TF阅读真题第952篇Transportation and Economic Change in the Nineteenth-Century-托您的福

题目：

Transportation and Economic Change in the Nineteenth-Century

Between 1820 and 1860,the American economy entered a new stage of development as it moved away from its reliance on agriculture as the major source of growth toward an industrial and technological future.Because the size of American families gradually shrank-in 1800,the average woman bore seven children: by 1860,the number had declined to five-immigration from Europe played an important part in providing the new workers,new households,and new consumers essential to economic development as well as the capital and technological ideas that helped to shape American growth.

Improved transportation played a key role in bringing about economic and geographic expansion.Early in the century,high freight rates discouraged production for distant markets and the exploitation of resources,and primitive transportation hindered western settlement.During the 1820s and 1830s,however,canal-building projects dramatically transformed this situation.The 363-mile-long Erie Canal,the last link in a chain of waterways binding New York City to the Great Lakes and the Old Northwest,was the most impressive of these new canals.The volume of goods and people it carried at low cost and the economic advantages it conferred on those within its reach prompted the construction of over 3,000 miles of canals by 1840,primarily in eastern and midwestern states.

Even at the height of the canal boom,politicians,promoters, and others,impressed with Britain’s success with railways,also supported the construction of railroads.Railroads,unlike canals that might freeze during the winter,were capable of operating all year- round.Nor did they need large amounts of water to operate,as canals did.They could be built almost anywhere,an advantage that encouraged Baltimore merchants.envious of New York’s water link to the Old Northwest,to begin the Baltimore Ohio Railroad in 1828.

Despite the interest in and advantages of railroads,there were technical problems to resolve;for example,the first trains jumped their tracks and spewed sparks,setting nearby fields on fire.But such difficulties were quickly overcome.By 1840,there were 3,000 miles of track,most in the Northeast.Another 5,000 miles were laid during the 1840s,and by the end of the 1850s,total mileage soared to 30,000.Like the canals,the new railroads strengthened the links between the Old Northwest and the East.

Improved transportation had such a profound influence on American life that some historians use the term “transportation revolution”to refer to its impact.Canals and railroads bound the country together in a new way.They provided farmers,merchants. and manufacturers with cheap and reliable access to distant markets and goods and encouraged Americans to settle the frontier and cultivate virgin lands.The economic opportunities they opened fostered technological innovations that might increase production. Eventually,the strong economic and social ties the waterways and then the railways fostered between the Old Northwest and the East led people living in the two regions to share political outlooks.

Especially in terms of the pattern of western settlement,the railroads exerted enormous influence.As the railroads followed-or led-settlers westward,their routes could determine whether a city. town,or even homestead survived.The railroad transformed Chicago from a small settlement into a bustling commercial and transportation center.In 1850,the city contained only a single railroad,but within five years,2,200 miles of track serving 150,000 square miles terminated in Chicago.

The dramatic rise in railroad construction in the 1840s and 1850s contributed to faster economic growth after 1839.Goods,people, commercial information,and mail flowed ever more predictably. rapidly,and cheaply.In 1790,an order from Boston took two weeks to reach Philadelphia;in 1836,it took only 36 hours.

Improved transportation stimulated agricultural expansion and regional specialization.Farmers began to plant larger crops for the market,concentrating on those most suited to their soil and climate.By the late 1830s,the Old Northwest had become the country’s grain-growing region,and northeastern farmers turned to dairy or produce farming.By 1860,American farmers were producing four to five times as much wheat,corn,cattle,and hogs as they had in 1810.Their achievements meant plentiful,cheap food for American workers and more income for farmers to spend on the new consumer goods.

Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

Sentence Simplification Questions句子简化题

AImmigration from Europe provided workers,consumers,capital, and ideas needed for economic growth as American family sizes shrank.

BThe size of American families gradually shrank from 1800 to 1860,a time of great economic and technological development.

CIn addition to capital and technological ideas,new workers. households.and consumers were essential to economic development between 1800 and 1860.

DImmigration from Europe,which provided new workers,may have been a factor in the decline of the size of the American family in the early 1800s.

The word “hindered”in the passage is closest in meaning to

Vocabulary Questions词汇题

Aadded danger to

Bslowed the progress of

Ccould not keep up with

Draised the cost of

Paragraph 3 suggests that no canal system was built to connect Baltimore with the Old Northwest because

Inference Questions推理题

Athe locations involved made building a railroad a more practical choice

Bmerchants’ demands for transportation were not strong enough

Cthere was little support from politicians and promoters

Dpeople from Baltimore preferred to use New York’s water link to the Old Northwest

According to paragraph 4,one early problem with railroads was that

Factual Information Questions事实信息题

Atechnical difficulties took a long time to resolve

Btrack was difficult and time-consuming to lay down

Cthe first trains could not move as quickly as canal traffic

Dtrains sometimes had accidents and caused harm to surrounding areas

The word “profound” in the passage is closest in meaning to

Vocabulary Questions词汇题

Aintense

Bsudden

Cpositive

Dunexpected

Improved transportation had such a profound influence on American life that some historians use the term “transportation revolution“to refer to its impact.Canals and railroads bound the country together in a new way.They provided farmers,merchants. and manufacturers with cheap and reliable access to distant markets and goods and encouraged Americans to settle the frontier and cultivate virgin lands.The economic opportunities they opened fostered technological innovations that might increase production. Eventually,the strong economic and social ties the waterways and then the railways fostered between the Old Northwest and the East led people living in the two regions to share political outlooks.

According to paragraph 5,all of the following were changes brought on by the “transportation revolution”EXCEPT:

Negative Factual Information Questions否定事实信息题

AMore Americans from the East began to live and farm land in areas to the west.

BA strong economy allowed the Old Northwest to become more politically independent from the East.

CFarmers,merchants,and manufacturers sold their goods to more people in more places.

DNew economic opportunities encouraged people to develop new technologies.

According to paragraph 6,which of the following was true of Chicago in 1850

Factual Information Questions事实信息题

AIt was a major center for commerce.

BIt contained 2.200 miles of track.

CIt was a small settlement in comparison to its later size.

DIts population was decreasing as settlers left it to travel westward.

Why does the author provide the information that “By the late 1830s,the Old Northwest had become the country’s grain-growing region,and northeastern farmers turned to dairy or produce farming”?

Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题

ATo support the claim that improved transportation led to regional specialization

BTo argue that the Old Northwest was better suited to agriculture than the Northeast was

CTo provide examples of regions where agriculture expanded most rapidly

DTo explain where the majority of the nation’s wheat,corn,cattle. and hogs were produced

Even at the height of the canal boom,politicians,promoters, and others,impressed with Britain’s success with railways,also supported the construction of railroads. [■] Railroads,unlike canals that might freeze during the winter,were capable of operating all year- round. [■] Nor did they need large amounts of water to operate,as canals did. [■] They could be built almost anywhere,an advantage that encouraged Baltimore merchants.envious of New York’s water link to the Old Northwest,to begin the Baltimore Ohio Railroad in 1828. [■]

Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage

This was because railroads had many advantages over canals.Insert Text Questions句子插入题

Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square sentence to the passage.

Between 1820 and 1860 in the United States, new forms of transportation had important effects on the economy and population.

Prose Summary Questions概要小结题

Select 3 answers

AOne result of the development of new transportation systems was rising birth rates,and the larger households contributed to the growth of cities.

BPoliticians emphasized the importance of keeping up with Europe, especially Britain,which they saw as a model for the United States’ technological and industrial future.

CImproved transportation led to the growth of cities and fostered agricultural expansion,regional specialization,technological innovation,and access to distant markets.

DA system of canals was built during the 1820s and 1830s,which allowed for cheaper and more reliable transportation of goods and people across the country.

ERailroads,which could be built almost anywhere and run year-round. grew quickly between 1840 and 1860 and provided access to new resources and territory.

FCities such as New York and Chicago became less important as economic hubs as railroads spread opportunities more evenly across the nation.

此处内容已隐藏，请付费后查看

文章版权归作者所有，未经允许请勿转载。

THE END