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

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

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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 best title for this passage would be______.
选项 A、Settlements Spread Westward
B、The Coast-to-Coast Railroad; A Vital Link
C、American Railroad History
D、The Importance of Trains in the American Economy
答案B
解析 本题是一道涉及文章最佳标题类问题。利用浏览式阅读法通读全文，根据文章的主要内容和重点词句，我们可以推断出本题的正确答案应是B“连接两海岸的铁路系统：重要的连接”。此题难度较大。虽然文章第一段第一句中提到了美国西部拓居地发展得很快，但这不是本文论述的中心，故选项A是错的。选项D也不合适，因为作者在第三段第二句里谈到的是在美国经济上起重要作用的横贯美国的铁路系统，而不是泛指美国的铁路。文章并未全面论述美国铁路的历史，故选项C也是错的。本文的第三段点出了文章的主旨，即这条横贯美国的铁路在开发西部、发展工农业生产和统一美国等方面起到了关键的连接作用。因此，答案应该是选项B。
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