Agricultural progress provided the stimulus necessary to set off

Question

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Passage # 310, Date : 04-Sep-2019
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Agricultural progress provided the stimulus necessary to set off economic expansion in medieval France. As long as those who worked the land were barely able to ensure their own subsistence and that of their landlords, all other activities had to be minimal, but when food surpluses increased, it became possible to release more people for governmental, commercial, religious and cultural pursuits.

However, not all the funds from the agricultural surplus were actually available for commercial investment. Much of the surplus, in the form of food increases, probably went to raise the subsistence level; an additional amount, in the form of currency gained from the sale of food, went into the royal treasury to be used in waging war. Although Louis VII of France levied a less crushing tax burden on his subjects than did England’s Henry II, Louis VII did spend great sums on an unsuccessful crusade, and his vassals—both lay and ecclesiastic—took over spending where their sovereign stopped. Surplus funds were claimed both by the Church and by feudal landholders, whereupon cathedrals and castles mushroomed throughout France.

The simultaneous progress of cathedral building and, for instance, vineyard expansion in Bordeaux illustrates the very real competition for available capital between the Church and commercial interests; the former produced inestimable moral and artistic riches, but the latter had a stronger immediate impact upon gross national product. Moreover, though all wars by definition are defensive, the frequent crossings of armies that lived off the land and impartially burned all the huts and barns on their path consumed considerable resources.

Since demands on the agricultural surplus would have varied from year to year, we cannot precisely calculate their impact on the commercial growth of medieval France. But we must bear that impact in mind when estimating the assets that were likely to have been available for investment. No doubt castle and cathedral building was not totally barren of profit (for the builders, that is), and it produced intangible dividends of material and moral satisfaction for the community. Even wars handed back a fragment of what they took, at least to a few. Still, we cannot place on the same plane a primarily destructive activity and a constructive one, nor expect the same results from a new bell tower as from a new water mill. Above all, medieval France had little room for investment over and above the preservation of life. Granted that war cost much less than it does today, that the Church rendered all sorts of educational and recreational services that were unobtainable elsewhere, and that government was far less demanding than is the modern state—nevertheless, for medieval men and women, supporting commercial development  required considerable economic sacrifice .   1 
1. According to the passage, agricultural revenues in excess of the amount needed for subsistence were used by medieval kings to

A. Patronize the arts
B. Sponsor public recreation
C. Wage war
D. Build cathedrals
E. Fund public education

2 
 2. According to the passage, which of the following was an important source of revenue in medieval France?

A. Cheese
B. Wine
C. Wool
D. Olive oil
E. Veal

3 
 3. The passage suggests that which of the following would have reduced the assets immediately available for commercial investment in medieval France?

I.  Renovation of a large cathedral
 II.  A sharp increase in the birth rate
 III.  An invasion of France by Henry II

A. III only
B. I and II only
C. I and III only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III

4 
 4. It can be inferred from the passage that more people could enter government and the Church in medieval France because

A. The number of individual landholdings in heavily agricultural areas was beginning to increase
B. An increase in the volume of international trade had brought an increase in the population of cities
C. A decrease in warfare had allowed the king to decrease the size of the army
D. Food producers could grow more food than they and their families needed to survive
E. Landlords were prospering and thus were demanding a smaller percentage of tenants’ annual yields

5 
 5. The author implies that the reason we cannot expect the same results from a new bell tower as from a new water mill is that

A. Bell towers yield an intangible dividend
B. Bell towers provide material satisfaction
C. Water mills cost more to build than bell towers
D. Water mills divert funds from commerce
E. Water mills might well be destroyed by war

6 
 6. The author of the passage most probably bases his central argument on which of the following theoretical assumptions often made by economists?

A. Different people should be taxed in proportion to the benefit they can expect to receive from public activity.
B. Perfect competition exists only in the case where no farmer, merchant, or laborer controls a large enough share of the total market to influence market price.
C. A population wealthy enough to cut back its rate of consumption can funnel the resulting savings into the creation of capital.
D. A full-employment economy must always, to produce one good, give up producing another good.
E. There is a universal tendency for population, unless checked by food supply, to increase in a geometric progression.

7 
 7. The author suggests that commercial expansion in medieval France “required considerable economic sacrifice” ( Highlighted ) primarily for which of the following reasons?

A. Cathedrals cost more to build and rebuild than did castles.
B. The numerous wars fought during the period left the royal treasury bankrupt.
C. Louis VII levied a more crushing tax burden on his subjects than did Henry II.
D. Although much of the available surplus had been diverted into vineyard expansion, the vineyards had not yet begun to produce.
E. Although more food was being produced, the subsistence level was not very far above the minimum required to sustain life.

8 
 8. The passage implies that which of the following yielded the lowest dividend to medieval men and women relative to its cost? 
A. Warfare
B. Vineyard expansion
C. Water mill construction
D. Castle building
E. Cathedral building

9 
 9. Which of the following statements best expresses the central idea of the passage?

A. Commercial growth in medieval France may be accurately computed by calculating the number of castles and cathedrals built during the period.
B. Competition between the Church and the feudal aristocracy for funds created by agricultural surplus demonstrably slowed the economic growth of medieval France.
C. Despite such burdens as war and capital expansion by landholders, commerce in medieval France expanded steadily as the agricultural surplus increased.
D. Funds actually available for commerce in medieval France varied with the demands placed on the agricultural surplus.
E. The simultaneous progress of vineyard expansion and building in medieval France gives evidence of a rapidly expanding economy.

ArihantJain18 · Answer

9. Which of the following statements best expresses the central idea of the passage?
A. Commercial growth in medieval France may be accurately computed by calculating the number of castles and cathedrals built during the period.
B. Competition between the Church and the feudal aristocracy for funds created by agricultural surplus demonstrably slowed the economic growth of medieval France.
C. Despite such burdens as war and capital expansion by landholders, commerce in medieval France expanded steadily as the agricultural surplus increased.
D. Funds actually available for commerce in medieval France varied with the demands placed on the agricultural surplus.
E. The simultaneous progress of vineyard expansion and building in medieval France gives evidence of a rapidly expanding economy.

I marked C for this one. Close to D, yet I went with C. Can anyone explain why can we not infer C from the passage?

Alpha14 · Answer

SajjadAhmad  Pls provide solution for Q 3 , 5 , 9 ?

hela07 · Answer

First sentence of the last paragraph says "Since demands on the agricultural surplus would have varied from year to year, we cannot precisely calculate their impact on the commercial growth of medieval France." Option C is just the opposite of this sentence.

Midhilesh489 · Answer

SajjadAhmad  Please explain 3rd question

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hello all  ArihantJain18   Alpha14   Midhilesh489

This post is for you.

I have mixed opinion about this passage, most part of this passage is very logical and questions are truly supported by text in the passage. But a few questions are not well logically supported by the text and one  question #3  had has wrong answer E which i have changed now to C.

Paragraph Summaries

Para 1:  The part played by agricultural progress in the commerce of France. (Introduction on the topic)

Para 2:  This para tell us that where the agricultural surplus is going actually it produces inconsistency with first para by the first word "However". This para also provide information about the part played by war in the economy.

Para 3:  This para gave details about the relationship between the spendings on church and on economy and also talk about vineyard. It also tell us the difference between tangible benefits and intangible benefits.

Para 4:  This para reconnects the first para (the main topic) with details given in second and third para and concludes the topic.

1. According to the passage, agricultural revenues in excess of the amount needed for subsistence were used by medieval kings to

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

Question #1  is well supported by the text in the passage and there is no issue with the answer: C. Wage war. This can be verified by reading paragraph two.

an additional amount, in the form of currency gained from the sale of food, went into the royal treasury to be used in waging war. Although Louis VII of France levied a less crushing tax burden on his subjects than did England’s Henry II, Louis VII did spend great sums on an unsuccessful crusade

Answer: C

2. According to the passage, which of the following was an important source of revenue in medieval France?

Difficulty Level:   600

Question #2  is more easy than statistics in the timer, A. Cheese, B. Wine, C. Wool, D. Olive oil, E. Veal. Nothing is mentioned in the passage except vine.  Read lines 1-2 of third paragraph:

The simultaneous progress of cathedral building and, for instance, vineyard expansion in Bordeaux

3. The passage suggests that which of the following would have reduced the assets immediately available for commercial investment in medieval France?

Difficulty Level:   650

I clicked on C but OA was E, then i read the passage again to find any support for II but i didn't find any as such support hence changed the answer to C as it is better than E

I.  Renovation of a large cathedral
 II.  A sharp increase in the birth rate
 III.  An invasion of France by Henry II

The answer is available in para 2.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that more people could enter government and the Church in medieval France because

Difficulty Level:   600

This is an inference question the answer D is not explicitly written in the passage but it is the best answer and can be inferred easily after reading complete passage.

5. The author implies that the reason we cannot expect the same results from a new bell tower as from a new water mill is that

Difficulty Level:   650

Bell tower itself has no history or topic in the passage it is used just as an example to illustrate the author's point. You will fall in trap if you don't take bell tower as an example. It is used as analogy, read para 3 to spot the answer

The simultaneous progress of cathedral building and, for instance, vineyard expansion in Bordeaux illustrates the very real competition for available capital between the Church and commercial interests; the former produced inestimable moral and artistic riches, but the latter had a stronger immediate impact upon gross national product.

Churches give you intangible benefit of moral education while commercialization give you money which is tangible benefit so the answer is related to this information.

I am not convinced by OA of question #6 and 7 and i don't have Official explanation so i will not comment on these two.

8. The passage implies that which of the following yielded the lowest dividend to medieval men and women relative to its cost?

Difficulty Level:   700

A. Warfare - Correct Answer

B. Vineyard expansion - Opposite

C. Water mill construction - Unrelated, this was given just as an example

D. Castle building - This is a part of warfare could be tricky but this is extreme answer it covers only a part of the requirement of the question.

E. Cathedral building - Could be tricky but not the answer because this give people intangible benefits and cost less than wars

9. Which of the following statements best expresses the central idea of the passage?

Difficulty Level:   700

The comprehension of first and last paragraph is a must to pick the right answer

First para

Agricultural progress provided the stimulus necessary to set off economic expansion in medieval France..........when food surpluses increased, it became possible to release more people for governmental, commercial, religious and cultural pursuits.

Last para

Since demands on the agricultural surplus would have varied from year to year, we cannot precisely calculate their impact on the commercial growth of medieval France.

This leads to answer: D

Hope it helps

kakuli · Answer

Please explain the answers for question 6 and 7!

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

6. The author of the passage most probably bases his central argument on which of the following theoretical assumptions often made by economists?

Difficulty Level:   650-700

Explanation

A. Different people should be taxed in proportion to the benefit they can expect to receive from public activity. 
This option suggests that taxation should be based on the individual's anticipated benefit from public activities. However, this concept is not directly addressed in the passage. While the passage mentions taxes levied by Louis VII of France and the allocation of funds to the royal treasury, it does not discuss the distribution of taxes based on perceived benefits.

B. Perfect competition exists only in the case where no farmer, merchant, or laborer controls a large enough share of the total market to influence market price. 
This option refers to perfect competition, which is a concept in economics where there are many buyers and sellers in the market and no individual participant has the power to influence market prices. The passage does not address this concept, so this option cannot be inferred from the information provided.

C. A population wealthy enough to cut back its rate of consumption can funnel the resulting savings into the creation of capital.  
This option suggests that a wealthy population, by reducing its consumption and saving money, can contribute to the creation of capital. This assumption aligns with the passage, as it discusses the allocation of surplus funds in medieval France and the potential for those funds to be available for commercial investment. It implies that the surplus funds, resulting from increased agricultural productivity, could be saved and used to create capital for economic purposes.

D. A full-employment economy must always, to produce one good, give up producing another good. 
This option relates to the concept of opportunity cost, which suggests that in a fully employed economy, producing more of one good requires sacrificing the production of another good. The passage does not explicitly discuss this concept, so it cannot be inferred as the author's central argument.

E. There is a universal tendency for population, unless checked by food supply, to increase in a geometric progression. 
This option refers to the concept of population growth and suggests that, without constraints from the food supply, populations tend to increase exponentially. The passage does not directly discuss this concept, so it cannot be inferred as the author's central argument.

Based on the information provided in the passage, option C is the most closely aligned with the author's central argument, as it addresses the idea that surplus funds generated from agricultural progress could be channeled into the creation of capital for commercial development.

Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

7. The author suggests that commercial expansion in medieval France “required considerable economic sacrifice” (Highlighted) primarily for which of the following reasons?

Difficulty Level:   600-650

Explanation

A. Cathedrals cost more to build and rebuild than did castles. 
This option suggests that the cost of building and rebuilding cathedrals was higher than that of castles, implying that it required more economic sacrifice to support commercial expansion. However, the passage does not provide any information or comparison regarding the cost of building cathedrals versus castles. Therefore, this option cannot be inferred from the information provided.

B. The numerous wars fought during the period left the royal treasury bankrupt. 
This option implies that the royal treasury became bankrupt due to the numerous wars fought during the medieval period, resulting in economic sacrifice for supporting commercial expansion. While the passage mentions wars and the funds allocated to the royal treasury for waging war, it does not explicitly state that the treasury became bankrupt. Additionally, the passage mentions that wars handed back a fragment of what they took, indicating that some resources were recovered. Therefore, this option cannot be inferred from the passage.

C. Louis VII levied a more crushing tax burden on his subjects than did Henry II. 
This option suggests that Louis VII imposed a heavier tax burden on his subjects compared to Henry II, leading to economic sacrifice for supporting commercial expansion. However, the passage states that Louis VII levied a less crushing tax burden on his subjects than Henry II did, indicating that the tax burden was relatively lighter. Therefore, this option contradicts the information provided in the passage and cannot be inferred.

D. Although much of the available surplus had been diverted into vineyard expansion, the vineyards had not yet begun to produce. 
This option suggests that a significant portion of the surplus funds generated from agricultural progress was directed towards vineyard expansion. However, it implies that the vineyards had not yet started producing, resulting in economic sacrifice for supporting commercial expansion. The passage does not provide information about the production status of vineyards, so this option cannot be inferred.

E. Although more food was being produced, the subsistence level was not very far above the minimum required to sustain life.  
This option aligns with the information provided in the passage. It states that despite the increase in food production, the subsistence level—the minimum required to sustain life—remained relatively close to the minimum threshold. The passage highlights that supporting commercial development in medieval France required considerable economic sacrifice due to limited availability of funds beyond the preservation of life. Therefore, this option accurately reflects the emphasis on the subsistence level and the economic sacrifice needed for commercial expansion.

Based on the information provided in the passage, option E is the correct answer as it aligns with the passage's discussion of the subsistence level and its impact on supporting commercial development in medieval France.

Answer: E

VerbalBot · Answer

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Agricultural progress provided the stimulus necessary to set off

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