Q1. [2] medium thorough-understanding
[short_answer] Within about a century of Gutenberg's invention, the number of printed books in Europe multiplied dramatically. Identify and explain TWO factors that drove this rapid expansion in the output of printed books across Europe between the mid-15th and mid-16th centuries.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 15:00 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Two factors that drove the rapid expansion of printed books in Europe (mid-15th to mid-16th centuries):
- Spread of printing presses: Printers from Germany travelled across Europe, setting up new presses in most countries. As the number of presses grew, book production boomed rapidly.
- Reduced cost and wider readership: Printing lowered the cost of books and reduced time and labour per copy. This created a new reading public, increasing demand and driving publishers to produce more copies.
Source: Chapter 5, Sections 2.1 and 3.1
---
Explanation
- The examiner wants two distinct, explained factors — naming alone won't earn full marks; a brief reason is needed for each.
- Both factors are directly from the passage: (1) spread of presses via German printers, and (2) reduced cost → growing readership → greater output.
- Avoid generic points not in the text. Stick to what the passage explicitly states.
- Each factor should be one clear sentence of explanation to score the mark.