2. 外语
  3. A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement(新拓居地)spread ever farther we

A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement(新拓居地)spread ever farther we

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问题     A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement(新拓居地)spread ever farther westward. The early trains were impractical curiosities, and for a long time the railroad companies met with troublesome mechanical problems. The most serious ones were the construction of rails able to bear the load, and the development of a safe, effective stopping system. Once these were solved, the railroad was established as the best means of land transportation. By 1860 there were thousands of miles of railroads crossing the eastern mountain ranges and reaching westward to the Mississippi. There were also regional southern and western lines.
    The high point in railroad building came with the construction of the first transcontinental system. In 1862 Congress authorized two western railroad companies to build lines from Nebraska westward and from California eastward to a meeting point, so as to complete a transcontinental crossing linking the Atlantic seaboard with the Pacific. The Government helped the railroads generously with money and land. Actual work on this project began four years later. The Central Pacific Company, starting from California, used Chinese labor, while the Union Pacific employed crews of Irish laborers. The two groups worked at remarkable speed, each trying to cover a greater distance than the other. In 1869 they met at a place called Promontory in what is now the state of Utah. Many visitors came there for the great occasion. There were joyous celebrations all over the country, with parades and the ringing of church bells to honor the great achievement.
    The railroad was very important in encouraging Westward Movement. It also helped build up industry and farming by moving raw materials and by distributing products rapidly to distant markets. In linking towns and people to one another it helped unify the United States.  
The major problems with America’ s railroad system in the mid-19th century lay in
选项 A、lack of financial support for development
B、poor quality rails and unreliable stopping systems
C、limited railroad lines
D、lack of a transcontinental railroad
答案B
解析 本题为事实细节题，提问的是美国铁路系统在19世纪中期所面临的主要问题是什么。根据文章第一段第二、三、四句话，早期的火车是不实用的新奇玩意儿，很长一段时间铁路公司都遇到了麻烦的机械问题。最严重的是建造能承重的铁轨和开发安全有效的刹车系统。一旦这些问题解决了。铁路就成为陆上运输的最佳方式。由此可知，正确答案为B)。
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