The Rise of Florence

The Rise of FlorenceIn the Central Middle Ages, starting around 1000 A.D., a number of northernItalian cities, including Venice and Genoa, rode a wave of economic andpopulation growth that saw them become among the most prosperous andpowerful cities in Europe. Florence, though a late starter because of itsisolation from the sea and the trade opportunities it offered, caught up with andovertook its rivals by engaging in manufacture and commerce, as well astrade. How did it manage to climb to its powerful position by the end of theMiddle Ages (ca. 1400 A.D.)?The word “rivals” in the passage is closest in meaning toA.criticsB.competitorsC.neighborsD.superiorsWhat can be inferred from paragraph 1 about Venice and Genoa during theCentral Middle Ages?A.Theyweremoreinvolvedincommercethantheywereinmanufacturing.B.They were dependent upon trade with Florence.C.They benefited from being close to ocean trade routes.D.They had strong economic ties to other European cities.According to paragraph 1, what was true of Florence by 1400 A.D.?A.Its economy was still developing at a slower pace than the economiesof Venice and Genoa.B.It was less prosperous and powerful than most European cities.C.Its economy emphasized manufacturing over trade.D.It had become the most prosperous and powerful city in northernItaly.All the cities of Europe were becoming manufacturing centers, but Florence didit better than most. The industry was textiles, or cloth production. [▇]Duringmost of the Middle Ages, textile production tasks such as spinning, weaving,and dyeing were carried out in small workshops that combined together in acomplex collective organization. [ ▇ ] Master craftsmen controlled themanufacturing, while the buying and selling was carried on by merchants.[▇]This medieval system was transformed in two ways, and Florence took thedecisive lead in both. [▇]Firstly, the master craftsmen and merchants werereplaced by a new breed of entrepreneur who controlled both the trading andmanufacture of textiles. From the thirteenth century Florence merchantentrepreneurs set up offices in cities all over Europe from Edinburgh toConstantinople – the archive of the Datini family shows letters from customersand suppliers from 200 different European towns – while they also bought upworkshops in Florence and employed managers to run them.According to paragraph 2, all of the following are true of the textile industryduring most of the Middle Ages EXCEPT:A.Textiles were produced in small workshops.B.Textile trading and manufacturing were separately controlled.C.Textile products were transported to markets by master craftsmen.D.Some textile workshops were joined in collective organizations.Look at the four squares[▇]that indicate where the following sentence couldbe added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?By the end of the Middle Ages, however, the manufacture...