首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
The Purchase of Alaska, a Real Deal A)Alaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the
The Purchase of Alaska, a Real Deal A)Alaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the
admin
2014-12-31
23
问题
The Purchase of Alaska, a Real Deal
A)Alaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait. As of 2007, Alaska remains the least densely populated state, with a population of 683,478.
B)The area that became Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire after Western Union discontinued construction of its first electric telegraph line which ran from California, up the coast of North America, across the Bering Strait, continuing to Moscow and into the European telegraph network. Despite $3 million in U.S. investment for the Russian-American telegraph expedition, work ceased upon the completion of the competing transatlantic telegraph cable. The U.S. realized the potential of continuing the line to Moscow and sent Secretary of State William H. Seward to negotiate with the Russian Ambassador to fund the remaining phases of the telegraph line. Russia did not see the potential in funding, so Alaska was offered in exchange for the value of the Russian-American telegraph. The Russians feared that if they did not sell Russian North America, it would be taken from them by the westward expansion of the United States and Canada. They tried to play one potential purchaser off against the other to start a bidding war, but this was largely unsuccessful.
C)The U.S. Senate approved the purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million at 2 cents per acre, about 5 cents per hectare. When adjusted for inflation, the total sum paid equates to approximately $111 million in today’ s dollars. The land went through several administrative changes before becoming an organized territory on May 11, 1912 and the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. The name "Alaska" was already introduced in the Russian colonial time, when it was only used for the peninsula and is derived from the Aleut alaxsxaq, meaning "the mainland", or more literally, "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed". It is also known as Alyeska, the "great land", an Aleut word derived from the same root.
D)The first European contact with Alaska occurred in the year 1741, when Vitus Bering led an expedition for the Russian Navy aboard the St. Peter. After his crew returned to Russia bearing the finest fur in the world, small associations of fur traders began to sail from the shores of Siberia towards the Aleutian Islands. The first permanent European settlement was founded in 1784, and the Russian-American Company carried out an expanded colonization program during the early to mid-1800s. New Archangel on Kodiak Island was Alaska’s first capital, but for a century under both Russia and the U.S. Sitka was the capital. The Russians never fully colonized Alaska, and the colony was never very profitable. William H. Seward, the U.S. Secretary of State, negotiated the Alaskan purchase in 1867 for $7.2 million. Alaska was loosely governed by the military for years, and was unofficially a territory of the United States from 1884 on.
E)In the 1890s, gold rushes in Alaska and the nearby Yukon Territory brought thousands of miners and settlers to Alaska. Alaska was granted official territorial status in 1912. At this time the capital was moved to Juneau.
F)During World War II, the Aleutian Islands Campaign focused on the three outer Aleutian Islands—Attu, Agattu and Kiska—that were invaded by Japanese troops and occupied between June 1942 and August 1943. Unalaska Harbor became a significant base for the U.S. Army Air Corps and Navy submariners.
G)The U.S. Lend-Lease program involved flying American warplanes through Canada to Fairbanks and thence Nome; Russian pilots took possession of these aircraft, ferrying them to fight the German invasion of Russia. The construction of military bases contributed to the population growth of some Alaskan cities.
H)Statehood was approved in 1958. Alaska was officially proclaimed a state on January 3,1959. In 1964, the massive "Good Friday Earthquake" killed 131 people and destroyed several villages, many by the resultant tsunamis. It was the second most powerful earthquake in the recorded history of the world, with a moment magnitude of 9.2. It was 100 times more powerful than the 1989 San Francisco earthquake. Luckily, the center of the earthquake was in an unpopulated area or thousands more would have been killed.
I)The 1968 discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay and the 1977 completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline led to an oil boom. In 1989, the Exxon Valdez hit a reef in the Prince William Sound, spilling over 11 million US gallons of crude oil over 1,100 miles(1,600 km)of coastline. Today, the battle between philosophies of development and conservation is seen in the contentious debate over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
J)The 2005 gross state product of Alaska was $39.9 billion, 45th in the nation. Its per-capita GSP for 2006 was $43,748, 7th in the nation. The oil and gas industry dominates the Alaskan economy, with more than 80% of the state’s revenues derived from petroleum extraction. Alaska’s main export product(excluding oil and natural gas)is seafood, primarily salmon, cod and crab. Agriculture represents only a fraction of the Alaskan economy.
K)Agricultural production is primarily for consumption within the state and includes dairy products, vegetables, and livestock. Manufacturing is limited, with most foodstuffs and general goods imported from elsewhere. Employment is primarily in government and industries such as natural resource extraction, shipping, and transportation. Military bases are a significant component of the economy in both Fairbanks and Anchorage. Federal subsidies are also an important part of the economy, allowing the state to keep taxes low. Its industrial outputs are crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, gold, precious metals, zinc and other mining, seafood processing, timber and wood products. There is also a growing service and tourism sector. Tourists have contributed to the economy by supporting local lodging.
Because of construction of military bases, population of some Alaskan cities grows larger.
选项
答案
G
解析
题干关键词为construction of military bases。文中G段提到,The construction of military bases contributed to the population growth of some Alaskancities,与题干意思一致,故选G。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/W6q7777K
0
大学英语四级
相关试题推荐
A、Hefeelsangry.B、Heneedsattention.C、He’stooquiet.D、He’sverynervous.B男士说,Mark的情况是他想被人注意,女士说这是文章中提到的下一种原因,即对于attention
A、Hismanneristoorudetobear.B、Hiswarrantyisoutofdate.C、Hedestroyedthepurchasepurposefully.D、Heusedthemachine
Itturnsoutthatagoodnight’srestisgoodforbusiness.One-thirdofAmericanworkersaren’tsleepingenoughtofunction
Itturnsoutthatagoodnight’srestisgoodforbusiness.One-thirdofAmericanworkersaren’tsleepingenoughtofunction
Itturnsoutthatagoodnight’srestisgoodforbusiness.One-thirdofAmericanworkersaren’tsleepingenoughtofunction
Itturnsoutthatagoodnight’srestisgoodforbusiness.One-thirdofAmericanworkersaren’tsleepingenoughtofunction
Itturnsoutthatagoodnight’srestisgoodforbusiness.One-thirdofAmericanworkersaren’tsleepingenoughtofunction
A、Peoplequittheirmothertonguebutspeakinotherlanguages.B、Kidsdon’tlearnthelocallanguageoftheirparentsanymore.
Mothersreallydofavourtheir"preciousfirstborns"overthechildrentheyhavelater,researchhasfound.Amongexamples
A、Herfather.B、Hermother.C、Herbrother.D、Hersister.A细节题。根据“…herfather,BertramFrank,wasamongthosewhodied”可知在事故中她的父亲去
随机试题
3岁儿童头颈部烧伤,其烧伤面积为
良恶性肿瘤在病理变化方面的区别丕包括
引起人类感染最常见的念珠菌是
急性胰腺炎时,下列关于血清淀粉酶测定的叙述,正确的是()。
( )计价是指按一定的基数乘系数的方法或自定义公式进行计算。
某框架结构大型综合楼,长156m,宽50m,建筑高度为52m,地下三层,地上12层,耐火等级为一级。该建筑北面12m处有一栋高度为30m的住宅楼,耐火等级为二级;西面10m处有一栋建筑高度为9m的百货商店,耐火等级为三级。设置的环形消防车道在东侧与该建筑外
有效资本监管的起点是商业银行自身严格的资本约束。()(2008年上半年)
政府向企业无偿划拨长期非货币性资产属于与收益相关的政府补助。()
下图为我国南极昆仑站、泰山站、长城站和中山站位置示意图。其中①为中山站,②为泰山站,③为昆仑站,④为长城站。昆仑站位于南极内陆冰盖最高点附近,海拔4087米。中山站位于长城站的()。
哲学家孔德认为:“人们必须认识到,人类进步能够改变的只是其速度,而不会出现任何发展顺序的颠倒或越过任何重要的阶段。”对他的这一看法,分析正确的有
最新回复
(
0
)