The answer would be flexible in the missing blank.
It provided land, supplies, and precious metals
Many Chinese laborers accepted lower wages.
When the Chinese came to America, they were simply looking for a better life and they would take any job that was available to them, even jobs that paid dirt wages. Union members didn't necessarily like the Chinese because they were trying to bargain for higher wages and with the Chinese accepted very low wages, it was hard to do that.
When talking about democracy, 'indirect rule' refers to parliamentary (representative) democracy, where people elect representatives to make policy and govern the state. Direct rule refers to a more direct form of democracy, were the people directly influence policy making, actually through majority rule.
But only if you talk about democracy
Improvements in technology definitely changed how people worked. Jobs in factories just became easier, for example, industrial lubrication helped machines run smoothly which made their job easier and the process faster.
It changed how people lived, too. Purchasing clothing and goods costed less because of the technology.