Europe in the High Middle Ages-12.11

各位宝宝们，今日的练习要求如下：1.20分钟做完一篇整真题（如果20分钟做不完的话，需要至少在当天之内完成）2.查单词并背诵！如果在阅读的过程中有单词不认识，则需要查出来，并且记下来这些单词（可以在第二天背诵这些单词，作为复习）EuropeintheHighMiddleAgesFor500yearsafterthefalloftheWesternRomanEmpirein476A.D.,aperiodknownastheearlyMiddleAges,Europeenduredanageofpoliticalinstability,economicdecline,andreducedpopulation.Butasthemillenniumapproached,thesituationbegantoimprove.Towardtheendofthetenthcentury,anincreaseintheamountofcrop-producinglandwasaccompaniedbyanincreaseinpopulation,withthepotentialforthatnumbertoriseevenhigher.Theincreaseinagriculturalproductioncameaboutasaresultofacombinationoffactors,themostprominentofwhichwerechangingmethodsoffieldmanagementandimprovementsinagriculturaltechnology.FormuchoftheearlyMiddleAges,peasantscontinuedtheRomanpracticeofdividingtheirfieldsintwoleavingonefallow,oruncultivated,forayear,andplantingtheircropsintheotherhalf.Fallowlandrestoreditsnutrients,butthepracticemeantthathalfthelandproducednothingeveryyear.InsouthernEuropewithitsdrierclimatethissystemoftwo-fieldcroprotationcontinued,butinnorthernEurope,peasantsimprovedonthissystembydividingtheirlandintothreeparts.Onetheyleftfallow,anothertheyplantedinthespring,andthethirdtheyplantedwithwintercrops.Thisthree-fieldcroprotation,dependentonmorerainfallthansouthernEuropereceived,meantthattwo-thirdsinsteadofone-halfofapeasant'slandwasunderproductioninoneyear.Relatedtothechangesincroprotationwereimprovementsinplowsandanimalharnessing.Morelandundercultivationspurredexperimentationintheconstructionofplows.Peasantsattachedwheelstotheirplows,whichmadeiteasierforoxentopullthemthroughtheheavier,wettersoilofnorthernEurope,andmadeitpossibleforaplowtomovemorequicklydownarowprovidedithadaspeedyanimalpullingit.Oxenareslowandunintelligentcomparedtohorses,butpeasantscouldnotusehorsestopullplowsuntiltheydevisedadifferentkindofharnessingthanthestrapthatcircledanox'sneck.Withaharnessrestingonitsshouldersinsteadofitsneck,ahorsecouldbeusedtoplow,andhorsescouldwalkmorequicklyandworklongerhoursthanoxen.Theyalsorequiredlessguidance,sincetheyunderstoodverbalsignalstoturnortostop.Heavier,wheeledplowspulledbysuitablyharnessedhorsesmeantthatpeasantscouldworkmorelandinadaythaneverbefore.WhetheranincreaseinpopulationacrosswesternEurope,butparticularlyinthenorth,stimulatedinnovationsorwhethersuchinnovationscontributedtoariseinpopulation,thecumulativeeffectofthesechangesinagriculturewasapparentinthetenthcentury.ConditionsinEuropewereripeforaneconomicandculturalupswing.EvenbeforetradewiththeeasternMediterraneanincreasedstartinginthetwelfthcentury,tradeandtownswereontherise.Travelwasstilldangerous,butmerchantswerewillingtorisktransportinggoodsoverlongdistances.Bythelatethirteenthcentury,afewmerchantsfromItalyhadevenreachedChina.Greatersurplusesincropsmeantpeoplehadmoretosellatmarket.Morepeopleandgoodsledtoregularlyheldmarketsinthemostpopulatedlocationinaregion.Itwouldbeimpossibletosaywhethertradegaverisetotownsorviceversa.Whatisclearisthateachfosteredtheotherinconditionsofgreatersocialstability.Travelontraderoutesincreased,andsometownsspranguptoproviderestandrefreshmenttotraders.Thedistancebetweentownsoftencorrespondedtothedistancethattraderscouldcoverinaday.Merchantskepttheireyesopenforcustomerswithmoneytospend.Theresidencesofkings,nobles,andpowerfulofficialsbecamesitesofmarketsforlocalandlong-distancetraders.InChampagne,innortheasternFrance,sixlargeannualmarketsattractedmerchantsfromalloverEuropeinthetwelfthcentury.Theirdifferentcurrenciespromptedthefirstdevelopmentofbankingtechniques.Withtheuseofcoinsnowthenorm,moneychangersdailypostedchangingexchangeratessothatmerchantswouldknowtheworthoftheircoinsinrelationtotheworthofothermerchants'coins.By1300,tradehadtransformedlifeforthebetterthroughoutwesternEurope.♦FormuchoftheearlyMiddleAges,peasantscontinuedtheRomanpracticeofdividingtheirfieldsintwoleavingonefallow,oruncultivated,forayear,andplantingtheircropsintheotherhalf.Fallowlandrestoreditsnutrients,butthepracticemeantthathalfthelandproducednothingeveryyear.InsouthernEuropewithitsdrierclimatethissystemoftwo-fieldcroprotationcontinued,butinnorthernEurope,peasantsimprovedonthissystembydividingtheirlandintothreeparts.Onetheyleftfallow,anothertheyplantedinthespring,andthethirdtheyplantedwithwintercrops.Thisthree-fieldcroprotation,dependentonmorerainfallthansouthernEuropereceived,meantthattwo-thirdsinsteadofone-halfofapeasant'slandwasunderproductioninoneyear.1Paragraph2suggeststhattheland-managementpracticesdevelopedinthenorthcouldnothavebeenadoptedinsouthernEuropebecauseA.thesouthernclimatewastoodryB.southernfarmersweretoostronglytiedtotraditionalRomanfarmingpracticesC.thenewpracticewouldhaverequiredmuchadditionalfarmland,whichwaslackinginthesouthD.southernfarmershadalreadydevelopedanewcrop-rotationsystem♦Relatedtothechangesincroprotationwereimprovementsinplowsandanimalharnessing.Morelandundercultivationspurredexperimentationintheconstructionofplows.Peasantsattachedwheelstotheirplows,whichmadeiteasierforoxentopullthemthroughtheheavier,wettersoilofnorthernEurope,andm