Your Answer ▼
According to the reading, there are three possible
theories about the reason of Angkor’s collapse. However, the listening argues
that these ideas are not plausible.
First, the speaker states that the Black Death was spreaded
by ship, mainly affecting on coastal cities. Considering the fact that Angkor located
in land, the Black Death cannot be the evidence of their demise. Furthermore,
there is a continual debate that the Black Death had been even made. This counters
the reading passage’s claim that the Black Death destroyed Angkor via their trade
route.
Next, it is doubtful that Angkor’s failed water system
brought about their fall. Even though the water system limited water supply,
there were still other resources to make up the water shortage. Therefore, it is
hard to assume that water system was the main factor. This casts doubt on the
reading passage’s claim that their failed water system made Angkor demolished.
Finally, the Chinese maritime trade did not have
extreme impact on the power of Angkor’s economy. This is because the types of
items they dealt with were different. The Chinese maritime trade coped luxury
items, while Angkor traded agricultural items. Therefore, Angkor could maintain
their popularity as a center of trade in terms of agriculture. This refutes the
reading passage’s claim that Chinese maritime trade is the key factor of Angkor’s
failure. |