TOEFL Sample Question
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CLI 아카데미
작성일
2013-07-04 09:27
조회
4337
Read the following passage. Then fill in the diagram with the information that you read.
The Dutch East India Company
Globalization is a process of integration. It began centuries ago and continues to develop today. It can be define as the internationalization of political, economic, cultural, and social systems. Perhaps the most significant example of the early rise of global culture is the Dutch East India Company. Established in 1602 by the Dutch, who were then colonizing the East Indies of the Indian East India Company was a key impetus in the trend of globalization, in that it significantly changed export activity and created an avenue for extensive cultural exchange.
There was strong competition in the world market for trade amongst the European nations. One by one, they moved across the seas in order to expand their empires. The best way they could assert their in growing world was through economic expansion. The Dutch happened to emerge as a powerful entity mostly through their maritime trade capabilities and were therefore able to establish their empire in the Orient. As the Dutch trade grew, so too did its economic power. Silver and copper were brought from Peru and Japan to trade with India and China for various textiles such as silk and cotton. Those items were then trade with other Asian nations for spices such as cinnamon and pepper, which were in great demand in Europe.
The company’s trade activity also contributed to the spread of culture. The Dutch government had granted the company a monopoly over the trade of the “spice Islands” of the East India. Not only did it enter into trade agreements with the sovereign rulers of the nations of the East Indies, but it also saw its competition reduced. This rise in power came when the Dutch government expelled the Portuguese and British from Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The company even collaborated with missionaries, and through them was able to trade new cultural items with Japan and China. In fact, though Japan closed itself to trade between 1640 and 1854, the company was the only trade group to have access to Japan. Thus, it was able to transport the Japanese kimono to Europe, where it became highly popular. Because of the route that was established through the Dutch East India Company, the cultural influences fro each country circulated around the world. Traders along each stop were able to gain a broader base of knowledge about others involves in worldwide trade.
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Intergration : the combination of part into a whole
Impetus : a moving force or stimulus
Avenue : a path
Expel : to drive out or send away
Collaborate : to work together
Circulate : to move from place to place
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Q. According to paragraph 1, what event occurred at the same time that the Dutch East India Company was extablished?
(A) The colonization of parts of Asia
(B) The expansion of the Dutch government
(C) The increase of the spice trade within Asia
(D) An increased need for inexpensive goods
A > (A) The colonization of parts of Asia