托福阅读真题+题目+答案：Latin America in the Nineteenth Century

托福阅读真题+题目+答案：Latin America in the Nineteenth Century

Paragraph 1: A series of wars that took place between 1808 and 1826 brought independence to most former colonies of Spain and Portugal in Latin America. After winning their independence, the new Latin American states began a long, uphill struggle to achieve economic and political stability. They faced immense obstacles, for independence was not accompanied by economic and social changes that could spur rapid progress. Large estates, generally operated using primitive methods and highly exploited labor, continued to dominate economic life. Far from diminishing, the influence of the landed aristocracy (established upper social class) actually increased. This was the result of the leading military role it had played in the wars of independence and the passing of Spanish authority.

1. The word “immense” in the passage is closest in meaning to

O growing

O huge

O troublesome

O unexpected

Paragraph 2: Economic life stagnated, for the anticipated large-scale influx of foreign capital did not materialize, and the European demand for Latin American staples remained far below expectations. Free trade brought increased commercial activity to the coasts, but this increase was offset by the near destruction of some local craft industries by cheap, factory-made European goods. The sluggish pace of economic activity and the relative absence of interregional trade and true national markets encouraged local self-sufficiency, isolation, political instability, and even chaos.

2. Why does the author include the information about “the near destruction of some local craft industries by cheap, factory-made European goods"?

O To identify a factor that contributed to the stagnation of Latin American economies

O To indicate the reason why European goods were popular in Latin America

O To show the result of political instability and local isolation

O To argue that economic factors led to a lack of local self-sufficiency in Latin America

3. According to paragraph 2, which of the following best characterizes economic activity in Latin American countries following independence?

O Development of strong national markets that interfered with interregional trade

O Slow economic activity caused by failure to produce staple goods in Latin America

O Limited trade in Latin American goods due to low demand, international competition, and a lack of market opportunities

O Concentrated production of cheap products to be exported out of Latin America

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