The development of land and water transportation systems was crucial for the economic growth of the United States. One of the most important advances came in the form of steamboats in the early 1800s, beginning with Robert Fulton’s paddle-wheel steamboat Clermont in 1807, and soon afterward steamboats traveled regular routes on major rivers and lakes, Thirteen years after Fulton’s feat, the number of steamboats plying the Ohio and Mississippi river systems reached 69; it rose to 187 in1830 and 536 in 1850. Not only could steamboats go upriver far more easily but by the mid-1820s, they could also travel up to 100 miles a day, whereas other boats could achieve 20 miles only under good conditions. The emergence of steamboats also helped spread knowledge of engines and precision metallurgy, especially along the Ohio River and its tributaries.
1.According to paragraph 1, what was one important advantage of steamboats over other boats?
A.Steamboats could travel up to 20 miles per day.
B.Steamboats were able to maintain regular routes on major lakes as well as rivers.
C.Steamboats were much better at traveling upriver
D.Steamboats could more easily be produced in large numbers.
Canals complemented steamboats to link distant parts of the far-flung nation. The most notable of the large number of canals built during this era was the Erie Canal,financed by the state of New York. Stretching 363 miles,the canal was completed in 1825. By joining the Hudson River and Lake Erie, it crossed the Appalachian Mountains to link the port of New York with markets hundreds of miles in the interior and vice versa. Because of the expense of building and maintaining canals, the vast distances to be traversed, the limited tax revenues of local and state governments in the United States, and the emergence of the railroad as a transportation rival, less than 3.400 miles of canals were built during the era of the Industrial Revolution. Canals linked several key hubs like the Great Lakes and the river systems of the Midwest, but the exorbitant cost of building-an average of $37,580per mile-ensured the dominance of the railroad.
2.According to paragraph 2, the Erie Canal was built to
A.create a transportation rival to the railroads
B.link the Hudson River and Lake Erie with the new railroad lines
C.demonstrate that canals could be built at an affordable price
D.link the interior of the United States with the port of New York
3.Paragraph 2 suggests which of the following about railroads?
A.They appeared in the Midwest before canals did.
B.They were less expensive to build than canals were.
C.They helped connect various canal and river systems during the Industrial Revolution.
D.They dominated important hubs such as the Great Lakes, making canal construction unnecessary
If steamboats and canals boosted the market access and hence the profitability, of vast sections of the continent, the railroad generalized this process by expanding the area of land that could be profitably exploited almost to infinity. ▉The railroad emerged as a viable technology around 1815 due to the constant improvement of the high-pressure steam engine by British engineers. ▉Based on this technological advance, as team locomotive traveled between the British cities of Liverpool and Manchester in 1830 at the unprecedented speed of 16 miles an hour. ▉The enormous financial success of this line spawned imitators and encouraged governments to support railroad building. From the start.United States companies bought British engines, but they had to be adapted to American conditions.▉
4.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.
A.By increasing market access, steamboats and canals made large sections of the continent almost infinitely profitable.
B.By generalizing the process begun by steamboats and canals, the railroad expanded profitable market access to almost everywhere on the continent.
C.Boosting the market access of vast sections of the continent, whether by steamboat and canal or by railroad, greatly increased profitability.
D.While the railroad expanded the area of land that could be reached almost to infinity, steamboats and canals were more effective at increasing profitability
5.The word “unprecedented” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A.never before achieved
B.not consistently maintained
C.unbelievable
D.unconfirmed
The enormous transport needs of the United States found their outlet in the railroad. By 1865, thanks to the support of various states and the federal government as well as the initiative of private citizens, the United States had 35,000 miles of railroad track, 3.5 times that of Great Britain. Yet the 10,000 miles of British track constituted a dense web; this was not the case in the United States. For Americans, because of the regional concentration of industry and the reliance on water power, the railroad was often the first tangible sign of the Industrial Revolution.
6.According to paragraph 4, all of the following statements are true about the United States rail system in the mid-1860s EXCEPT:
A.It included more than three times as many miles of track as the British rail system did
B.It was funded by both private and governmental sources.
C.It encouraged an increased regional concentration of industry.
D.It consisted of a less dense network of track than the British railroad.
In the United States and other developing industrial nations, railroads had particularly powerful economic and social effects. By lowering the cost of transporting heavy goods, increasingly remote areas became part of the global economy. Manufactured goods and raw materials flowed much more easily, rapidly, and, most importantly, much more cheaply than ever before. Before the railroad, the paper industry of western Massachusetts paid 8 to 24 cents per ton-mile to get its goods to market. In 1865, freight charges had dropped to4.5 cents per ton-mile, and with the growing speed and ease of access, it no longer had to maintain large inventories in storage. With markets widening and costs falling, larger and larger factories could be built, allowing greater and greater potential profits. The ease and relative affordability of transportation meant that industrial production now could be moved away from the sources of raw materials, As a result, cities grew at an accelerated pace.
7.In paragraph 5, why does the author discuss changes in the paper industry of western Massachusetts during or before 1865 ?
A.To provide evidence that the paper industry in this area had become a part of the global economy due to the railroads
B.To support the claim that railroads made the flow of manufactured goods easier, quicker, and cheaper
C.To illustrate how manufacturers spent the greater profits they made as a result of railroad transportation
D.To explain why manufacturers of heavy goods were able to transport their products to warehouses for storage
8.Paragraph 5 mentions which of the following as one way in which railroads contributed to the growth of cities?
A.Railroads removed the necessity for industries to be located close to the sources of their raw materials.
B.Railroads made industries more profitable by allowing manufactured goods to be sold in remote areas.
C.Railroads made it more affordable for people to travel to cities to work in industries.
D.Railroads enabled industries located in cities to become part of the global economy
9.Look at the four squares[ █ ]that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.Where would the sentence best fit?
However, advances in steam technology and considerable financial support were needed to create a successful rail system.
10.Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the 3 answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. (This question is worth 2 points.) Drag your choices to the spaces where they belong. To review the passage, click on view text.The development of systems in the first half of the 1800s caused economic growth in the United States.
A.The emergence of the steamship combined with the building of canals linking major lakes and river systems gave many areas of the country access to ports and greatly expanded markets.
B.Money made from railroads increased competition in steam technology between Britain and America and led to there placement of British engines with ones designed for American conditions.
C.The British high-pressure steam engine made railroads an effective technology, and their relatively low cost and high profitability gave them an enormous advantage over canals.
D.Because of the way railroad construction was funded in the United States, more track was built in remote areas of the country than was the case in Great Britain.
E.During the Industrial Revolution canals were built to link markets all across the United States, and industries sprang up all along the major routes
F.Railroads enabled manufactured goods and raw materials to be transported great distances relatively rapidly and cheaply giving industries access to far wider markets and greater
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