Paragraph 6
The Venetian Council finally allowed round ships to enter the trade that was previously reserved for merchant galleys, thus reducing transport cost by one third. Prices of spices delivered by ship from the eastern Mediterranean came to equal those of spices transported by Paortuguese vessels, but the increase in quantity with both routes in operation drove the price far down. Gradually, Venice's role as a storage and distribution center for spices and silk, dyes cotton, and gold decayed, and by the early seventeenth century Venice had lost its monopoly in markets such as France and southern Germany.
11、Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 6 about the Venetian Council's decision concerning the use of round ships?
It resulted in a return to profitable in luxury goods for Venetian merchants.
Ultimately it did not restore the superiority in the spice trade that Venice had enjoyed earlier.
It eventually enabled Venetian merchants to increase the quantity and price of the spices they sold in Europe.
It means a long-awaited improvement in the fortunes of the shipbuilding industry in Venice.
12、According to paragiaphs 6, in the sixteenth century the price of spices declined because
France and Germany established monopolies and dictated prices
Venetian merchant galleys competed with Venetian round ships for the spice trade
More spices were available because both the Venetians and the Portuguese were importing them
Increased demand for silk, dyes, cotton and gold meant that people had less money to spend on spices.
13、Look at the four squares [■ ] that indicate where the following sentencli could be added to the passage.
The increase in reward still did not attract young people to this lard life, and convicted criminals and slaves were pressed into services
Where would the sentence best fit?
Paragraph 2
This decline can be seen clearly in the changes that affected Venetian shipping and trade. First, Venic's intermediary functions in the Adriatic Sea, where it had dominated the business of shipping for other parties, were lost to direct trading. In the fifteenth century there was little problem recruiting sailors to row the galleys (large ships propelled by oars): guilds (business associations) were required to provide rowers, and through a draft system free citizens served compulsorily when called for. ■ In the early sixteenth century the shortage of rowers was not serious because the demand for galleys was limited by a move to round ships (round-hulled ships with more cargo space), with required fewer rowers. ■ But the shortage of crews proved to be a greater and greater problem, despite continuous appeal to Venic's tradition of maritime greatness. ■ Even though sailors' wages doubled among the northern Italian cities from 1550 to 1590, this did not elicit an increased supply. ■
D
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 not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
The loss of power and prestige of Italia Cities by the sixteenth centuries is clearly seen in the decline of Venetian shipping.
A. Venetian ships were famous for carrying large cargoes of spices and luxury goods around the world in fast, oar-driven galleys.
B. A shortage of timber for building the traditional galleys and a lack of sailors to row them meant a loss of Venetian shipping business.
C. The Venetian Council made sure that Venetian-built and -owned ships kept special privileges in transporting luxury goods in and out of Venice.
D. Venetian round ships bringing spices and silk from the East helped drive prices down so that ordinary people could afford to buy them
E. Venice failed to keep up with improvement in ship design, and the cost of shipbuilding rose a quality and efficiency declined.
F. The Portuguese direct sea route to the East adversely affected Venetian trade, and Venice fell behind the Dutch and the British in the quality of their ships and sailing skills.
