[ 토플 ] 📘 TOEFL Reading 심화 Day 10

📘 TOEFL Reading 심화 Day 10

주제: The Invention of the Printing Press and Its Global Consequences (인쇄술의 발명과 세계적 영향)

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1) Vocabulary (고난도 단어 10개 – 글 형식)

dissemination (noun): 보급, 확산
예: The printing press accelerated the dissemination of knowledge.

vernacular (noun/adj.): (특정 지역의) 일상 언어, 자국어
예: Printing in the vernacular allowed ordinary people to access literature.

standardize (verb): 표준화하다
예: Printing helped to standardize spelling and grammar across Europe.

proliferation (noun): 급증, 확산
예: The proliferation of printed books transformed education.

intellectual (adj./noun): 지적인, 학자
예: Intellectual movements like the Renaissance were fueled by books.

monopoly (noun): 독점
예: The Catholic Church lost its monopoly on religious texts.

accessible (adj.): 접근 가능한
예: Knowledge became more accessible to the general public.

radical (adj.): 급진적인, 혁명적인
예: The Reformation represented a radical challenge to existing authority.

censorship (noun): 검열
예: Authorities attempted censorship to control the spread of ideas.

precedent (noun): 선례, 전례
예: The printing press set a precedent for later communication revolutions.

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2) Reading Passage (~870 words)

The Invention of the Printing Press and Its Global Consequences

The invention of the movable-type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century stands as one of the most transformative technological milestones in human history. Before its emergence, texts were reproduced by hand, an arduous and costly process that limited the availability of written material. Knowledge circulated primarily among elites—monasteries, courts, and universities—while the vast majority of the population remained illiterate and uninformed. Printing fundamentally altered this balance, ushering in a new era in which information could be reproduced quickly, cheaply, and in unprecedented quantities.

One of the earliest and most profound effects of printing was the dissemination of religious texts. Gutenberg’s Bible symbolized not only a technological triumph but also a cultural turning point. For centuries, the Catholic Church maintained a virtual monopoly over scripture, which was copied in Latin and mediated by clergy. With the printing press, Bibles and other devotional works could be produced in the vernacular, making them accessible to lay audiences. This development undermined clerical authority and set the stage for the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible into German and the rapid circulation of his pamphlets exemplified how printing could empower religious reformers and radicalize religious debates.

Beyond religion, printing fueled intellectual and cultural movements. Renaissance humanists benefited from the proliferation of classical texts, many of which had been preserved in manuscript form but were now widely available in print. Scholars across Europe could engage with the same sources, enabling cross-regional dialogue and collaboration. The spread of scientific works, such as Copernicus’s On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres and Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, fostered debates that challenged entrenched cosmologies and encouraged empirical observation. Thus, printing not only preserved knowledge but also catalyzed intellectual revolutions.

The printing press also reshaped language and education. As publishers produced works in the vernacular, local languages gained prestige relative to Latin, the lingua franca of scholarship. Printing helped standardize grammar and spelling, contributing to the formation of national identities. Simultaneously, the availability of textbooks enabled the expansion of schools and universities. Literacy rates climbed steadily as books became more affordable and accessible, creating broader reading publics.

The political consequences of printing were equally significant. Printed pamphlets and broadsheets became vehicles for propaganda, mobilizing public opinion in ways previously unimaginable. Leaders could address subjects directly, while opposition groups could challenge authority more effectively. Although rulers and religious authorities often attempted censorship, the sheer proliferation of printed material made such efforts only partially successful. The print medium created a more participatory political culture, one in which ideas—both loyalist and subversive—could travel swiftly across borders.

The influence of printing extended beyond Europe. In East Asia, where woodblock printing had been practiced for centuries, movable type introduced new efficiencies. The Ottoman Empire, initially resistant to printing for religious reasons, eventually adopted it in the eighteenth century. In the Americas, the arrival of the printing press facilitated colonial administration but also nurtured a literary culture that later supported independence movements. Thus, while Gutenberg’s invention began in Europe, its global diffusion reshaped societies worldwide.

Historians often compare the printing revolution to modern communication technologies, such as radio, television, and the internet. Like these later innovations, the printing press expanded access to information, disrupted established hierarchies, and redefined cultural, political, and intellectual life. Its precedent highlights the transformative power of media in shaping human history.

In sum, the invention of the printing press was not merely a mechanical innovation. It reconfigured religion, scholarship, language, education, politics, and global exchange. By making knowledge more accessible and communication more rapid, it helped propel the modern world into existence. The printed word proved to be one of the most powerful instruments of change humanity has ever known.

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3) ETS-Style Questions (12문항)
1. According to paragraph 1, why was printing transformative?
A. It preserved manuscripts by hand.
B. It made texts cheaper and more widely available.
C. It eliminated illiteracy entirely.
D. It restricted access to elites.
2. The word dissemination in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to:
A. Spread
B. Restriction
C. Origin
D. Elimination
3. According to paragraph 2, how did printing affect the Catholic Church?
A. It reinforced the Church’s monopoly over scripture.
B. It limited vernacular translations of the Bible.
C. It undermined clerical authority by making texts accessible.
D. It discouraged lay audiences from reading scripture.
4. The word vernacular in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to:
A. Local language
B. Scholarly Latin
C. Technical jargon
D. Religious ritual
5. According to paragraph 3, why did printing benefit Renaissance humanists?
A. They gained financial support from the Church.
B. They could access classical texts more easily.
C. They abandoned written culture.
D. They translated works into Latin.
6. The word proliferation in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:
A. Scarcity
B. Destruction
C. Rapid increase
D. Limitation
7. According to paragraph 4, what was one linguistic effect of printing?
A. It diminished the importance of national languages.
B. It standardized grammar and spelling.
C. It preserved Latin as the universal language.
D. It eliminated dialect diversity.
8. The word accessible in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:
A. Available
B. Expensive
C. Religious
D. Complex
9. According to paragraph 5, what role did pamphlets and broadsheets play?
A. They were primarily used for religious ceremonies.
B. They functioned as tools for propaganda and political debate.
C. They restricted opposition voices.
D. They standardized spelling and grammar.
10. The word censorship in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to:
A. Control of information
B. Distribution of books
C. Political freedom
D. Translation
11. According to paragraph 6, what was a global impact of printing?
A. It was only influential in Europe.
B. It spread to Asia and the Americas, influencing politics and culture.
C. It immediately replaced all prior technologies.
D. It prevented colonial independence movements.
12. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A. The printing press had limited influence compared to modern media.
B. The printing press transformed religion, culture, politics, and global exchange.
C. The printing press reinforced existing hierarchies.
D. The printing press remained confined to Europe.

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4) Passage Translation (한국어 번역)

인쇄술의 발명과 세계적 영향

15세기 중엽 요하네스 구텐베르크가 발명한 금속활자 인쇄술은 인류 역사상 가장 변혁적인 기술적 이정표 중 하나였다. 그 이전에는 필사로 책을 복제했는데, 이는 고되고 값비싼 과정이어서 지식의 접근은 소수 엘리트에 국한되었다. 인쇄술은 이 균형을 바꾸어, 빠르고 저렴하며 대량으로 정보를 재생산할 수 있게 했다.

가장 초기이자 중요한 효과 중 하나는 종교 서적의 보급(dissemination)이었다. 구텐베르크 성경은 기술적 승리이자 문화적 전환점이었다. 수 세기 동안 가톨릭 교회는 성경을 라틴어로 필사하며 사실상 독점(monopoly)했지만, 인쇄술은 자국어(vernacular) 성경을 대량 생산해 일반인도 접근(accessible)할 수 있게 했다. 이는 성직자의 권위를 약화시키며 종교개혁의 기반을 마련했다. 루터의 독일어 성경 번역과 팸플릿 확산은 인쇄술이 어떻게 종교 개혁자에게 힘을 실어주었는지 보여준다.

종교를 넘어 인쇄술은 지적(intellectual)·문화적 운동을 촉진했다. 르네상스 인문학자들은 고전 문헌의 급증(proliferation) 덕분에 학문을 발전시켰다. 유럽 학자들은 동일한 자료를 공유하며 대륙 차원의 토론을 이어갔다. 코페르니쿠스와 갈릴레오의 과학 저작 확산은 기존 세계관을 도전하고 경험적 관찰을 장려했다.

언어와 교육도 변화했다. 자국어 출판이 늘면서 라틴어의 지위는 약화되고, 맞춤법과 문법이 표준화(standardize)되었다. 교재의 보급은 학교·대학의 확장을 이끌었으며, 문해율은 상승했다.

정치적 결과도 컸다. 팸플릿과 전단은 선전(propaganda) 수단으로 쓰이며 대중 여론을 동원했다. 통치자와 반대 세력 모두 이를 활용했으며, 검열(censorship) 시도는 대량 생산 앞에 부분적으로만 성공했다. 인쇄 매체는 더 참여적인 정치 문화를 낳았다.

인쇄술의 영향은 유럽을 넘어 확산되었다. 동아시아의 목판 인쇄는 이미 존재했으나, 금속활자가 효율성을 더했다. 오스만 제국은 종교적 이유로 늦게 도입했으나 결국 채택했고, 아메리카 식민지에서도 행정과 문화 발전에 기여하며 독립운동을 뒷받침했다.

역사가들은 인쇄 혁명을 라디오·TV·인터넷 같은 현대 통신 기술과 비교한다. 공통점은 정보 접근 확대, 기존 질서의 교란, 문화·정치·지적 삶의 재편이었다.

결국 인쇄술은 단순한 기계적 혁신이 아니었다. 종교, 학문, 언어, 교육, 정치, 교류를 재편하며 근대 세계의 탄생을 이끌었다. 인쇄된 글자는 인류 역사에서 가장 강력한 변화의 도구 중 하나였다.

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5) 문제 해석 + 정답 + 모든 보기 해석

Q1

문제: 1단락에 따르면, 인쇄술이 변혁적이었던 이유는?
• A. 필사를 보존했기 때문에
• B. 텍스트를 저렴하고 널리 보급했기 때문에 ✅
• C. 문맹을 완전히 제거했기 때문에
• D. 지식을 엘리트에 제한했기 때문에

Q2

dissemination 의미
• A. 확산, 보급 ✅
• B. 제한
• C. 기원
• D. 제거

Q3

2단락에 따르면, 인쇄술은 가톨릭 교회에 어떤 영향을 주었는가?
• A. 성경 독점을 강화했다.
• B. 자국어 번역을 제한했다.
• C. 성직 권위를 약화시키며 일반인에게 접근을 허용했다. ✅
• D. 일반인 성경 읽기를 억제했다.

Q4

vernacular 의미
• A. 자국어, 일상 언어 ✅
• B. 학문적 라틴어
• C. 전문 용어
• D. 종교 의식

Q5

3단락에 따르면, 인쇄술이 르네상스 인문학자에게 이익이 된 이유는?
• A. 교회의 재정 지원을 받았기 때문에
• B. 고전 문헌에 더 쉽게 접근할 수 있었기 때문에 ✅
• C. 문자 문화를 포기했기 때문에
• D. 저작을 라틴어로 번역했기 때문에

Q6

proliferation 의미
• A. 부족
• B. 파괴
• C. 급증 ✅
• D. 제한

Q7

4단락에 따르면, 인쇄술의 언어적 효과는?
• A. 국어의 중요성을 줄였다.
• B. 문법과 맞춤법을 표준화했다. ✅
• C. 라틴어를 보존했다.
• D. 방언 다양성을 제거했다.

Q8

accessible 의미
• A. 접근 가능한, 이용 가능한 ✅
• B. 비싼
• C. 종교적인
• D. 복잡한

Q9

5단락에 따르면, 팸플릿과 전단은 어떤 역할을 했는가?
• A. 종교 의식에만 사용되었다.
• B. 선전과 정치적 논쟁의 도구였다. ✅
• C. 반대파를 억압했다.
• D. 맞춤법·문법을 표준화했다.

Q10

censorship 의미
• A. 정보 통제 ✅
• B. 책 배포
• C. 정치적 자유
• D. 번역

Q11

6단락에 따르면, 인쇄술의 세계적 영향은?
• A. 유럽에만 국한되었다.
• B. 아시아와 아메리카로 확산되어 정치와 문화에 영향 ✅
• C. 즉시 모든 기존 기술을 대체했다.
• D. 식민지 독립운동을 막았다.

Q12

글의 주제문은?
• A. 인쇄술은 현대 매체보다 영향이 작았다.
• B. 인쇄술은 종교·문화·정치·교류를 변혁했다. ✅
• C. 인쇄술은 기존 위계를 강화했다.
• D. 인쇄술은 유럽에만 머물렀다.

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