Narrator: Listen to part of a lecture in a European history class.
Professor: OK, so last week we discussed how certain foodstuffs, such as potatoes, changed European geopolitical history. And even though we often associate them with Ireland or Germany, potatoes are not indigenous to Europe. Well, today we’ll talk about another substance whose arrival in Europe changed European history—gunpowder. But, even though you might associate gunpowder with Europe—or the United States for that matter—it was not invented there. Does anyone know where it was invented?
Male Student: Well… I heard that it was from Asia—China, I think.
Professor: Right. And do you know who invented it there?
Male Student: I guess it would have been the Emperor. Well, not him, but the warriors… the samurai.
Professor: Not quite. And, by the way… the samurai were the nobility of the Japanese military—they were not Chinese warriors. Actually—and this might surprise you—gunpowder was invented by Taoist monks. I’m not saying that the Tao is not a religion of peace. The monks were investigating how to change one material into another as part of their search for eternal life. So the combustive quality of gunpowder attracted them. They were not interested in its military application, but that happened soon enough. As a matter of fact, you might also be surprised by how long ago that was. There are at least implied references to gunpowder in Taoist tracts long before the year 1000. And Chinese documents record the use of gunpowder-based weapons by the early 1200s. In Europe, this was the time of the Crusades—warfare with knights using swords, lances, and arrows. How do you think it got to Europe?
Female Student: My grandmother loved history, especially Marco Polo. So I bet that he brought it back on the Silk Road.
Professor: Interesting—there’s a lot of uncertainty, but the written evidence and archaeological results from Silk Road excavations don’t really support that theory.
Female Student: Oh. Then maybe the early Portuguese and Spanish explorers brought it back.
Professor: That’s a good thought too, but really, their journeys were too late. The most likely view is that the Mongol invasion of Europe introduced gunpowder there. The evidence for that is more logical than it might appear. You see, the original Chinese gunpowder was very weak—more useful for combustion than for propelling projectiles. It took them centuries to adjust the mixture to make it the lethal force that the Mongols probably used in their invasion. But European gunpowder was immediately suitable for military applications when its first use was recorded around 1330. That leads to the conclusion that the Europeans copied it during or after the invasion.
Male Student: They must have been pretty excited about it. Now that I think about it, didn’t Columbus have some primitive guns?
Professor: Actually, just like potatoes, Europeans didn’t immediately embrace guns. The reasons for that might seem almost contradictory. On the one hand, there were practical considerations. As John said, those guns—commonly called harquebuses—were primitive. Originally, they had about the same effective range as a decent archer, but were slower and less reliable. Additionally, the establishment elite opposed them as a disruption of the status quo. Religious leaders called them inhumane and blasphemous. Why was that? Well, guns were cheaper to make than swords and suits of armor. On top of that, unlike the extensive training and practice required for swords and bows, one could easily master firing a gun. There was a saying in the nineteenth century in the United States—“God may have created all men, but it was Colonel Colt who made them equal.” Needless to say, the nobility was not particularly in favor of equality. But, resistance faded as the technology rapidly improved. Soon guns could penetrate suits of armor, making these suits obsolete, and before long, guns and cannons dominated European battlefields.
Then what happened? The first European entity to capitalize on this technology was the Duchy of Burgundy. It developed large siege cannons that could destroy medieval castles and city walls, and became a huge power in the late medieval period. Then, a new type of fortress was developed to withstand these cannons, turning warfare in Europe largely into a series of protracted sieges. This lasted for 300 years, and shifted the balance of power to wealthier states. It also contributed to the ascent of France and the Habsburg Empire. So gunpowder had a crucial effect on the European political order. The new order was relatively stable from, say 1500, to the unification of Germany in 1870. And that German—really Prussian—military prowess stemmed from the excellence of their Krupp weapons.
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What is the main purpose of the lecture? |
Gist-purpose. In his introduction, the professor indicates that the purpose of the lecture is to describe the effects that the introduction of gunpowder had on Europe. |
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| ✗ | A To discuss trade between Europe and China on the Silk Road |
Trade in general is not discussed in the lecture. The focus is on the introduction of gunpowder in Europe. |
| ✓ | B To describe the effects of gunpowder on European history |
Correct. At the beginning of the lecture, the professor says that, “today we’ll talk about another substance whose arrival in Europe changed European history—gunpowder.” |
| ✗ | C To describe the flaws of primitive guns |
This is a supporting detail, not the main purpose of the lecture. |
| ✗ | D To explore the effects of the Mongol invasion of Europe |
The Mongol invasion is only mentioned as a possible cause of the arrival of gunpowder in Europe. This is a supporting detail, not the main purpose of the lecture. |
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What does the professor imply about the strength of the first gunpowder made in Europe? |
Inference. The professor states that “European gunpowder was immediately suitable for military applications when its first use was recorded around 1330. That leads to the conclusion that the Europeans copied it during or after the invasion.” |
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| ✗ | A It was stronger in the Duchy of Burgundy than elsewhere. |
The professor talks about the strength of the Duchy of Burgundy and its cannons, but not about the quality of its gunpowder. |
| ✗ | B It was weaker than Chinese gunpowder. |
On the contrary—according to the professor, European gunpowder was immediately suitable for the military, implying that it was strong. |
| ✗ | C Its strength led to the success of the Mongol invasion of Europe. |
Nothing in the lecture suggests that the strength of European gunpowder would have aided the success of the Mongol invasion of Europe. |
| ✓ | D Its strength indicated that it was not invented in Europe. |
Correct. The professor stated that it took centuries for the Chinese to refine the mix. The implication is that Europeans must have borrowed that knowledge in some way to create such strong gunpowder immediately. |
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Why does the professor mention the nineteenth-century saying about Colonel Colt? |
Organization. The professor mentions the saying, “God may have created all men, but it was Colonel Colt who made them equal.” He does so in discussing early opposition to the use of guns. This opposition came from those who wished to preserve an unequal system that gave advantage to those who trained with older traditional weapons. |
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| ✓ | A To indicate that use of a gun offset the advantages of training with other weapons |
Correct. The professor mentions that “unlike the extensive training and practice required for swords and bows, one could easily master firing a gun.” |
| ✗ | B To suggest that the United States has long been a violent place |
The professor does not discuss the history of violence in the United States. |
| ✗ | C To illustrate the greater level of equality found in European nations |
This idea is not discussed in the lecture. |
| ✗ | D To assert that Colt’s weapons were superior to harquebuses |
While this is true, this is not why the professor mentions the saying. |
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According to the professor, what was a long-term effect of the introduction of gunpowder to Europe? |
Detail. The professor claims that it changed the balance of power, and the resulting arrangement continued for centuries. |
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| ✗ | A It tilted the balance of world power away from China. |
The balance of power between China and other parts of the world is not discussed in the lecture. |
| ✓ | B It advantaged wealthier European states that adopted gunpowder use. |
Correct. The professor says that gunpowder led to siege warfare, which gave wealthier nations an advantage for centuries. |
| ✗ | C It had a negative effect on international relations within Europe. |
The professor only addresses changes in the balance of power among European nations. She does not discuss international relations. |
| ✗ | D It led to popular revolutions and the decline of European nobility. |
This is not mentioned or suggested anywhere in the lecture. |
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According to the professor, why were Taoist monks interested in gunpowder? |
Detail. The professor describes the monks’ interest as non-military, in fact. |
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| ✓ | A It was a way to transform materials. |
Correct. The professor says, “The monks were investigating how to change one material into another as part of their search for eternal life. So the combustive quality of gunpowder attracted them.” |
| ✗ | B It gave them defensive military benefits. |
On the contrary, the professor states that the monks were not interested in the military applications of gunpowder. |
| ✗ | C They believed it warded off unhealthy spirits. |
This idea is not mentioned in the lecture. |
| ✗ | D It was a component of fireworks for ritual use. |
While this may be true, fireworks are not mentioned in the lecture. |
Narrator: Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.
Professor: But, even though you might associate gunpowder with Europe—or the United States for that matter—it was not invented there. Does anyone know where it was invented?
Male Student: Well… I heard that it was from Asia—China, I think.
Professor: Right. And do you know who invented it there?
Narrator: What can be inferred about the professor when she says this:
Professor: And do you know who invented it there?
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What can be inferred about the professor when she says this? |
Function of What Is Said. The professor is exploring the extent of the student’s knowledge about the history of gunpowder. |
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| ✗ | A She does not know the answer to her own question. |
The professor doesn’t indicate in any way that she does not know the answer to her question. |
| ✗ | B She is criticizing the student. |
The professor is asking the student a follow-up question. She does not intend any criticism. |
| ✓ | C She is exploring the extent of the student’s knowledge. |
Correct. The student answered the professor’s first question correctly. She is asking a follow-up question to see whether the student also knows the answer to that question. |
| ✗ | D She is suggesting that the student’s first answer was incorrect. |
The student answered the first question correctly. The professor is merely asking that student a follow-up question. |