Question

Review the passage below and answer the following questions based on the passage.

Although European decisions during the 16th and 17th centuries to explore, trade with, and colonize large portions of the world brought tremendous economic wealth and vast geographic influence, the enormous success of European maritime ventures during the age of exploration also engendered a litany of unintended consequences for most of the nations with which Europe interacted. Due to their incredible military force, religious zeal, and uncompromising goal of profit, Europeans often imposed their traditions, values, and customs on the people with whom they traded. They frequently acted without regard to the long-term welfare of others as their principal concern was short-term economic gain. Since many nations that traded with Europe placed high value on their historical customs, some natives became deeply disconcerted by the changes that occurred as a result of European power. These factors, coupled with perennial domestic political instability, caused numerous countries to grow increasingly resistant to European influence.

One potent example of this ideological shift can be seen in the actions of the Tokugawa government of Japan. In its Seclusion Edict of 1636, the government attempted to extricate cultural interactions with Europe from the intimate fabric of Japanese society. The Edict attempted to accomplish this by focusing on three areas. First, it sought to curb cultural exchange by eliminating people bringing European ideas into Japan. The Edict stated, "Japanese ships shall by no means be sent abroad….All Japanese residing abroad shall be put to death when they return home." Second, the Edict focused on limiting trade. Articles 11 through 17 of the Edict imposed stringent regulations on trade and commerce. Third, the government banned Christianity, which it saw as an import from Europe that challenged the long-established and well-enshrined religious traditions of Japan. The government went to considerable lengths to protect its culture. Article eight of the Edict stated, "Even ships shall not be left untouched in the matter of exterminating Christians."

With the example of Japan and the examples of other countries that chose a different response to European influence, it is perhaps not too far of a stretch to conclude that Japan made the right decision in pursuing a path of relative isolationism. As history unfolded during the next 400 years, in general, countries that embraced European hegemony, whether by choice or by force, tended to suffer from pernicious wealth inequality, perennial political instability, and protracted underdevelopment.
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16
Based on the passage, we can infer that in 1636, the Japanese government:


Anticipated the economic threats associated with European trade and imperialism


Disagreed with the European philosophy that trade brought wealth


Believed that ideas realized via foreign interactions provided no positive impact to Japanese society


Feared all foreign religions


Viewed all its citizens living abroad as potential threats

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17
Which of the following statements would the author of this passage most strongly agree with?


With the hindsight of history, Japan likely made the appropriate decision in extricating itself from European influence


Japanese rulers who responded with ferocity to European influence bear part of the responsibility for the caustic European-Japanese relationship that ensued


The width and breadth of Japan's cultural fabric suffered from its seclusionist policies


European decisions made during the 16th and 17th centuries in dealing with Japan represent an aberration from the typical pattern of European decisions


European religious and cultural values conflicted with European economic behavior toward Japan

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18
According to the passage, the Japanese government took all of the following actions in an attempt to protect Japanese culture and way of life EXCEPT:


Ban Japanese citizens from traveling to other countries, even to see family


Heavily regulate foreign economic trade


Destroy all remnants of Christianity


Prohibit criticism of the feudal shogun system of government


Execute Japanese citizens who settled in other countries but later decided to return to Japan

Answer 1

Answer:

The Kingdom of Spain was created in 1492 with the unification of the Kingdom of Castile and the Kingdom of Aragon. For the next three centuries, Spain was the most important colonial power in the world. It was the most powerful state in Europe and the foremost global power during the 16th century and the greater part of the 17th century. Spain established a vast empire in the Americas, stretching from California to Patagonia, and colonies in the western Pacific.

Spain’s European wars, however, led to economic damage, and the latter part of the 17th century saw a gradual decline of power under an increasingly neglectful and inept Habsburg regime. The decline culminated in the War of the Spanish Succession, where Spain’s decline from the position of a leading Western power to that of a secondary one, was confirmed, although it remained the leading colonial power.