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Shakespeare's England was an agricultural country of four or five million inhabitants. It fed itself, except when poor harvests compelled the importation of grain, and it supplemented agriculture by grazing, fishing, and commerce, chiefly with the Netherlands, but growing in many directions. The forests were becoming thin, but the houses were still of timber; the roads were poor, the large towns mostly seaports. The dialects spoken were various, but the speech of the midland counties had become established in London, at the universities, and in printed books, and was rapidly increasing its dominance. The monasteries and religious orders were gone, but feudalism still held sway, and the people were divided into classes, --the various ranks of the nobility, the gentry, the yeomen, the burgesses, and the common people. But changes from one class to another were numerous; for many lords were losing their inheritances by extravagance, while many business men were putting their profits into land. In spite of persecutions, occasional insurrections, and the plague which devastated the unsanitary towns, it was a time of peace and prosperity. The coinage was reformed, roadswere improved, taxes were not burdensome, and life in the country was more comfortable and secure than it had been. Books and education were spreading. Numerous grammar schools taught Latin, the universities made provision for poor students, and there were now many careers besides that of the church open to the educated man.
1.We can infer from this passage that Claude Monet and Manet
A.Had very different artistic techniques
B.Were similar in ideas and works
C.Were influenced by the Spaniards
D.Were very close friends
E.Were adversaries
2.From this paragraph, we can infer that Shakespeare grew up in a time of:
A.Monetary variance and class conflict. The divide between the rich and the poor became a significant division throughout Shakespeare's life.
B.Agricultural hardships, but progressive and growing educational opportunities.
C.Religious war.
D.Growth, harmony, and affluence.
E.Strife and struggle between the nobility and peasant class.
3.The phrase "for many lords were losing their inheritances by extravagance" mostly likely means:
A.The lords lost their inheritances in great numbers.
B.The lords lost their inheritances due to excessive spending.
C.The lords lost their inheritances due to their inappropriate speech and actions.
D.The lords lost their inheritances due to their great need for frugality.
E.The lords lost their inheritances because of the change in land values.
4.The word compelled in the second sentence of the paragraph most likely means:
A.To necessitate
B.To secure
C.To delay
D.To intimidate
E.To embolden
5.We can infer from this passage that the larger work from which this passage was taken is most likely about
A.England's agricultural growth
B.The burgeoning middle class, and their struggles
C.Feudalism in England
D.The various ranks and classes of English nobility
E.Shakespeare's life and experiences
