Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Money

The ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to reach agreement over the relative value of different things tends to be time-consuming and vexing, and so societies tended to converge towards a common medium of exchange. Pacific islanders used shells; Aztecs used cacao beans, the main ingredient of chocolate. Livestock was common among herding cultures; slaves were sometimes used, too, but they were much harder to control than cattle and so not as popular; and many cultures used salt, including the Romans for a time- hence, the modern term "salary". Incidentally, after World War II cigarettes were used as a medium of exchange in many countries then in very poor condition, and it is said that in Italy “penny candy” was commonly used as “small change” even into the 1970s.

The medium that gradually gained widespread acceptance was precious metals such as gold and silver. Coins are said to have been invented by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor, sometime after 640 BC. They used stamped ingots of "electrum", a naturally occurring amalgam of silver and gold. The scheme was refined by King Croesus, ruler of Lydia from 560 to 546 BCE, who introduced coins of true gold. He is still identified with wealth in the expression "rich as Croesus". The introduction of coinage was a great boon for traders, simplifying transactions and allowing them to be conducted more smoothly over long distances.

[1] Coinage also helped support far-flung empires; the Roman Empire was built on silver and gold coins, as well as military victories. As the empire expanded, the expenditures of the state led to the debasement of the coins, beginning with an act of the Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. By the end of his reign, the silver content of Roman coins had shrunk by 10%. [2] Other emperors followed his example, and over 200 years from the start of the process, the content shrank to 5%. The coins’ buying power fell accordingly.

[3] Coins are still with us, though they are now little more than tokens made of non-precious metals. [4] Few countries still use silver or gold coins as anything other than collector's items.

Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the hightlighted sentence in the passage? Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands.

A. People still use barter because of poor social conditions or as an extra, unofficial activity

B. The barter system sometimes reappears as a sideline activity in places experiencing social disturbances

C. The barter system is used only informally in harmonious places, but as the main form of economic activity in troubled lands

D. Bartering has always been common in both times of trouble and times of peace.

1

DH

Dương Hoàn Anh

29 tháng 9 2019

Chọn A

Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. (ngày nay hệ thống trao đổi hàng hoá có khuynh hướng quay trở lại ở một số nơi tồn tại sự suy yếu xã hội, hoặc như một hoạt động phụ ở những vùng đất hoà hợp hơn)

Câu này đồng nghĩa với A. People still use barter because of poor social conditions or as an extra, unofficial activity (Mọi người vẫn sử dụng hệ thống trao đổi hàng bởi vì điều kiện xã hội còn kém hoặc như 1 hoạt động thêm vào, không chính thức)

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.MoneyThe ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to...

LQ

Lê Quỳnh Anh

6 tháng 11 2017

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Money

The ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to reach agreement over the relative value of different things tends to be time-consuming and vexing, and so societies tended to converge towards a common medium of exchange. Pacific islanders used shells; Aztecs used cacao beans, the main ingredient of chocolate. Livestock was common among herding cultures; slaves were sometimes used, too, but they were much harder to control than cattle and so not as popular; and many cultures used salt, including the Romans for a time- hence, the modern term "salary". Incidentally, after World War II cigarettes were used as a medium of exchange in many countries then in very poor condition, and it is said that in Italy “penny candy” was commonly used as “small change” even into the 1970s.

The medium that gradually gained widespread acceptance was precious metals such as gold and silver. Coins are said to have been invented by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor, sometime after 640 BC. They used stamped ingots of "electrum", a naturally occurring amalgam of silver and gold. The scheme was refined by King Croesus, ruler of Lydia from 560 to 546 BCE, who introduced coins of true gold. He is still identified with wealth in the expression "rich as Croesus". The introduction of coinage was a great boon for traders, simplifying transactions and allowing them to be conducted more smoothly over long distances.

[1] Coinage also helped support far-flung empires; the Roman Empire was built on silver and gold coins, as well as military victories. As the empire expanded, the expenditures of the state led to the debasement of the coins, beginning with an act of the Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. By the end of his reign, the silver content of Roman coins had shrunk by 10%. [2] Other emperors followed his example, and over 200 years from the start of the process, the content shrank to 5%. The coins’ buying power fell accordingly.

[3] Coins are still with us, though they are now little more than tokens made of non-precious metals. [4] Few countries still use silver or gold coins as anything other than collector's items.

Which is the best place for the following sentence? “The United States gave up minting silver dollars in 1935, and in 1965 eliminated silver in American coins completely.”

A. [4]

B. [3]

C. [1]

D. [2]

1

DH

Dương Hoàn Anh

6 tháng 11 2017

Chọn A

Phía trước đã đề cập: “Coins are still with us, though they are now little more than tokens made of non-precious metals.” Hiện nay thì tiền thường được làm bằng các loại kim loại không giá trị. Tiếp đó là đến câu: “The United States gave up minting silver dollars in 1935, and in 1965 eliminated silver in American coins completely.” (US vào năm 1965 đã loại bỏ bạc ra khỏi tiền xu – loại bỏ kim loại có giá trị)

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.MoneyThe ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to...

LQ

Lê Quỳnh Anh

29 tháng 5 2019

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Money

The ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to reach agreement over the relative value of different things tends to be time-consuming and vexing, and so societies tended to converge towards a common medium of exchange. Pacific islanders used shells; Aztecs used cacao beans, the main ingredient of chocolate. Livestock was common among herding cultures; slaves were sometimes used, too, but they were much harder to control than cattle and so not as popular; and many cultures used salt, including the Romans for a time- hence, the modern term "salary". Incidentally, after World War II cigarettes were used as a medium of exchange in many countries then in very poor condition, and it is said that in Italy “penny candy” was commonly used as “small change” even into the 1970s.

The medium that gradually gained widespread acceptance was precious metals such as gold and silver. Coins are said to have been invented by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor, sometime after 640 BC. They used stamped ingots of "electrum", a naturally occurring amalgam of silver and gold. The scheme was refined by King Croesus, ruler of Lydia from 560 to 546 BCE, who introduced coins of true gold. He is still identified with wealth in the expression "rich as Croesus". The introduction of coinage was a great boon for traders, simplifying transactions and allowing them to be conducted more smoothly over long distances.

[1] Coinage also helped support far-flung empires; the Roman Empire was built on silver and gold coins, as well as military victories. As the empire expanded, the expenditures of the state led to the debasement of the coins, beginning with an act of the Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. By the end of his reign, the silver content of Roman coins had shrunk by 10%. [2] Other emperors followed his example, and over 200 years from the start of the process, the content shrank to 5%. The coins’ buying power fell accordingly.

[3] Coins are still with us, though they are now little more than tokens made of non-precious metals. [4] Few countries still use silver or gold coins as anything other than collector's items.

The word vexing in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to_______

A. lengthy

B. simple

C. troublesome

D. familiar

1

DH

Dương Hoàn Anh

29 tháng 5 2019

Chọn C

“vexing” = “troublesome”: làm bực mình, làm phật ý,làm khó chịu

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.MoneyThe ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to...

LQ

Lê Quỳnh Anh

13 tháng 7 2019

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Money

The ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to reach agreement over the relative value of different things tends to be time-consuming and vexing, and so societies tended to converge towards a common medium of exchange. Pacific islanders used shells; Aztecs used cacao beans, the main ingredient of chocolate. Livestock was common among herding cultures; slaves were sometimes used, too, but they were much harder to control than cattle and so not as popular; and many cultures used salt, including the Romans for a time- hence, the modern term "salary". Incidentally, after World War II cigarettes were used as a medium of exchange in many countries then in very poor condition, and it is said that in Italy “penny candy” was commonly used as “small change” even into the 1970s.

The medium that gradually gained widespread acceptance was precious metals such as gold and silver. Coins are said to have been invented by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor, sometime after 640 BC. They used stamped ingots of "electrum", a naturally occurring amalgam of silver and gold. The scheme was refined by King Croesus, ruler of Lydia from 560 to 546 BCE, who introduced coins of true gold. He is still identified with wealth in the expression "rich as Croesus". The introduction of coinage was a great boon for traders, simplifying transactions and allowing them to be conducted more smoothly over long distances.

[1] Coinage also helped support far-flung empires; the Roman Empire was built on silver and gold coins, as well as military victories. As the empire expanded, the expenditures of the state led to the debasement of the coins, beginning with an act of the Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. By the end of his reign, the silver content of Roman coins had shrunk by 10%. [2] Other emperors followed his example, and over 200 years from the start of the process, the content shrank to 5%. The coins’ buying power fell accordingly.

[3] Coins are still with us, though they are now little more than tokens made of non-precious metals. [4] Few countries still use silver or gold coins as anything other than collector's items.

The author uses Incidentally in paragraph 1 in order to show that the information that follows_________

A. is especially important

B. explains an effect of previous information

C. is not essential

D. contradicts the previous information

1

DH

Dương Hoàn Anh

13 tháng 7 2019

Chọn C

“Incidentally”: tiện thể, tình cờ, phụ, không quan trọng

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.MoneyThe ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to...

LQ

Lê Quỳnh Anh

23 tháng 5 2019

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Money

The ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to reach agreement over the relative value of different things tends to be time-consuming and vexing, and so societies tended to converge towards a common medium of exchange. Pacific islanders used shells; Aztecs used cacao beans, the main ingredient of chocolate. Livestock was common among herding cultures; slaves were sometimes used, too, but they were much harder to control than cattle and so not as popular; and many cultures used salt, including the Romans for a time- hence, the modern term "salary". Incidentally, after World War II cigarettes were used as a medium of exchange in many countries then in very poor condition, and it is said that in Italy “penny candy” was commonly used as “small change” even into the 1970s.

The medium that gradually gained widespread acceptance was precious metals such as gold and silver. Coins are said to have been invented by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor, sometime after 640 BC. They used stamped ingots of "electrum", a naturally occurring amalgam of silver and gold. The scheme was refined by King Croesus, ruler of Lydia from 560 to 546 BCE, who introduced coins of true gold. He is still identified with wealth in the expression "rich as Croesus". The introduction of coinage was a great boon for traders, simplifying transactions and allowing them to be conducted more smoothly over long distances.

[1] Coinage also helped support far-flung empires; the Roman Empire was built on silver and gold coins, as well as military victories. As the empire expanded, the expenditures of the state led to the debasement of the coins, beginning with an act of the Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. By the end of his reign, the silver content of Roman coins had shrunk by 10%. [2] Other emperors followed his example, and over 200 years from the start of the process, the content shrank to 5%. The coins’ buying power fell accordingly.

[3] Coins are still with us, though they are now little more than tokens made of non-precious metals. [4] Few countries still use silver or gold coins as anything other than collector's items.

According to the passage, all of the following are true of the Lydians EXCEPT that_________

A. They were ruled by King Croesus in the sixth century B.C

B. they are considered the inventors of coins

C. they made coins made of electrum

D. they were the first to use precious metals as money

1

DH

Dương Hoàn Anh

23 tháng 5 2019

Chọn D

Thông tin:

- The scheme was refined by King Croesus, ruler of Lydia from 560 to 546 BCE (A. They were ruled by King Croesus in the sixth century B.C)

- Coins are said to have been invented by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor (B. they are considered the inventors of coins)

- They used stamped ingots of "electrum", a naturally occurring amalgam of silver and gold.( C. they made coins made of electrum)

Chỉ có D. they were the first to use precious metals as money là không được nhắc đến

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.MoneyThe ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to...

LQ

Lê Quỳnh Anh

23 tháng 2 2019

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Money

The ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to reach agreement over the relative value of different things tends to be time-consuming and vexing, and so societies tended to converge towards a common medium of exchange. Pacific islanders used shells; Aztecs used cacao beans, the main ingredient of chocolate. Livestock was common among herding cultures; slaves were sometimes used, too, but they were much harder to control than cattle and so not as popular; and many cultures used salt, including the Romans for a time- hence, the modern term "salary". Incidentally, after World War II cigarettes were used as a medium of exchange in many countries then in very poor condition, and it is said that in Italy “penny candy” was commonly used as “small change” even into the 1970s.

The medium that gradually gained widespread acceptance was precious metals such as gold and silver. Coins are said to have been invented by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor, sometime after 640 BC. They used stamped ingots of "electrum", a naturally occurring amalgam of silver and gold. The scheme was refined by King Croesus, ruler of Lydia from 560 to 546 BCE, who introduced coins of true gold. He is still identified with wealth in the expression "rich as Croesus". The introduction of coinage was a great boon for traders, simplifying transactions and allowing them to be conducted more smoothly over long distances.

[1] Coinage also helped support far-flung empires; the Roman Empire was built on silver and gold coins, as well as military victories. As the empire expanded, the expenditures of the state led to the debasement of the coins, beginning with an act of the Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. By the end of his reign, the silver content of Roman coins had shrunk by 10%. [2] Other emperors followed his example, and over 200 years from the start of the process, the content shrank to 5%. The coins’ buying power fell accordingly.

[3] Coins are still with us, though they are now little more than tokens made of non-precious metals. [4] Few countries still use silver or gold coins as anything other than collector's items.

Which of the following is NOT true of coins?

A. They contributed to the building of the Roman Empire

B. They allowed trade to be conducted more simply

C. They were invented in Asia Minor

D. They were always made of gold in ancient times

1

DH

Dương Hoàn Anh

23 tháng 2 2019

Chọn D

Thông tin:

- the Roman Empire was built on silver and gold coins (đoạn 3 - A. They contributed to the building of the Roman Empire)

- A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver (đoạn đầu tiên - B. They allowed trade to be conducted more simply). Tiền giúp trao đổi, thương mại được diễn ra dễ dàng hơn

- Coins are said to have been invented by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor (đoạn 2 - C. They were invented in Asia Minor)

Chỉ có đáp án D. They were always made of gold in ancient times là không đúng, tiền có thể làm bằng vàng hoặc bạc (silver or gold) chứ không phải lúc nào cũng làm bằng vàng

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.MoneyThe ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to...

LQ

Lê Quỳnh Anh

29 tháng 4 2019

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Money

The ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to reach agreement over the relative value of different things tends to be time-consuming and vexing, and so societies tended to converge towards a common medium of exchange. Pacific islanders used shells; Aztecs used cacao beans, the main ingredient of chocolate. Livestock was common among herding cultures; slaves were sometimes used, too, but they were much harder to control than cattle and so not as popular; and many cultures used salt, including the Romans for a time- hence, the modern term "salary". Incidentally, after World War II cigarettes were used as a medium of exchange in many countries then in very poor condition, and it is said that in Italy “penny candy” was commonly used as “small change” even into the 1970s.

The medium that gradually gained widespread acceptance was precious metals such as gold and silver. Coins are said to have been invented by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor, sometime after 640 BC. They used stamped ingots of "electrum", a naturally occurring amalgam of silver and gold. The scheme was refined by King Croesus, ruler of Lydia from 560 to 546 BCE, who introduced coins of true gold. He is still identified with wealth in the expression "rich as Croesus". The introduction of coinage was a great boon for traders, simplifying transactions and allowing them to be conducted more smoothly over long distances.

[1] Coinage also helped support far-flung empires; the Roman Empire was built on silver and gold coins, as well as military victories. As the empire expanded, the expenditures of the state led to the debasement of the coins, beginning with an act of the Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. By the end of his reign, the silver content of Roman coins had shrunk by 10%. [2] Other emperors followed his example, and over 200 years from the start of the process, the content shrank to 5%. The coins’ buying power fell accordingly.

[3] Coins are still with us, though they are now little more than tokens made of non-precious metals. [4] Few countries still use silver or gold coins as anything other than collector's items.

It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that the debasement of a coin is________

A. making it in large numbers

B. putting less silver or gold in it

C. using it for state expenditures

D. lowering its value

1

DH

Dương Hoàn Anh

29 tháng 4 2019

Chọn B

Thông tin: “By the end of his reign, the silver content of Roman coins had shrunk by 10%.” (THành phần bạc trong tiền xu Roman giảm 10%) = putting less silver or gold in it

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.MoneyThe ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to...

LQ

Lê Quỳnh Anh

29 tháng 12 2017

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Money

The ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to reach agreement over the relative value of different things tends to be time-consuming and vexing, and so societies tended to converge towards a common medium of exchange. Pacific islanders used shells; Aztecs used cacao beans, the main ingredient of chocolate. Livestock was common among herding cultures; slaves were sometimes used, too, but they were much harder to control than cattle and so not as popular; and many cultures used salt, including the Romans for a time- hence, the modern term "salary". Incidentally, after World War II cigarettes were used as a medium of exchange in many countries then in very poor condition, and it is said that in Italy “penny candy” was commonly used as “small change” even into the 1970s.

The medium that gradually gained widespread acceptance was precious metals such as gold and silver. Coins are said to have been invented by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor, sometime after 640 BC. They used stamped ingots of "electrum", a naturally occurring amalgam of silver and gold. The scheme was refined by King Croesus, ruler of Lydia from 560 to 546 BCE, who introduced coins of true gold. He is still identified with wealth in the expression "rich as Croesus". The introduction of coinage was a great boon for traders, simplifying transactions and allowing them to be conducted more smoothly over long distances.

[1] Coinage also helped support far-flung empires; the Roman Empire was built on silver and gold coins, as well as military victories. As the empire expanded, the expenditures of the state led to the debasement of the coins, beginning with an act of the Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. By the end of his reign, the silver content of Roman coins had shrunk by 10%. [2] Other emperors followed his example, and over 200 years from the start of the process, the content shrank to 5%. The coins’ buying power fell accordingly.

[3] Coins are still with us, though they are now little more than tokens made of non-precious metals. [4] Few countries still use silver or gold coins as anything other than collector's items.

The word boon in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to_________

A. advantage

B. creation

C. source

D. problem

1

DH

Dương Hoàn Anh

29 tháng 12 2017

Chọn A

“boon” = “advantage”: điều có lợi, lợi ích

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.MoneyThe ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to...

LQ

Lê Quỳnh Anh

21 tháng 8 2019

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Money

The ancestor of the monetary system is of course the barter system. A farmer could trade his produce for the fish obtained by a fisherman or the cloth produced by a weaver. Even today the barter system tends to come back into style in places suffering from social breakdown, or as an informal sideline activity in more harmonious lands. However, trying to reach agreement over the relative value of different things tends to be time-consuming and vexing, and so societies tended to converge towards a common medium of exchange. Pacific islanders used shells; Aztecs used cacao beans, the main ingredient of chocolate. Livestock was common among herding cultures; slaves were sometimes used, too, but they were much harder to control than cattle and so not as popular; and many cultures used salt, including the Romans for a time- hence, the modern term "salary". Incidentally, after World War II cigarettes were used as a medium of exchange in many countries then in very poor condition, and it is said that in Italy “penny candy” was commonly used as “small change” even into the 1970s.

The medium that gradually gained widespread acceptance was precious metals such as gold and silver. Coins are said to have been invented by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor, sometime after 640 BC. They used stamped ingots of "electrum", a naturally occurring amalgam of silver and gold. The scheme was refined by King Croesus, ruler of Lydia from 560 to 546 BCE, who introduced coins of true gold. He is still identified with wealth in the expression "rich as Croesus". The introduction of coinage was a great boon for traders, simplifying transactions and allowing them to be conducted more smoothly over long distances.

[1] Coinage also helped support far-flung empires; the Roman Empire was built on silver and gold coins, as well as military victories. As the empire expanded, the expenditures of the state led to the debasement of the coins, beginning with an act of the Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. By the end of his reign, the silver content of Roman coins had shrunk by 10%. [2] Other emperors followed his example, and over 200 years from the start of the process, the content shrank to 5%. The coins’ buying power fell accordingly.

[3] Coins are still with us, though they are now little more than tokens made of non-precious metals. [4] Few countries still use silver or gold coins as anything other than collector's items.

What can be inferred from paragraph 4?

A. Gold and silver coins have little value today

B. Gold and silver coins are rarely used as money today

C. Coins used today do not differ much from coins of the past

D. Most coins today have little buying power

1

DH

Dương Hoàn Anh

21 tháng 8 2019

Chọn B

THông tin ở câu cuối bài: “Few countries still use silver or gold coins as anything other than collector's items.” (Rất ít quốc gia còn sử dụng tiền xu từ bạc hoặc vàng….) = Gold and silver coins are rarely used as money today (vàng bạc rất hiếm được sử dụng như tiền tệ ngày nay)