Passage 2: Questions 46-50
Azerbaijan is a country situated in the eastern part of Transcaucasia—the region lying along
the great Caucasus Mountain range, which traditionally forms part of the dividing line between
Europe and Asia. As the only convenient land route through the Caucasus between Europe and Asia,
Azerbaijan has been crossed by invading armies and migrating peoples since earliest times. The
formation of its nationality dates from the AD.1000’s, with the arrival of the last Turkic tribes,
whose common language became Azeri Turkish. At only one period in its history, however, was all
of Azerbaijan united under a single national ruler. In the 1500’s, a naïve Azeri dynasty of the
Safavids created a great empire that eventually reached from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf. But
in 1600’s the Safavid state fell under Persian rule.
The 1700’s were marked by the struggle between Persia (now Iran), Ottoman Turkey, and
Russia for control of Azerbaijan and the rest of Transcaucasia. Under treaties signed in 1813 and
1828, Russia acquired the half of Azerbaijan north of the Arks River. After the Russian Revolution
of 1917, Azeri leaders, on May 28, 1918, proclaimed an independent Azerbaijani republic. It lasted
only until 1920, when Azerbaijan was invaded by forces of the Red (or Soviet) Army. It became a
constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1922. With the Soviet Union collapse in December
1991, Azerbaijan regained its independence.
The climate in this country varies widely, depending on elevation. The lowlands generally have
mild winters and long, hot, and dry summers. Lowland temperatures in summer average 26oC. In
the upper valleys and highlands, snow covers the ground in winter, while summers are comfortably
cool. The varied climatic zones enable Azerbaijan farmers to grow a variety of crops. These include
wheat and other grains, cotton, tea, tobacco, and almost all kinds of vegetables and fruits. Sheep are
grazed on mountain pastures in summer and in the lowlands in winter.
The mountain forests are home to many kinds of wild animal life. The Caspian Sea teems with
fish, including sturgeon, whose eggs are the sources of the finest caviar. Azerbaijan is rich in mineral
resources. In the early 1900’s it produced half of the world’s petroleum. Its mainland deposits are
now exhausted, but crude oil is still extracted from offshore oil fields in the Caspian Sea.
Economically, Azerbaijan has well-developed industry as well as a diversified agriculture that
meets almost all of the food needs of its people. Heavy industry makes up about 80 percent of its
gross national product (GNP). It includes oil processing and the manufacture of petroleum products,
chemical fertilizers, electrical equipment, machinery, metals, and related goods. The remaining 20
percent of the GNP is shared by agriculture and light industry, which includes processed agricultural
products, textiles, footwear, and electrical household appliances and other consumer goods.
【題組】50. What accounts for the major part of Azerbaijan’s economy?
(A) Heavy industry. (B) Food industry. (C) Agriculture.
(D) Textile industry. (E) Household appliances.
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