제시된 텍스트는 대한민국 교육기관에서 출제된 모의고사 영어 영역의 빈칸 추론 문제에 사용된 원문 지문입니다.

원문 출처 정보 (Primary Source Document)

• 종류 (Type): 2016년 6월 고3 전국연합학력평가 (모의고사) (National Academic Achievement Assessment for 12th Grade, June 2016)

• 과목/문항 (Subject/Item): 영어 영역 34번 문항 (빈칸 추론 문제의 지문)

• 시행 주체 (Administered by): 한국교육과정평가원 (Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, KICE)

정확히 일치하는 원문 (하이라이트)

제시된 텍스트는 해당 시험 문제지에 수록된 지문의 내용과 완벽하게 일치하는 부분입니다.

The early grain trade firms were active in both surplus-producing and food deficit regions, and these firms made it their business to know the state of supply and demand in both. Because this information was the key to their ___________, these firms worked in relative secrecy, frequently built on family ties, trust, and loyalty. In addition, these firms were able to benefit from the rise of commodity exchanges and commodities futures markets that emerged in the mid-1800s. Agricultural markets are naturally unstable, due to changes in harvest size that result from variable weather patterns and other factors. Locking-in prices by buying and selling grain for future delivery helped these firms to minimize such risks. It made sense for the grain trading companies to manage their risks within a single firm that was operating in more than one country, rather than operating as independent national companies trading with each other. Their access to information in multiple markets enabled them to easily cover the risks associated with agricultural commodity trade.