Question

course test - english from \tai - pan\ by james clavell brock stared down at him. \hong kongs got to have a future. its open ports on the china mainland we be needing, and you knowed it, by god!\ \the harbors the best in these waters,\ cooper said. \plenty of room to careen and refit all our ships. plenty of room to build our homes and warehouses. and no chinese interference. an revenue, last.\ \a colonys got to have arable land and peasants to work the land, mr. cooper. there be brock said impatiently, \i be walking all over and so have you. not a cropll grow here. there be no fields or streams, no grazing land. no meat and no spuds. everything we be needingll have to come by sea. think of the cost. why, even the fishing be rotten. an whos to pay upkeep of hong kong, eh? us and our trade, by god!\ \oh, thats the sort of colony you want, mr. brock?\ cooper said. \i thought the british empire\ - he spat deftly to windward - \had enough of that sort of colony.\ brocks hand strayed near his knife. \be enough spitting to clear your throat, or spitting on the empire?\ tyler brock was nearing fifty, a big, one - eyed man as hard and as dangerous as the iron he had been forced to peddle in liverpool as a youth, and as strong and as permanent as the fighting merchant ships he had escaped to and at length had come to rule as head of brock and sons. his clothes were rich and the knife at his belt was jeweled. his beard was graying like his hair. \its a cold day, mr. brock,\ tillman said quickly, inwardly angry at his young partners loose tongue. brock was no man to bait, and they could not afford open enmity with him yet. \plenty of chill on the wind, eh, jeff?\ cooper nodded briefly. but he did not take his eyes off brock. he had no knife, but there was a derringer in his pocket. he was of a height with brock but slighter, and unafraid. \i be givin thee piece of advice, mr. cooper,\ brock said. \best not spit too often after saying british empire.\ 17. based on this excerpt, the british empire a. deal with the colonies on a military level only. b. failed because of a lack of loyal followers. c. thrived on the labor of the colonized people. d. discouraged its subjects from engaging in trade.

Explanation:

The text mentions the need for arable land and peasants to work the land in a colony, indicating reliance on colonized - people's labor. There is no mention of dealing with colonies only on a military level, failure due to lack of loyal followers, or discouraging trade.

Answer:

C. thrived on the labor of the colonized people.