Америка в прошлом и настоящем. Часть I. Горчакова Е.П - 17 стр.

17. Slowly, an age of confidence, called the European Renaissance, began. It was
a time of creativity1. Poets, painters, sculptors, and musicians worked with enthusi-
asm2. They wanted to create a new art for the age. At the same time, people of science
dared to doubt old ideas. They wanted new methods, new inventions.

18. Soon exciting discoveries were being made. By the mid-fifteenth century one
of the most important inventions of all time appeared: Gutenberg's printing press.
At the same time, the use of gunpowder was rapidly perfected. Shipbuilding
also improved3. The lovely Portuguese caravel, for example, was designed to be
strong yet easily controlled.

THE AGE OF EXPLORATION
19. It was the perfect ship for the new sailors of the fifteenth century. Like the
poets and the inventors, the seamen4 of the age were reaching towards unknown
horizons5.They had confidence in their ships. They had new instruments6 that
measured distance and location7 more carefully than ever before. They had ancient
books on astronomy and geography that had come from Islamic libraries. Most
important, they had financial support. The merchants of the fifteenth century
needed them and their ships. Throughout Europe, trade was growing. There was an
increasing demand for spices and luxuries from the Orient. The merchants, of
course, wanted to supply this need, but the Muslims controlled all direct trade with
the Orient. "All land and sea routes now lead to the Mediterranean," the
Europeans realized. "If only we could reach the Orient by traveling in another
direction. The world is round, some new scientists say. Then perhaps we
should sail west. Sooner or later, we'll get to the Orient." It was 1,000 years
since the fall of Rome. Europe at last had the knowledge, the people, and the
desire to sail out into the open sea. The wind and the waves of unknown oceans
called to Europe's explorers, and the bravest of them responded8.

SELECTION
     When Columbus sailed west from Spain to find the treasures of the
Orient, he carried a famous book with him. This was Marco’s Polo
Description of the World. Written at the end of the thirteenth century, Polo's
travelogue was popular throughout Europe. It described the wonders of China,

1
  creativity: imagination, invention
2
  enthusiasm: great interest
3
  improve: make better
4
  seamen: sailors
5
  horizon: line where earth and sky seem to touch
6
  instrument: small, delicate machine, tool
7
  location: place
8
  respond: answer

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