TF阅读真题第979篇The Peruvian Guano Boom

题目：

 

Peruvian farmers have used guano (dried waste of seabirds) as a plant fertilizer since ancient times, but guano was not exported to Europe until 1840. Guano has much higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphates (essential elements for plant growth) than ordinary barnyard manure, which European farmers had been spreading on their land for 6,000 years. The European farmers who first tested guano on their fields reported crop yields that were 30 percent to 300 percent higher than usual. News of the success of these experiments was widely diffused in the European press, leading to the rapid adoption of guano in commercial farming. Even though other sources of guano were soon found elsewhere, Peruvian guano remained the most expensive because it contained the highest concentrations of fertilizing chemicals. Unusually large species of seabirds fed on oily fish found in abundance off the coast of Peru and excreted guano onto treeless desert islands just offshore. The lack of precipitation on these islands meant that there were few predators, allowing the birds’ numbers to swell into the millions. No rain also meant that the guano would not be diluted or washed away. Some Peruvian islands had deposits of highly concentrated guano more than 150 feet deep.

Before the guano boom, the majority of government revenue was provided by taxes on imported goods, and the wide availability of foreign imports to consumers had the effect of suppressing Peru’s own manufacturing. Half of Peru’s total exports came from silver mining, and there were no Peruvian banks. Moreover, Peru was heavily in debt. Beginning in 1840, the Peruvian government allowed entrepreneurs to export guano in exchange for a large share of the profits. The funds received from the sale of guano were substantial, allowing Peru to stop collecting most other taxes. Guano revenue was used to modernize the Peruvian army, build railroads to the interior of the country, and create the College of Mines at Huánuco to train engineers for the mining industry. The government provided a subsidy for the poorest students to attend schools free of charge and spent nearly 30 percent of the money from guano on public services such as education and tax relief. By the 1860s, 60 percent of the government’s revenue was coming from guano.

Jobs could have been created in Peru’s mountainous interior, where the majority of the people lived, if some of the government’s guano revenue had been invested in industries related to natural assets there such as timber, rubber, and silver, but the economic benefits of guano exports were limited to Lima and other cities along the coast. The Peruvian government spent the money from guano on rebuilding the city of Lima, demolishing the old city walls, and erecting grandiose governmental buildings. Peruvian plutocrats (enormously wealthy individuals), most of whom had owned large plantations of sugar and tropical fruits along the coast, benefited from their influence on official governmental policies. They often worked together with an increasingly corrupt bureaucracy to defraud the state by inflating the prices of goods and services they sold to the government. Perhaps as much as 10 percent of the guano money was wasted in this way.

Peru’s annual guano exports reached their highest level at 700,000 tons in 1870. During the 1870s, however, some of the best-quality guano sources were depleted, and the high guano prices set by Peru’s government caused many farmers abroad to switch to using fertilizers manufactured from nitrates (a natural mineral deposit). By the mid-1870s, guano exports no longer produced enough revenue to meet the government’s debt repayment obligations. In order to provide the additional revenue it needed, the government gradually took control of nitrate mining companies in Peru’s southern Atacama Desert from 1875 to 1878. Many nitrate firms seized by the Peruvian government were owned by Chileans, contributing to political tensions with Chile. In 1879, a war began in which Chile captured Peru’s nitrate and guano deposits, leading to a collapse of the Peruvian economy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Peruvian farmers have used guano (dried waste of seabirds) as a plant fertilizer since ancient times, but guano was not exported to Europe until 1840. Guano has much higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphates (essential elements for plant growth) than ordinary barnyard manure, which European farmers had been spreading on their land for 6,000 years. The European farmers who first tested guano on their fields reported crop yields that were 30 percent to 300 percent higher than usual. News of the success of these experiments was widely diffused in the European press, leading to the rapid adoption of guano in commercial farming. Even though other sources of guano were soon found elsewhere, Peruvian guano remained the most expensive because it contained the highest concentrations of fertilizing chemicals. Unusually large species of seabirds fed on oily fish found in abundance off the coast of Peru and excreted guano onto treeless desert islands just offshore. The lack of precipitation on these islands meant that there were few predators, allowing the birds’ numbers to swell into the millions. No rain also meant that the guano would not be diluted or washed away. Some Peruvian islands had deposits of highly concentrated guano more than 150 feet deep.

According to paragraph 1, which of the following events caused commercial farmers in Europe to begin using guano?

Factual Information Questions事实信息题

AAdditional sources of high-quality guano were found in Europe soon after exports arrived.

BNews stories about Peruvian farmers’ use of guano appeared in the European press.

CTests revealed that levels of essential elements for plant growth were 30 to 300 percent higher in guano than in manure.

DReports of guano’s beneficial effects on crops were printed and spread throughout much of Europe.

2

Before the guano boom, the majority of government revenue was provided by taxes on imported goods, and the wide availability of foreign imports to consumers had the effect of suppressing Peru’s own manufacturing. Half of Peru’s total exports came from silver mining, and there were no Peruvian banks. Moreover, Peru was heavily in debt. Beginning in 1840, the Peruvian government allowed entrepreneurs to export guano in exchange for a large share of the profits. The funds received from the sale of guano were substantial, allowing Peru to stop collecting most other taxes. Guano revenue was used to modernize the Peruvian army, build railroads to the interior of the country, and create the College of Mines at Huánuco to train engineers for the mining industry. The government provided a subsidy for the poorest students to attend schools free of charge and spent nearly 30 percent of the money from guano on public services such as education and tax relief. By the 1860s, 60 percent of the government’s revenue was coming from guano.

The word “suppressing” in the passage is closest in meaning to

 

Vocabulary Questions词汇题

 

Alimiting

Bchallenging

Cadding to

Dinspiring

3

Before the guano boom, the majority of government revenue was provided by taxes on imported goods, and the wide availability of foreign imports to consumers had the effect of suppressing Peru’s own manufacturing. Half of Peru’s total exports came from silver mining, and there were no Peruvian banks. Moreover, Peru was heavily in debt. Beginning in 1840, the Peruvian government allowed entrepreneurs to export guano in exchange for a large share of the profits. The funds received from the sale of guano were substantial, allowing Peru to stop collecting most other taxes. Guano revenue was used to modernize the Peruvian army, build railroads to the interior of the country, and create the College of Mines at Huánuco to train engineers for the mining industry. The government provided a subsidy for the poorest students to attend schools free of charge and spent nearly 30 percent of the money from guano on public services such as education and tax relief. By the 1860s, 60 percent of the government’s revenue was coming from guano.

The word “substantial” in the passage is closest in meaning to

 

Vocabulary Questions词汇题

 

Aunusual

Bnecessary

Cuseful

Dsignificant

4

Before the guano boom, the majority of government revenue was provided by taxes on imported goods, and the wide availability of foreign imports to consumers had the effect of suppressing Peru’s own manufacturing. Half of Peru’s total exports came from silver mining, and there were no Peruvian banks. Moreover, Peru was heavily in debt. Beginning in 1840, the Peruvian government allowed entrepreneurs to export guano in exchange for a large share of the profits. The funds received from the sale of guano were substantial, allowing Peru to stop collecting most other taxes. Guano revenue was used to modernize the Peruvian army, build railroads to the interior of the country, and create the College of Mines at Huánuco to train engineers for the mining industry. The government provided a subsidy for the poorest students to attend schools free of charge and spent nearly 30 percent of the money from guano on public services such as education and tax relief. By the 1860s, 60 percent of the government’s revenue was coming from guano.

According to paragraph 2, all of the following were results of the guano boom in Peru EXCEPT:

 

Negative Factual Information Questions否定事实信息题

 

AModern supplies allowed the army to explore the interior of the country.

BTransportation routes were created to reach inland areas of Peru.

CNew educational institutions were created to improve industry.

DThe poorest students were provided with free education.

5

Jobs could have been created in Peru’s mountainous interior, where the majority of the people lived, if some of the government’s guano revenue had been invested in industries related to natural assets there such as timber, rubber, and silver, but the economic benefits of guano exports were limited to Lima and other cities along the coast. The Peruvian government spent the money from guano on rebuilding the city of Lima, demolishing the old city walls, and erecting grandiose governmental buildings. Peruvian plutocrats (enormously wealthy individuals), most of whom had owned large plantations of sugar and tropical fruits along the coast, benefited from their influence on official governmental policies. They often worked together with an increasingly corrupt bureaucracy to defraud the state by inflating the prices of goods and services they sold to the government. Perhaps as much as 10 percent of the guano money was wasted in this way.

Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

 

Sentence Simplification Questions句子简化题

 

APeru’s mountainous interior possessed natural assets like timber, rubber, and silver, but the industries related to these products brought economic benefits only to Lima and other cities along the coast.

BIndustries related to timber, rubber, and silver provided jobs for the majority of people living in the interior mountainous regions of Peru, but the guano industry was limited to areas along the coast.

CGuano revenue could have created jobs in the country’s interior if it had been invested in industries there, where most of Peru’s people lived, but only coastal cities experienced the economic benefits of guano.

DGovernment revenue from guano was invested in industries related to natural assets, but its economic benefits did not extend into Peru’s interior, where most people lived.

6

Jobs could have been created in Peru’s mountainous interior, where the majority of the people lived, if some of the government’s guano revenue had been invested in industries related to natural assets there such as timber, rubber, and silver, but the economic benefits of guano exports were limited to Lima and other cities along the coast. The Peruvian government spent the money from guano on rebuilding the city of Lima, demolishing the old city walls, and erecting grandiose governmental buildings. Peruvian plutocrats (enormously wealthy individuals), most of whom had owned large plantations of sugar and tropical fruits along the coast, benefited from their influence on official governmental policies. They often worked together with an increasingly corrupt bureaucracy to defraud the state by inflating the prices of goods and services they sold to the government. Perhaps as much as 10 percent of the guano money was wasted in this way.

In which of the following ways may Peru’s government have wasted “as much as 10 percent of the guano money”?

 

Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题

 

ABy inflating the prices of the goods and services it sold, causing people to stop buying them

BBy making unnecessarily high payments for goods and services it bought from plutocrats

CBy producing goods and services needed only by the rich

DBy buying large plantations from members of its corrupt bureaucracy

7

Peru’s annual guano exports reached their highest level at 700,000 tons in 1870. During the 1870s, however, some of the best-quality guano sources were depleted, and the high guano prices set by Peru’s government caused many farmers abroad to switch to using fertilizers manufactured from nitrates (a natural mineral deposit). By the mid-1870s, guano exports no longer produced enough revenue to meet the government’s debt repayment obligations. In order to provide the additional revenue it needed, the government gradually took control of nitrate mining companies in Peru’s southern Atacama Desert from 1875 to 1878. Many nitrate firms seized by the Peruvian government were owned by Chileans, contributing to political tensions with Chile. In 1879, a war began in which Chile captured Peru’s nitrate and guano deposits, leading to a collapse of the Peruvian economy.

Why does the author mention that, during the 1870s, “some of the best-quality guano sources were depleted “?

Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题

ATo emphasize how large Peru’s guano exports became at their highest point

BTo explain why Peruvian farmers stopped paying the high guano prices set by the government

CTo identify one reason why guano no longer produced enough revenue to pay Peru’s debts

DTo show that poor quality was the main reason why farmers abroad switched to manufactured fertilizers

8

Peru’s annual guano exports reached their highest level at 700,000 tons in 1870. During the 1870s, however, some of the best-quality guano sources were depleted, and the high guano prices set by Peru’s government caused many farmers abroad to switch to using fertilizers manufactured from nitrates (a natural mineral deposit). By the mid-1870s, guano exports no longer produced enough revenue to meet the government’s debt repayment obligations. In order to provide the additional revenue it needed, the government gradually took control of nitrate mining companies in Peru’s southern Atacama Desert from 1875 to 1878. Many nitrate firms seized by the Peruvian government were owned by Chileans, contributing to political tensions with Chile. In 1879, a war began in which Chile captured Peru’s nitrate and guano deposits, leading to a collapse of the Peruvian economy.

Which of the following does paragraph 4 suggest was one reason that a war began between Peru and Chile?

Factual Information Questions事实信息题

APolitical tension created by competition between Peru’s and Chile’s guano exports

BPeru’s government taking control of companies owned by Chileans on Peruvian territory

CPeru’s seizing of parts of the Atacama Desert from Chile

DIncreased exports of nitrates by Chile causing economic problems for Peru

9

Peruvian farmers have used guano (dried waste of seabirds) as a plant fertilizer since ancient times, but guano was not exported to Europe until 1840. Guano has much higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphates (essential elements for plant growth) than ordinary barnyard manure, which European farmers had been spreading on their land for 6,000 years. The European farmers who first tested guano on their fields reported crop yields that were 30 percent to 300 percent higher than usual. News of the success of these experiments was widely diffused in the European press, leading to the rapid adoption of guano in commercial farming. ⬛Even though other sources of guano were soon found elsewhere, Peruvian guano remained the most expensive because it contained the highest concentrations of fertilizing chemicals. ⬛Unusually large species of seabirds fed on oily fish found in abundance off the coast of Peru and excreted guano onto treeless desert islands just offshore. ⬛The lack of precipitation on these islands meant that there were few predators, allowing the birds’ numbers to swell into the millions. ⬛No rain also meant that the guano would not be diluted or washed away. Some Peruvian islands had deposits of highly concentrated guano more than 150 feet deep.

Look at the four squares ⬛ that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage

This quality was a result of the climate and wildlife of coastal Peru.

Insert Text Questions句子插入题

 

Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square  sentence to the passage.

10

Guano has been used as fertilizer by Peruvian farmers for many centuries.

 

Prose Summary Questions概要小结题

 

Select 3 answers

AExperiments with guano on Peruvian farms produced highly successful results,leading to an agricultural boom in areas near the coast of Peru.

BThe Peruvian government spent much of the revenue from guano on construction projects in coastal cities,and some of it was misused in corrupt practices.

CSome beneficial projects and services were funded with money from guano exports,but by the 1870s Peru could no longer export enough guano to avoid major economic problems.

DPeru’s large,exceptionally high-quality deposits of guano began to be exported in the 1840s and quickly produced large amounts of revenue.

EAs guano exports rose.Peru’s government collected more taxes from plutocrats who controlled guano deposits,but most of that revenue was wasted on a corrupt bureaucracy.

FIn an attempt to keep guano prices high,the government placed strict limits on the amount of nitrates that could be exported, unintentionally driving farmers abroad to seek alternative fertilizers.