托福阅读tpo48R-1原文+译文+题目+答案+背景知识.pdf

托福阅读tpo48R-1ChinesePopulationGrowth

原文1

译文4

练习题目6

答案17

文章小结题解析17

背景知识17

原文

ChinesePopulationGrowth

①Increasesinpopulationhaveusuallybeenaccompanied(indeed

facilitated)byanincreaseintrade.IntheWesternexperience,

commerceprovidedtheconditionsthatallowedindustrializationtoget

started,whichinturnledtogrowthinscience,technology,industry,

transport,communications,socialchange,andthelikethatwegroup

underthebroadtermof“development.”However,themassiveincrease

inpopulationthatinEuropewasatfirstattributedtoindustrialization

startingintheeighteenthcenturyoccurredalsoandatthesameperiod

inChina,eventhoughtherewasnocomparableindustrialization.

②ItisestimatedthattheChinesepopulationby1600wascloseto150

million.ThetransitionbetweentheMingandQingdynasties(the

1

seventeenthcentury)mayhaveseenadecline,butfrom1741to1851

theannualfiguresrosesteadilyandspectacularly,perhapsbeginning

with143millionandendingwith432million.Ifweacceptthesetotals,

weareconfrontedwithasituationinwhichtheChinesepopulation

doubledinthe50yearsfrom1790to1840.If,withgreatercaution,we

assumelowertotalsintheearlyeighteenthcenturyandonly400million

in1850,westillfaceastartlingfact:somethinglikeadoublingofthevast

ChinesepopulationinthecenturybeforeWesterncontact,foreigntrade,

andindustrializationcouldhavehadmucheffect.

③Toexplainthissuddenincreasewecannotpointtofactorsconstantin

Chinesesocietybutmustfindconditionsoracombinationoffactorsthat

werenewlyeffectiveinthisperiod.Amongtheseisthealmostcomplete

internalpeacemaintainedunderManchuruleduringtheeighteenth

century.TherewasalsoanincreaseinforeigntradethroughGuangzhou

(southernChina)andsomeimprovem