Reading Comprehension 01 Answers

The technology of the North American colonies did not differ strikingly from that of Europe, but in one respect, the colonists enjoyed a great advantage.
(Teknologi koloni Amerika Utara tidak jauh berbeda dengan teknologi Eropa, tapi dalam satu hal, penjajah di Amerika memiliki keuntungan besar.)

Especially by comparison with Britain, Americans had a wonderfully plentiful supply of wood.
(Dibandingkan terutama dengan Inggris, Amerika memiliki persediaan kayu yang melimpah.)

The first colonists did not, as many people imagine, find an entire continent covered by a climax forest.
(Tidak seperti yang dibayangkan banyak orang, penjajah pertama tidak menemukan benua yang seluruhnya ditutupi hutan lebat.)

Even along the Atlantic seaboard, the forest was broken at many points.
(Bahkan di sepanjang pesisir Atlantik, hutan terpisah di banyak titik.)

Nevertheless, all sorts of fine trees abounded, and through the early colonial period, those who pushed westward encountered new forests.
(Meskipun demikian, segala macam pohon yang bagus banyak ditemukan, dan selama periode awal colonial, mereka yang menjelajah ke arah barat menemukan hutan-hutan baru.)

By the end of the colonial era, the price of wood had risen slightly in eastern cities, but wood was still extremely abundant.
(Di akhir era colonial, harga kayu telah sedikit meningkat di kota-kota timur, tapi kayu masih banyak tersedia.)

The availability of wood brought advantages that have seldom been appreciated.
(Ketersediaan kayu membawa banyak manfaat yang jarang diapresiasi.)

Wood was a foundation of the economy.
(Kayu adalah fondasi ekonomi.)

Houses and all manner of buildings were made of wood to a degree unknown in Britain.
(Rumah-rumah dan segala macam bangunan dibuat dari kayu dalam skala yang tidak pernah dijumpai di Inggris.)

Secondly, wood was used as a fuel for heating and cooking.
(Yang kedua, kayu digunakan sebagai bahan bakar untuk menghangatkan dan memasak.)

Thirdly, it was used as the source of important industrial compounds, such as potash, an industrial alkali; charcoal, a component of gunpowder; and tannic acid, used for tanning leather.
(Yang ketiga, kayu digunakan sebagai sumber penting senyawa industri, seperti garam abu, sebuah alkali industri; arang, komponen bubuk mesiu; dan asam tanat, digunakan untuk menyamak kulit.)

The supply of wood conferred advantages but had some negative aspects as well.
(Persediaan kayu memberikan keuntungan tapi juga memiliki beberapa aspek negative juga.)

Iron at that time was produced by heating iron ore with charcoal.
(Besi pada saat itu juga diproduksi dengan memanaskan bijih besi dengan menggunakan arang.)

Because Britain was so stripped of trees, she was unable to exploit her rich iron mines.
(Karena Inggris begitu kekurangaan pohon, ia tidak bisa mengeksploitasi tambang besinya yang kaya.)

But the American colonies had both iron ore and wood; iron production was encouraged and became successful.
(Tapi koloni-koloni Amerika memiliki bijih besi dan juga kayu; produksi besi didukung dan berhasil.)

However, when Britain developed coke smelting, the colonies did not follow suit because they had plenty of wood and besides, charcoal iron was stronger than coke iron.
(Akan tetapi, ketika Inggris mengembangkan peleburan kokas, koloni-koloni tidak mengikuti karena mereka memiliki banyak kayu dan di samping itu, besi arang lebih kuat dibandingkan besi kokas.)

(Peleburan kokas membawa inovasi teknologi dan dihubungkan dengan munculnya Revolusi Industri.)

In the early nineteenth century, the former colonies lagged behind Britain in industrial development because their supply of wood led them to cling to charcoal iron.
(Pada awal abad ke-sembilan belas, bekas koloni tertinggal di belakang Inggris dalam perkembangan industri karena persediaan kayu mereka mengakibatkan mereka bertahan dengan besi arang.)

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The advantages of using wood in the colonies
(B) The effects of an abundance of wood on the colonies
(C) The roots of the Industrial Revolution
(D) The difference between charcoal iron and coke iron

Jawaban yang paling tepat (B)
Bacaan membahas banyak persediaan kayu (abundance of wood) dan efek positif dan negatif dari melimpahnya kayu tersebut (the effects of that abundance).

2. The word “strikingly” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) realistically
(B) dramatically
(C) completely
(D) immediately

Jawaban yang paling tepat (B)
strikingly = dilakukan dengan tidak lazim / mudah diperhatikan dan menarik banyak perhatian
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/strikingly
dramatically = secara tiba-tiba / mudah dilihat
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/dramatically

3. Which of the following is a common assumption about the forests of North America during the colonial period?
(A) They contained only a few types of trees.
(B) They existed only along the Atlantic seaboard.
(C) They had little or no economic value.
(D) They covered the entire continent.

Jawaban yang paling tepat (D)
– Line (5) The first colonists did not, as many people imagine, find an entire continent covered by a climax forest.
– ‘as many people imagine’ menunjukkan asumsi umum saat itu

4. The use of the word “abounded” in line 8 indicates that the trees were
(A) present in large numbers
(B) restricted to certain areas
(C) cut down
(D) cultivated

Jawaban yang paling benar (A)
abound in something / abound with something
= phrasal verb
= memiliki banyak
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/abound-in-with-sth?q=abound+in%2Fwith+sth

5. According to the passage, by the end of the colonial period, the price of wood in eastern cities
(A) rose quickly because wood was becoming so scarce
(B) was much higher than it was in Britain
(C) was slightly higher than in previous years
(D) decreased rapidly because of lower demand for wood

Jawaban yang paling tepat (C)
Line (10) By the end of the colonial era, the price of wood had risen slightly in eastern cities, but wood was still extremely abundant.
the price of wood had risen slightly
= naik sedikit
= was slightly higher (sedikit lebih tinggi)

6. What can be inferred about houses in Britain during the period written about in the passage?
(A) They were more expensive than American houses.
(B) They were generally built with imported materials.
(C) They were typically smaller than homes in North America.
(D) They were usually built from materials other than wood.

Jawaban yang paling tepat (D)
Line (14) Houses and all manner of buildings were made of wood to a degree unknown in Britain
Rumah dan segala macam bangunan dibuat dari kayu yang tidak pernah diketahui / dijumpai di Inggris.
Ini menunjukkan bahwa rumah-rumah di Inggris lazimnya tidak menggunakan bahan kayu.

7. Why does the author mention gunpowder in line 19?
(A) To illustrate the negative aspects of some industrial processes
(B) To give an example of a product made with wood
(C) To remind readers that the Colonial era ended in warfare
(D) To suggest that wood was not the only important product of the Colonies

Jawaban yang paling tepat (B)
Gunpowder di line (19) adalah bagian dari kalimat yang bermula di line (17):
Thirdly, it was used as the source of important industrial compounds, such as potash, an industrial alkali; charcoal, a component of gunpowder; and tannic acid, used for tanning leather.
Kalimat ini menjelaskan penggunaan ketiga dari kayu yaitu sebagai sumber senyawa industri (industrial compounds), dan salah satu contohnya adalah bubuk mesiu (gunpowder)

8. The word “conferred” in line 21 is closest in meaning to
(A) consulted
(B) gathered
(C) provided
(D) restricted

confer
= memberikan
= provide
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/conferhttps://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/provide

9. The phrase “follow suit” in line 27 means
(A) do the same thing
(B) make an attempt
(C) have the opportunity
(D) take a risk

Jawaban yang paling tepat (A)
follow suit
= mengikuti yang dilakukan orang lain
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/follow?q=follow+suit

10. According to the passage, why was the use of coke smelting advantageous?
(A) It led to advances in technology.
(B) It was less expensive than wood smelting.
(C) It produced a stronger type of iron than wood smelting.
(D) It stimulated the demand for wood.

Jawaban yang paling tepat (A)
Line (29) Coke smelting led to technological innovations and was linked to the emergence of the Industrial Revolution.
Kalimat ini menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan peleburan batu bara (coke smelting) memicu inovasi teknologi dan dikaitkan dengan munculnya Revolusi Industri.

11. The phrase “cling to” in line 33 is closest in meaning to
(A) try to develop
(B) avoid
(C) continue to use
(D) reconsider

Jawaban yang tepat adalah (C)
cling to
= tetap berpegang / tidak mau melepaskan sesuatu
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cling
Secara metaforis diartikan ‘tetap menggunakan sesuatu’

12. Where in the passage does the author begin to discuss in detail the disadvantages that an abundant supply of wood brought to the colonies?
(A) Lines 1-3
(B) Lines 5-7
(C) Lines 13-14
(D) Lines 21-22

Jawaban yang paling benar (D)
Line (21) The supply of wood conferred advantages but had some negative aspects as well.
Kalimat ini menunjukkan bahwa persediaan kayu memberikan keuntungan dan juga negatif aspek.