprovetheir socialposition. The slow butsteadytransformationof European society from almost completelyruralandisolatedtorelativelymoreurbanconstituted the greatest effect of thecommercialrevolutionthat began in the eleventhcentury. Even so, merchants and business people did not runmedievalcommunities, except in central and northern Italy and in thecountyof Flanders. Most towns remained small. The nobility and churchmendeterminedthepredominantsocial attitudes, values, and patterns of thought andbehavior. Thecommercialchanges of the eleventh through fourteenth centuries did however,laytheeconomicfoundationfor thedevelopmentofurbanlife andculture.

Questions:
question_stem: According to paragraph 1, one effect of the increased use of cash was that
choices: tag: A
text: an individual merchant no longer performed all aspects of trading operations

tag: B
text: a company's home office declined in importance

tag: C
text: merchants no longer had to transport their goods to distant places

tag: D
text: the volume of trade declined in areas lacking silver mines
answer_key: A
explanation: 【题目翻译】根据第1段，增加使用现金的一个效果是：
A：个体商人不再从事贸易活动的所有方面。

B 公司总部的重要性下降了。

C 商家不再需要把货物运输到遥远的地方了。

D：在缺乏银矿的地区，贸易量下降了。

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“cash”,定位到 Passage 1 第2句，原句为“The widespread use of cash greatly increased the volume of international trade. Business procedures changed radically. ”，意思是“现金的广泛使用大大增加了国际贸易量。业务流程发生了根本的变化。”。

【逻辑分析】：结合题目问法和出题句，进行逻辑分析。

【选项分析】
A:根据原文 Business procedures changed radically. The individual…evolved into an operation involving three separate types of merchants…可知，A 选项正确。
B:不符，错误
C:不符，错误
D:不符，错误

question_stem: The word "radically" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: fundamentally

tag: B
text: quickly

tag: C
text: unexpectedly

tag: D
text: gradually
answer_key: A
explanation: 【题目翻译】文章中“radically”这个词的意思最接近于下列哪个选项？
A 基本地
B 快速地
C 意想不到地
D 渐渐地

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“radically”,定位到原句“he widespread use of cash greatly increased the volume of international trade. Business procedures changed radically. ”。

【词汇解析】：词汇“radically”的意思是“根本上，彻底地”,带入到原句中，原句的意思是“他广泛使用现金大大增加了国际贸易量。业务流程发生了根本的变化。。

【选项分析】
A:A 选项的 fundamentally 意为”根本地”，故 A 选项正确。
B:不符，错误
C:不符，错误
D 不符，错误

question_stem: The word "oversaw" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: understood

tag: B
text: included

tag: C
text: delivered

tag: D
text: supervised
answer_key: D
explanation: 【题目翻译】文章中“oversaw”这个词的意思最接近于下列哪个选项？
A 理解
B 包括
C 发送
D 监管，管理

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“oversaw”,定位到原句“Commercial correspondence, unnecessary when one businessperson oversaw everything and made direct bargains with buyers and sellers, multiplied.  ”。

【词汇解析】：词汇“oversaw”的意思是“监督，审查”,带入到原句中，原句的意思是“当一个商人监督一切并与买家和卖家直接讨价还价时，不必要的商业信函数量就增加了。”

【选项分析】
A 理解。不符，错误
B 包括。不符，错误
C 发送。不符，错误
D 监管，管理。符合，正确

question_stem: According to paragraph 2, which of the following was NOT an effect of the change in business procedures?
choices: tag: A
text: An increase in credit sales

tag: B
text: The use of courier services between cities

tag: C
text: The adoption of simpler accounting procedures

tag: D
text: The improvement of roads
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】根据第2段，下列哪一项不影响业务程序的变化？
A 信贷销售增加

B：城市间信使服务的使用

C：采用更简单的会计程序

D：道路的改善

【判定题型】：根据题干中出现的大写“EXCEPT”/"NOT" 等其他明显表示否定的词，可以判定本题为否定事实信息题，需要找出与原文信息不符的那个答案。

【关键词定位】：根据题干关键词“ the change”,可以将出题范围锁定在 Passage 2 。

【选项分析】
A 选项对应原文 The growth of mutual trust among merchants facilitated the growth of sales on credit… 
B 选项对应原文 Regular courtier service among commercial cities began. 
C 选项的表述与原文 Commercial accounting became more complex 的说法不符，错误。
D 选项对应原文 Tolls on roads became high enough to finance.

question_stem: Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
choices: tag: A
text: Credit sales and bills of exchange were devices that merchants developed in order to increase their mutual trust.

tag: B
text: Merchants developed ways to finance their sales without having to rely on slow and dangerous shipments of coins.

tag: C
text: Greater trust among merchants led to an increase in credit sales and to the use of bills of exchange that made the shipping of coins unnecessary.

tag: D
text: Merchants began to trust one another when it became too slow and dangerous for a single merchant to ship coins.
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】下面哪个句子最能表达文章中突出句子的基本信息？不正确的选择会以重要方式改变含义，或者漏掉必要的信息。
A：赊销和汇票是商家为了提高相互信任而开发的工具。

B：商人们开发了一种不用依赖缓慢而危险的硬币运输来为他们的销售提供资金的方法。

C：商家之间的信任越大，信贷销售量就越大，汇票的使用也就越多，硬币的运输也就越没有必要。

D：商人们开始互相信任，因为单个商人运送硬币的速度太慢太危险。

【判定题型】：根据题目问法，题目要求选择和高亮句意思逻辑都最为接近的句子，故判断本题为句子简化题。

【句子分析】原句的核心内容为：Mutual trust facilitated the growth of sales on credit and led to new development such as the bill of exchange.相互信任促进了赊销的增长，并导致汇票等新的发

【选项分析】：
A:并不是为了提高信任度而开发的工具。不符，错误。
B:不符，错误。
C:该选项的核心与原句的核心吻合，故为正确答案。
D:不符，错误。

question_stem: According to paragraph 3, Hanseatic merchants benefited by all of the following EXCEPT
choices: tag: A
text: the use of trading centers in distant cities

tag: B
text: a new system of recording commercial transactions

tag: C
text: the opening of overland trade routes across northern Europe

tag: D
text: access to markets in about 200 cities
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】根据第3段，汉萨商人受益于下列各项除外
A：在遥远的城市使用贸易中心

B:一种新的商业交易记录系统

C：开通横跨北欧的陆上贸易路线

D：大约200个城市的市场准入

【判定题型】：根据题干中出现的大写“EXCEPT”/"NOT" 等其他明显表示否定的词，可以判定本题为否定事实信息题，需要找出与原文信息不符的那个答案。

【关键词定位】根据题干关键词“Hanseatic merchants”,可以将出题范围锁定在 Passage 3 。

【选项分析】
A 选项对应原文 Hanseatic merchants established foreign trading centers. 正确
B 选项对应原文 Hanseatic merchants had developed an important business technique, the business register. 正确
C 选项原文没有提到，错误。
D 选项对应原文 ..to include about 200 cities from Holland to Poland. 正确

question_stem: The word "decisive" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: probable

tag: B
text: determining

tag: C
text: helpful

tag: D
text: limiting
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】"decisive" 与下列哪个意思最为相近？
A 可能的
B 决定性的
C 有帮助的
D 有限制的

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“decisive”,定位到原句“This device proved a decisive factor in the later development of credit and commerce in northern Europe.


【词汇解析】：词汇“decisive”的意思是“决定性的”,带入到原句中，原句的意思是“这种手段后来被证明是北欧信贷和商业发展的决定性因素。x”。

【选项分析】
A 可能的。不符，错误
B 决定性的。符合，正确
C 有帮助的。不符，错误
D 有限制的。不符，错误

question_stem: Why does the author provide the information in paragraph 4 that the commercial classes never exceeded 10 percent of the population?
choices: tag: A
text: To argue that the wealth created by the commercial revolution benefited only a small number of people

tag: B
text: To challenge the view that the commercial classes made up a majority of the population of Europe

tag: C
text: To suggest a reason that the commercial revolution ended around A. D. 1300

tag: D
text: To emphasize the point that the commercial revolution was brought about by a small part of the population
answer_key: D
explanation: 【题目翻译】为什么作者要在第4段中说：商业阶层从未超过总人口的百分之十？
A：认为商业革命创造的财富只惠及少数人

B：质疑商业阶层占欧洲人口多数的观点。

C：提出商业革命在公元1300年左右结束的原因。

D：强调商业革命是由一小部分人口引起的。

【判定题型】：根据题干问法“why …… provide”，题目询问“xxxxxx”(文章引用内容)的修辞目的，可以判断本题为修辞目的题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“the commercial classes”,定位到 Passage 4 ，原句为“One remarkable aspect of this change was that the commercial classes constituted a small part of the total population—never more than 10 percent.”。

【引用内容分析】根据原文 One remarkable aspect of this change was that the commercial classes constituted a small part of the total population—never more than 10 percent.可知， never more than 10 percent 是对前一句话的解释。

【选项分析】
A：认为商业革命创造的财富只惠及少数人。文章是要强调商业革命是由一小部分人口引起的。不符，错误。

B：质疑商业阶层占欧洲人口多数的观点。并不是要质疑，不符，错误。

C：提出商业革命在公元1300年左右结束的原因。与商业革命结束无关，不符，错误。

D：强调商业革命是由一小部分人口引起的。符合，正确

question_stem: According to paragraph 4, which of the following was associated with the rise of modern states?
choices: tag: A
text: Increased wealth for the ruling classes

tag: B
text: The weakening of the aristocracy

tag: C
text: The decline of the middle class

tag: D
text: A reduction in taxes
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】根据第4段，下列哪一个与现代国家的兴起有关？
A：统治阶级财富的增加

B 贵族的弱化

C 中产阶级的衰落

D：减税

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“ rise”,定位到 Passage 4 最后一句，原句为“In the years to come, alliances with the middle classes were to enable kings to weaken aristocratic interests and build the states that came to be called modern.”，意思是“在后面几年里，与中产阶级的联盟使国王能够削弱贵族的利益，并建立了“现代”的国家。”。

【逻辑分析】：结合题目问法和出题句，进行逻辑分析。

【选项分析】
A：统治阶级财富的增加。不符，错误
B 贵族的弱化。与文章相符合，	正确
C 中产阶级的衰落。不符，错误
D：减税。不符，错误

question_stem: The word "alliances" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: transactions

tag: B
text: communications

tag: C
text: partnerships

tag: D
text: conflicts
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】文章中的“alliances”一词最接近于
A 交易
B 交流
C 伙伴关系
D 矛盾

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“alliances”,定位到原句“In the years to come, alliances with the middle classes were to enable kings to weaken aristocratic interests and build the states that came to be called modern.


【词汇解析】：词汇“alliances”的意思是“联盟”,带入到原句中，原句的意思是“在接下来的几年里，与中产阶级结盟是为了使国王能够削弱贵族利益和建立被称为现代国家的国家。”。

【选项分析】
A 交易。不符，错误
B 交流。不符，错误
C 伙伴关系。同义替换，正确
D 矛盾。不符，错误

question_stem: According to paragraph 5, the most important result of the commercial revolution was to
choices: tag: A
text: simplify the organization of European society

tag: B
text: provide employment to agricultural workers

tag: C
text: encourage merchants to become community leaders

tag: D
text: change Europe from a rural to a more urban society
answer_key: D
explanation: 【题目翻译】根据第5段，商业革命的最重要结果是
A 简化欧洲社会的组织

B：为农业工人提供就业机会

C：鼓励商人成为社区领袖

D:把欧洲从农村社会转变为城市社会

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】：根据关键词“the commercial revolution”,定位到 Passage 5 第2句，原句为“the slow but steady transformation of European society from almost completely rural and isolated to relatively more urban constituted the greatest effect of the commercial revolution that began in the eleventh century. ”，意思是“缓慢而稳定的将欧洲社会从几乎完全的农村和孤立转变为相对更多的城市，构成了始于11世纪的商业革命的最大影响。”。

【逻辑分析】：结合题目问法和出题句，进行逻辑分析。

【选项分析】
A:文章说的结果是最终变成了城市社会。选项错误
B:最终是变成城市社会。选项错误。
C:最终是变成城市社会。选项错误。
D:与文章意思相符，正确

question_stem: Paragraph 5 supports which of the following inferences about the commercial revolution between ad 1000 and 1300?
choices: tag: A
text: It had very little impact on social attitudes and values.

tag: B
text: It brought about major political changes throughout Europe.

tag: C
text: It lessened the influence of the church.

tag: D
text: It increased the population of small towns.
answer_key: A
explanation: 【题目翻译】第5段以下哪个支持影响关于1000到1300之间的商业革命的推论？
A：它对社会态度和价值观的影响很小。

B 它给整个欧洲带来了重大的政治变化。

C 这减轻了教会的影响。

D 它增加了小城镇的人口。

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】根据关键词“commercial revolution”,定位到 Passage 5第1、2句，原句为“The commercial revolution also provided the opportunity for thousands of agricultural workers to improve their social position. The slow but steady transformation of European society from almost completely rural and isolated to relatively more urban constituted the greatest effect of the commercial revolution that began in the eleventh century. ”，意思是“商业革命也为成千上万的农业工人提供了改善其社会地位的机会。“欧洲社会从几乎完全农村和孤立到相对更城市的缓慢而稳定的转变构成了始于11世纪的商业革命的最大影响。”。

【逻辑分析】找出影响结果：最大的影响结果就是是社会最后变成城市化。而对社会态度和价值观的影响很小。

【选项分析】
B 根据原文， commercial revolution 并没有导致 political changes，故 B 选项错误。
C 根据原文 The nobility and churchmen determined the predominant social attitudes, values and patterns …可知，C 选项错误。
D 根据原文 Most towns remained small 可知，D 选项错误。
故根据排除法可知 A 选项正确。