英国成为世界头号殖民帝国是在（    ）

    I had worked that day, as a nurse. Now I faced the dirty supper dishes. I wanted to 1 why Jimmy hadn't phoned as usual to say "Good night" to Bob and Tom. "Maybe Daddy's  2 working on an accident," I said to Bob. "Go to 3 now. You'll see him in the morning." Soon there was a knock at the door. "There 4 be something wrong with your phone," my neighbor told me. "The City Police Station wants you to 5."

    I went into the living room and dialed. Then I 6  the words every police wife fears (害怕): "Your husband has been hurt." When I reached the hospital, my heart sank (下沉). The entrance was jammed with TV-news trucks. In the 7 I saw Jimmy's best friend, Smith. "Just tell me -is he alive?" I asked.

    Smith 8 and didn't answer. Then I found my younger sister, Mandy. "He's 9." she told me, and we began to cry together.

    Later, Smith told me 10 had happened.

    In the morning, when my little Bob asked, "Where's Daddy?" I 11 him into my arms and tried to explain. "A bad man 12 Daddy last night." I said. "Daddy can't come home any more. He's in heaven(天堂) now."

    My son looked at me, his blue eyes 13 the picture of trust(相信). "Do they have 14 in heaven?" he asked. "Can I call him?"

    "No, Bob, Daddy still loves you, but Daddy can't 15".

阅读材料，完成下列要求：

郑鹤声（1901-1989）认为：“自新航路发现以来，世界交通，为之大变，人类生活与国际关系，较之中古时代，显有不同之处，是即中古史与近世史之所由分界也。近世史之演变，有‘继往开来’之趋势，其一切表现，皆在根据往古事迹而发扬光大之。且推陈出新，由此而孕育未来之局势。每一民族思想为其演变之原动力。故近世史之范畴，实包括近三四百年之历史，无论中西，大都皆然。”

——转引自张海鹏《20世纪中国近代史学科体系问题的探索》

根据材料并结合所学知识，评析材料中关于中国近世史分期的观点。（说明：可以对观点进行肯定或否定，并阐述理由。要求：观点明确，史论结合，史实准确，论述合理。）