单选题 Throughout the 20th century, historians have argued about the reasons for the unprecedented drive for colonial expansion that seized Europe and, to a lesser extent, the United States, in the last decades of the 19th century. The majority of those engaged in this often heated debates have tended to join one of two camps: those who favor a political explanation for the outburst of territorial enlargement, and those who argue that it was fundamentally economic concerns when deciding to intervene in disputes or to involve in Africa, Asia, or the South Pacific. The British preoccupation with protection strategic overseas naval stations, such as those in Malaya and in South Africa, for example, was linked to an underlying perception of growing threat to their Indian Empire. That empire was in turn more than just their "garrison in the east" and largest colonial possession. It was a major source of raw materials for British industries and a key outlet for both British manufactured good and British overseas investment. Thus, political and economic motives were often impossible to separate; doing so unnecessarily oversimplifies and distorts our understanding of the forces behind the haste for empire in the late 19th century.
It would also be a mistake to see a complete break between the pattern of European colonial expansion before and after 1870. Though a good deal more territory was added per year after that date, there were numerous colonial wars and additions to both the British and French empires all through the middle decades of the 19th century. One of the key differences between the two periods was that before 1870, Britain had only a weak France with which to compete in the outside world. This meant that the British were less likely than at the end of the century to be pushed into full-scale invasions and annexations because they feared that another European power was about to seize potentially valuable colonies. It also allowed the British to rely heavily on threats and gunboat raids rather than outright conquest to bring African kings or Asian Emperors into line. With its "white" settler colonies (Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) and India, plus enclaves in Africa and Southeast Asia, the British already had all the empire they could handle. Most British politicians were cautious about or firmly opposed to adding more colonies. The British were watchful to French advance in various parts of the globe, which were usually made to restore France's great-power standing following setbacks in Europe. But the French were far too weak economically and too politically divided to contest Britain's naval mastery or its standing as the greatest colonial power.

单选题 Which of the following is the best summary for paragraph 1 ?

单选题 Which of the following is true of paragraph 2?

单选题 The word "outright" (line 12, paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to

单选题 It can be inferred that the mentality of the British in late 19th century invasion was one of

单选题 Which of the following sentences in the text is an idea rather than a fact?