Question

1. if only a small and powerful group of men could afford to own or read books and other documents today, how would average people like you get information?
2. how might living in a country that had only a single, controlled, source for news impact the lives of average people? would you like to live in such a society? why or why not?

and decide the \truth\ for others, since access to knowledge was limited. books were primarily religious in nature.

crusades: to the center of the world
by the late middle ages (from about 1100 to about 1500 a.d.) the church had attempted to extend its control to include the \holy land.\ a series of crusades had been encouraged between 1096 and 1270 a.d. christian nations under the influence of the church sent armies of men (and some women) on a journey through europe all the way to jerusalem, which was under the rule of muslim at the time. the justification for these invasions was that jerusalem was the holy center of christianity and the muslims (or infidels) were defiling the land by being there.
ultimately, as a result of poor planning and execution, the crusades were considered a failure. however, the exposure to the very different and more advanced cultures of the middle east resulted in dramatic changes in european society. new trade routes opened up, which led to an influx of new goods and ideas. universities were founded and the merchant class became wealthier. these changes in both education and social classes were a catalyst for change - in the long run leading to the reformation and the renaissance.

what are you talking about?
during the middle ages the english language transformed greatly, but how did modern english come about? the english spoken today is a mixture of many other languages and dialects. during the early part of this period, old english was used. this form of english is closer to german than it is to modern english. most of the literature of this early period has been lost; the greatest surviving work is beowulf, a poem about a hero who fights a monster. in 1066, the normans (french) conquered england, and the upper classes began to speak french instead of old english. during this period, and until the very end of the middle ages, latin was the language used by the government and the church. since common people were not able to read or write latin, this meant that a person taken to court couldnt even hope to defend himself - he couldnt even understand the charges unless they were explained to him! in the latter part of the medieval period, middle english was used. the conquering french were deposed and the political scene began to change. responding to political pressures, the government adopted english as the official language and promoted its use as a form of nationalism. what was once seen as a language of the poor and uneducated now was seen as patriotic and pure. this form of english is mostly a mixture of latin, german & french. as language became more standard and pronunciation of vowels changed near the end of the medieval period, english shifted again, beginning to sound more like the language we know today. works such as those of shakespeare or the king james bible are referred to as using early modern english. slowly, through time, this developed into our current version of english.

the death of an era and a rebirth
in the 1300s, the climate changed dramatically - it is now called \the little ice age.\ this bitterly cold snap reduced crop yields radically. soon after that, the bubonic plague (the black death) struck. the bubonic \black\ plague caused massive deaths in the 1200 - 1300s. this epidemic wiped out entire villages in europe. as a consequence, there were fewer serfs to work the fields. those who remained now had more power to make demands in exchange for their loyalty and service. a middle class grew as people made more money and the feudal system began to break down.
the development of new technology, such as gunpowder, significantly impacted the feudal system as well. feudal battles were resolved much sooner and there was less need for extended periods of service from knights in exchange for their land grants.
as the middle ages wound down, the reformation led to the decline of the catholic church. the growth of literacy and wider access to education and new ideas continued to undermine both the church and the feudal system. these changes led to the development of a middle class for the first time. this development would ultimately change our world. soon, european society was to experience a rebirth of sorts - the renaissance.

Explanation:

1. In a scenario where only a small powerful group can own or read books, average people might rely on oral - communication like word - of - mouth, public announcements, or storytelling. They could also use non - written forms of media such as radio (if available), or visual forms like posters.
2. Living in a country with a single, controlled news source could limit information diversity, leading to a one - sided view of events. It might restrict freedom of thought and the ability to make well - informed decisions. Most people would likely not like to live in such a society due to the lack of free information and potential for propaganda.

Answer:

1. Average people might rely on oral communication, public announcements, radio (if available), or visual media like posters.
2. It could limit information and freedom of thought. Most would not like to live in such a society due to lack of free information and risk of propaganda.