The Roman Army's Impact on Britain
In the wake of the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., a large number of troops stayed in the new province, and these troops had a considerable impact on Britain with their camps, fortifications, and participation in the local economy. Assessing the impact of the army on the civilian population starts from the realization that the soldiers were always unevenly distributed across the country. Areas rapidly incorporated into the empire were not long affected by the military. Where the army remained stationed, its presence was much more influential. The imposition of a military base involved the requisition of native lands for both the fort and the territory needed to feed and exercise the soldiers' animals. The imposition of military rule also robbed local leaders of opportunities to participate in local government, so social development was stunted and the seeds of disaffection sown. This then meant that the military had to remain to suppress rebellion and organize government.
Economic exchange was clearly very important as the Roman army brought with it very substantial spending power. Locally a fort had two kinds of impact. Its large population needed food and other supplies. Some of these were certainly brought from long distances, but demands were inevitably placed on the local area. Although goods could be requisitioned, they were usually paid for, and this probably stimulated changes in the local economy. When not campaigning, soldiers needed to be occupied; otherwise they represented a potentially dangerous source of friction and disloyalty. Hence a writing tablet dated 25 April tells of 343 men at one fort engaged on tasks like shoemaking, building a bathhouse, operating kilns, digging clay, and working lead. Such activities had a major effect on the local area, in particular with the construction of infrastructure such as roads, which improved access to remote areas.
Each soldier received his pay, but in regions without a developed economy there was initially little on which it could be spent. The pool of excess cash rapidly stimulated a thriving economy outside fort gates. Some of the demand for the services and goods was no doubt fulfilled by people drawn from far afield, but some local people certainly became entwined in this new economy. There was informal marriage with soldiers, who until AD 197 were not legally entitled to wed, and whole new communities grew up near the forts. These settlements acted like small towns, becoming centers for the artisan and trading populations.
The army also provided a mean of personal advancement for auxiliary soldiers recruited from the native peoples, as a man obtained hereditary Roman citizenship on retirement after service in an auxiliary regiment. Such units recruited on an ad hoc (as needed) basis from the area in which they were stationed, and there was evidently large-scale recruitment within Britain. The total numbers were at least 12,500 men up to the reign of the emperor Hadrian (A.D. 117-138), with a peak around A.D. 80. Although a small proportion of the total population, this perhaps had a massive local impact when a large proportion of the young men were removed from an area. Newly raised regiments were normally transferred to another province from whence it was unlikely that individual recruits would ever return. Most units raised in Britain went elsewhere on the European continent, although one is recorded in Morocco. The reverse process brought young men to Britain, where many continued to live after their 20 to 25 years of service, and this added to the cosmopolitan Roman character of the frontier population. By the later Roman period, frontier garrisons (groups of soldiers) were only rarely transferred, service in units became effectively hereditary, and forts were no longer populated or maintained at full strength.
This process of settling in as a community over several generations, combined with local recruitment, presumably accounts for the apparent stability of the British northern frontier in the later Roman period. It also explains why some of the forts continued in occupation long after Rome ceased to have any formal authority in Britain, at the beginning of the fifth century A.D. The circumstances that had allowed natives to become Romanized also led the self-sustaining military community of the frontier area to become effectively British.
Paragraph 1: In the wake of the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the firstcentury A.D., a large number of troops stayed in the new province, and thesetroops had a considerable impact on Britain with their camps, fortifications,and participation in the local economy. Assessing the impact of the army on the civilian population starts from the realization that the soldiers were always unevenly distributed across the country. Areas rapidly incorporated into the empire were not long affected by the military. Where the army remained stationed, its presence was much more influential. The imposition of a military base involved the requisition of native lands for both the fort and the territory needed to feed and exercise the soldiers' animals. The imposition of military rule also robbed local leaders of opportunities to participate in local government, so social development was stunted and the seeds of disaffection sown. This then meant that the military had to remain to suppressrebellion and organize government.
1.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
O Many Roman soldiers remained in Britain after conquering it, and their presence had a strong influence.
O The new Roman province of Britain seemed to awaken in the first century A.D. as the local economy improved.
O Camps, fortifications, and economic change contributed to the Roman conquest of Britain.
O With the conquest of Britain by Roman troops, the Roman Empire gained considerable economic strength.
2.According to paragraph 1, the Roman army had the most influence on those areas of Britain that were
O conquered first
O near population centers
O used as military bases
O rapidly incorporated into the empire
3.According to paragraph 1, what effect did military occupation have on the local population?
O It encouraged more even distribution of the population and the settlement of previously undeveloped territory.
O It created discontent and made continuing military occupation necessary.
O It required local labor to construct forts and feed and exercise the soldiers' animals.
O It provided local leaders with opportunities to participate in governance.
4.The word "suppress" in the passage is closest in meaning to
O respond to
O warn against
O avoid the impact of
O stop by force
Paragraph 2: Economic exchange was clearly very important as the Roman army brought with it very substantial spending power. Locally a fort had two kinds of impact. Its large population needed food and other supplies. Some of these were certainly brought from long distances, but demands were inevitably placed on the local area. Although goods could be requisitioned, they were usually paid for, and this probably stimulated changes in the local economy. When not campaigning, soldiers needed to be occupied; otherwise they represented a potentially dangerous source of friction and disloyalty. Hence a writing tablet dated 25 April tells of 343 men at one fort engaged on tasks like shoemaking, building abathhouse, operating kilns, digging clay, and working lead. Such activities had a major effect on the local area, in particular with the construction of infrastructure such as roads, which improved access to remote areas.
5. The word "friction" in the passage is closest in meaning to
O rebellion
O conflict
O neglect
O crime
6.The author mentions "343 men at one fort engaged on tasks like shoemaking, building abathhouse, operating kilns, digging clay, and working lead" in order to
O describe the kinds of tasks soldiers were required to perform as punishment for disloyalty or misdeeds
O illustrate some of the duties assigned to soldiers to keep them busy and well-behaved when not involved in military campaigns
O provide evidence that Roman soldiers had a negative effect on the local area by performing jobs that had been performed by native workers
O argue that the soldiers would have been better employed in the construction of infrastructure such as roads
Paragraph 3: Each soldier received his pay, but in regions without a developed economy there was initially little on which it could be spent. The pool of excess cash rapidly stimulated a thriving economy outside fort gates. Some of the demand for the services and goods was no doubt fulfilled by people drawn from far afield, but some local people certainly became entwined in this new economy. There was informal marriage with soldiers, who until AD 197 were not legallyentitled to wed, and whole new communities grew up near the forts. These settlements acted like small towns, becoming centers for the artisan and trading populations.
7.The phrase "entitled to" in the passage is closest in meaning to
O given the right to
O able to afford to
O encouraged to
O required to
8.According to paragraph 3, how did the soldiers meet their needs for goods and services?
O Their needs were met by the army, and all of their economic transactions took place within the fort.
O Most of their needs were met by traveling tradespeople who visit the forts.
O During their days off, soldiers traveled to distant towns to make purchases.
O They bought what they needed from the artisans and traders in nearby towns.
Paragraph 4: The army also provided a means of personal advancement for auxiliary soldiers recruited from the native peoples, as a man obtained hereditary Roman citizenship on retirement after service in an auxiliary regiment. Such units recruited on an ad hoc (as needed) basis from the area in which they were stationed, and there was evidently large-scale recruitment within Britain. The total numbers were at least 12,500 men up to the reign of the emperor Hadrian (A.D. 117-138), with a peak around A.D. 80. Although a small proportion of the total population, this perhaps had a massive local impact when a large proportion of the young men were removed from an area. Newly raised regiments were normally transferred to another province from whence it was unlikely that individual recruits would ever return. Most units raised in Britain went elsewhere on the European continent, although one is recorded in Morocco. The reverse process brought young men to Britain, where many continued to live after their 20 to 25 years of service, and this added to the cosmopolitan Roman character of the frontier population. By the later Roman period, frontier garrisons (groups of soldiers) were only rarely transferred, service in units became effectively hereditary, and forts were no longer populated or maintained at full strength.
9.According to paragraph 4, which of the following is true of Britain's auxiliary regiments of the Roman army?
O Membership in these regiments reached its highest point during the region of the emperor Hadrian.
O Most of the units recruited in Britain were sent to Morocco and other stations outside Europe.
O Soldiers served in the regiments for many years and after retirement generally stayed where they had been stationed.
O Most of the regiments stationed on the frontier were new units transferred from a neighboring province.
10.According to paragraph 4, all of the following changes could be seen in the frontier garrisons by the later Roman period EXCEPT:
O Membership in the units passed from father to son.
O Fewer soldiers were stationed at the forts.
O Soldiers usually were not transferred to different locations.
O Frontier units became more effective and proficient.
Paragraph 5: This process of settling in as a community over several generations, combined with local recruitment, presumably accounts for the apparent stability of the British northern frontier in the later Roman period. It also explains why some of the forts continued in occupation long after Rome ceased to haveany formal authority in Britain, at the beginning of the fifth century A.D. The circumstances that had allowed natives to become Romanized also led the self-sustaining military community of the frontier area to become effectively British.
11.Why does the author mention that "some of the forts continued in occupation long after Rome ceased to haveany formal authority in Britain" ?
O To emphasize the degree to which the stability of the British northern frontier depended on firm military control
O To suggest that the Romans continued to occupy Britain even after they had formally given up the right to do so
O To support the claim that forts continued to serve an import economic function even after they ceased to be of any military use
O To describe one of the things that resulted from frontier garrisons' becoming part of the local community over a long period
12.The word "circumstances" in the passage is closest in meaning to
O experiences
O communities
O conditions
O laws
Paragraph 2: Economic exchange was clearly very important as the Roman army brought with it very substantial spending power. Locally a fort had two kinds of impact. Its large population needed food and other supplies. ■ Some of these were certainly brought from long distances, but demands were inevitably placed on the local area. ■ Although goods could be requisitioned, they were usually paid for, and this probably stimulated changes in the local economy. ■ When not campaigning, soldiers needed to be occupied; otherwise they represented a potentially dangerous source of friction and disloyalty. ■ Hence a writing tablet dated 25 April tells of 343 men at one fort engaged on tasks like shoemaking, building a bathhouse, operating kilns, digging clay, and working lead. Such activities had a major effect on the local area, in particular with the construction of infrastructure such as roads, which improved access to remote areas.
13.Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
One solution was to keep them busy as sources of labor.
Where would the sentence best fit?
14.Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentence do not belong to the summary because they express ideas that are no presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
The Roman army's occupation of Britain influenced and changed the local population.
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●
●
Answer Choices
O Although the presence of the army in certain areas caused resentment among the local population, it provided important services such as building infrastructure.
O By recruiting unemployed young men for its auxiliary units, the army made it possible for them to stay in their home towns and provide financial support for their families.
O Large quantities of cash from soldiers' pay stimulated development, but also drove up prices, making it hard for local residents to afford goods and services.
O Though the army appropriated land and some goods, it also paid for many supplies, stimulating local economic growth.
O The forts contributed to the quality of local crafts by bringing in artisans from distant places who brought with them new skills and techniques.
O Roman soldiers started families with local inhabitants, and over the generations, the military community became a stable part of British society.
参考答案：
1. 1
2. 3
3. 2
4. 4
5. 2
6. 2
7. 1
8. 4(2和4选项都不合适)
9. 3
10. 4
11. 4
12. 3
13. 4th square
14. Although the presence...
Though the army...
Roman soldiers started...
参考翻译：罗马军队对不列颠的影响
在公元1世纪罗马帝国成功征服不列颠之后，有大量军队驻守在这片新省区，这些军队的军营和城防以及他们参与当地经济都对英国产生了重要的影响。 评估军队对人口数量的影响要从士兵在国家内不均匀的分布开始讲起。那些很快就并入帝国的地区并未长期受到军队的影响。而那些保留军队的地区，军队的影响更大。建立军事基地需要征用当地的土地建造要塞，喂养并训练士兵的动物。实行军事统治也强行剥夺了本地领导参与政府事务的机会，因而社会的发展受到了阻碍，由此播下了不满的种子。这就意味着军队不得不维持对反叛的高压政策以及承担组织政府的责任。
因为罗马军队有着强大的消费潜力，经济交流就显得非常重要。在当地，一个军事基地有两种影响，一方面大量的人口需要食物和其他供给。有些食物和供给确实是从远方带来的，但是需求不可避免地由本地承担。尽管这些商品可以强征，但是军队会给予报酬，这些都会刺激当地经济的发展。另一方面当没有战争时，士兵们需要有事可做，否则他们就会成为摩擦和叛变的潜在根源。因此4月25日的一块写字板说一个基地内343名士兵干着诸如做鞋，造浴室，操作炉子，挖泥土和铸铅之类的工作。这样的活动对当地有着显著的影响，特别是基础设施(如道路)的建设使得偏远地区的交通很便利。。
每一个士兵都会有报酬，但是在那些经济欠发达地区花不了那么多的钱。所以这些多余的钱迅速刺激了基地外的经济。一些服务和商品的需求毫无疑问是由外地的人来完成的，但是本地人当然也会卷入到这个新的经济体系中。士兵中出现了非正式婚姻，这种婚姻直到公元197年才得到了法律的承认，从而在这些军事基地周围发展出一些全新的社会群体。这些定居地就像城镇一样，成为了工匠和生意人的聚集地。
军队还为当地征召的后备兵提供了个人升迁途径，一个人从后备队退役之后就可以成为世袭罗马公民。这样的人就是从这些驻地中特别招募而来，并且不列颠的招募规模特别的大。在哈德良皇帝(A.D. 117-138)统治时期总人数至少是12 500人，在公元80年时达到顶峰。尽管这只占总人口的一小部分，但当有大量年轻人离开一个地方时，这可能对当地有非常大的影响。新建立起来的军团通常会被转移到一个不可能回到原籍的省区。大多数不列颠的军团都去了欧洲大陆别的地方，尽管记载下来的只有摩洛哥一个地方。逆过程把年轻人带回英国，在英国很多士兵持续服务20到25年，这样又给驻守边境的人增添了四海为家的罗马情怀。在后罗马时期，前线卫戍部队很少调动，军团中的服务得到了有效的延续，而军事基地也没有人居住或者全力去维持。
这种像群落一样的定居过程持续了好几代，再结合当地的士兵招募大概就是罗马帝国后期英国北部边境比较稳定的原因。这也解释了为什么五世纪初时这些军事基地在罗马已经不再统治英国之后依然存在。这种情况使得本地人罗马化的同时也使得在边境自给自足的军事组织英国化了。
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