發源于英國而后波及歐美主要國家的第一次工業革命具有劃時代的歷史意義，對英國本國乃至人類社會的演進產生了空前深刻、巨大的影響。它為新生的資本主義制度奠定了堅實的物質基礎，促使歐美諸國先后實現工業化，由農業國變成工業國;它也為英國提供了歷史機遇，利用工業化先發優勢，確立了“世界工廠”的地位;工業革命同時也給人類帶來了進步和幸福，使人類面臨新的矛盾和挑戰。

正是因為工業革命的重要性，托福考試非常青睞它--工業革命的發展特點、歷史甚至與之相關的蒸汽機、能源問題都是在閱讀和聽力中經常出現的話題。

TPO26中就曾出現蒸汽機以及蒸汽機改良相關的細節描述：

In the late 1700s James Watt designed an efficient and commercially viable steam engine that was soon applied to a variety of

industrial uses as it became cheaper to use....A rotary(轉動的，旋轉的)engine attached to the steam engine enabled shafts (轉動軸)to be turned and machines to be driven, resulting in mills using steam power to spin and weave cotton.

同一篇中，談到工業革命中鋼鐵行業的發展，也具體到很多細節：

The availability of steam power and the demands for new machines facilitated the transformation of the iron industry. Charcoal(木炭),made from wood and

thus in limited supply, was replaced with coal-derived coke(焦炭)(substance left after coal is heated)

as steam-driven bellows(風箱)came into use for producing of raw iron. Impurities were burnt away with the use of coke, producing a high-quality refined iron(精鐵).Reduced cost was

also instrumental in developing steam-powered rolling mills capable

of producing finished iron(高純度的鐵)of various shapes and sizes.

這里幫大家整理一下工業革命主要產業及背景大家要記得記筆記哦。

紡織產業(textile industry)：

紡織機的演化：飛梭(Flying shuttle)→杼箱→珍妮紡紗機(Spinning Jenny)→騾機(Spinning Mule)→水力織布機→蒸汽動力驅動運輸行業革新：

1776年煤礦(colliery)中使用鐵軌;

1814年運煤的蒸汽機車問世;1825年世界上第一條鐵路;

1844年，英國鐵路長達2235英里;

鋼鐵行業革新：

1709年，焦炭(coke)取代木炭(charcoal)煉鐵;

1750年，坩堝煉鋼工藝(steelmaking process)，歐洲歷史上鋼首次被熔化冶煉(smelt)。