▉As the American economy developed in the early nineteenth century- -particularly during the Jacksonian Era (named for Andrew Jackson, president in the 1830s)- -transportation improvements played a crucial role, with the construction of better roads, the creation of the first railroad lines, and the digging of canals.▉ Of all these developments, the Erie Canal had the greatest immediate impact because it provided the first all-water route directly connecting the Great Lakes and the rapidly growing Midwest to the major eastern seaport at New York City. ▉The canal proved SO successful that it set off a wave of canal building across the country; cities like Baltimore and Philadelphia and states from Virginia to Illinois eagerly sought to imitate New York and tap into the profitable trade that was flowing between its cities of Buffalo and Troy and down the Hudson River to New York City.▉
1.The word”imitate” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A.copy
B.join
C.get help from
D.compete with
2.According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true of the Erie Canal?
A.It was the first major transportation improvement during the Jacksonian Era.
B.It allowed trade to be conducted between New York City and the Midwest by water.
C.It had a smaller impact on the economy than the construction of better roads did.
D.It was soon linked with older canals that already existed across the country.
The Erie Canal not only carried manufactured goods westward and transported western produce eastward; it also became the passageway for thousands of native-born white Americans and European immigrants into the upper reaches of New York and Pennsylvania and, beyond that, into the burgeoning midwestern states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. Along its course, boom towns like Utica, Syracuse, and Rochester (cities in the state of New York) sprang up to supply the great migration and take advantage of the growing trade that flowed back and forth along its heavily traveled canal towpaths. As New York’s success invited emulation, members of Congress and the Jackson administration were sent many requests for federal funding to help build roads, canals, and railroads in other parts of the country. Most of these requests were turned down with the reminder that New York had constructed its canal system with its own state funds.
3.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.The Erie Canal was not used for transporting goods as much as was used for transporting European immigrants into the upper reaches of New York and Pennsylvania.
B.In addition to transporting goods east and west, the Erie Canal was an important passageway for transporting immigrants and other Americans into New York and the midwestern states.
C.Native-born white Americans and European immigrants began to use the Erie Canal for transporting manufactured goods into the midwestern states and western produce into New York.
D.Thousands of native-born white Americans and European immigrants began moving into the upper reaches of New York and beyond as they realized the Erie Canal’s importance in carrying goods.
4.According to paragraph 2, which of the following did NOT contribute to the rapid growth of Utica, Syracuse,and Rochester?
A.Construction funding from the state of New York
B.Money provided by Congress and the Jackson administration
C.Increasing commerce along the Erie Canal
D.Large numbers of migrants traveling to regions in the West
The canal craze slowed appreciably by the late 1830s. Canals were costly to build ($20,000-$30,000 per mile and upward) and maintain. Both winter weather and recurrent flood damage interrupted the flow of traffic. Financial returns were inadequate. Most significant of all, steam-powered railroads appeared just a few years after the canals. When boom times ended with the Panic of 1837, followed by six years of economic depression, Pennsylvania and Indiana stood virtually bankrupt, while states like Ohio found themselves in financial difficulty because of their overextended investments in canal building. The canal boom halted around 1840, by which time the United States had built 3,326 miles of canals at a cost of roughly $125 million, or $37 ,580 per mile. Railroad construction, by contrast, had already reached 3,328 miles at an average Cost of $17,000 per mile. Although most lines existed in the Northeast, railroads could be found in all parts of the country by the 1840s, and no end was in sight. By then, no one questioned that the “iron horse” represented the wave of the future.
5.The word “inadequate” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A.lost
B.uncertain
C.getting lower
D.not enough
6.In paragraph 3 ,why does the author provide the information that the average cost of railroad construction was $17,000 per mile?
A.To emphasize that railroads were cheaper to build than canals
B.To suggest that railroad construction was one reason behind the financial difficulties of some states
C.To indicate that the government had spent more money on railroad construction than expected
D.To demonstrate why more railroad lines were built in the Northeast compared with other parts of the country
7.What can be inferred from paragraph 3 about steam-powered railroads?
A.They were introduced shortly after the canal boom ended.
B.They allowed states like Pennsylvania,Indiana,and Ohio to avoid economic depression.
C.They were an attractive transportation alternative to canals.
D.They spread to the Northeast after originating in another part of the country.
In addition to costing less to build,rail lines could serve areas that could not be reached by boats or barges in either the drought of summer or the freezing of winter. And although canals and steamboats could ship goods more cheaply railroads provided much faster service. Whereas horse- and mule-drawn freight wagons and canal boats averaged around two miles an hour, freight trains and steamboats averaged around twelve. More important,because railroads,unlike steamboats and canals,could be built more directly from one geographic point to another, they saved even more time than their travelling speeds suggest. During the 1850s,for example,a trip from Cincinnati to New York City by (horse-drawn)freight wagon could take forty to fifty days or more, depending on weather conditions. The same goods shipped downriver by steamboat to New Orleans and then by packet ship to New York required twenty-eight days, while those shipped on the Ohio canal system across Lake Erie to the Erie Canal and down the Hudson took eighteen. Railroads, by contrast, required only six to eight days, thus cutting the time by more than half that of their closest waterborne competitors.
8.According to paragraph 4 ,what advantage did canal transport have over railroad and steamboat transport?
A.Faster travel speeds during certain times of the year
B.More direct connections between major geographic points
C.Better access to some areas in extreme weather
D.A cheaper cost of shipping
9.Look at the four squares[ █ ]that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.Where would the sentence best fit?
After the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825,the city of New York witnessed significant economic growth.
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.Scientists have tried to explain where Earth’s water came from and why it is salty.
A.During the Jacksonian era,states and cities were highly encouraged to follow the example of New York and apply for funding to build more Canals.
B.The economic success of the Erie Canal resulted in a canal craze that caused many cities throughout America, like Baltimore and Philadelphia, to build more canals
C.Compared to canals and many other means of transportation, railroads were a more efficient means of transportation since trains traveled relatively quickly.
D.The building of the Erie Canal negatively affected some American cities by taking businesses away from those cities and redirecting them to New York.
E.Increased interest in building canals throughout America slowed down during the late 1830s as a result of the financial challenges associated with constructing canals.
F.Because of increased economic pressures and the proven success of the canal system,it took a long time for many American cities to adopt railroads as their main means of transportation.
答案：
