transportation

A

本文词数:269参考时间:2′10″

In 1800, Thomas Jefferson was elected the third president of the United States. At that time the nation did not stretch all the way across the continent. Jefferson decided that a new transportation system would be needed to connect all the states. This system would involve roads, rivers and railroads, and also include the digging of waterways.

By the middle of 1800s, dirt roads had been built throughout the nation. The number of river steamboats had increased, and boats had also traveled along manmade canals1, strengthening the national economy.

Then America began to build railroads. Many people did not believe train technology would work, but Jefferson believed railroads would become the most popular form of land transportation in the United States one day. Workers finished the first coast-to-coast railroad in 1869. Now towns and cities could develop far away from major waterways and the coasts. The railroad helped many industries, including agriculture, since farmers now had a new way to send wheat and grain to ports2, from which ships could carry the goods around the world. In nineteenth-century America, railroads were more than just transportation; they were a big part of the culture.

By the early 1900s, the electric trolley3 had become a common form of transportation within American cities. These vehicles4 ran on metal tracks built into the streets. Soon, however, people began to drive their own cars. By 1930, more than half the families in America had owned a car. For many, a car became a necessity, not simply an expensive toy. To deal with the changes, lawmakers had to pass new traffic laws and rebuild roads.

Notes:

1. canal n.运河

2. port n.港口

3. trolley n.电车

4. vehicle n.交通工具,车辆

词数:139处理时间:2′45″

Read the passage and choose the best answer for each question.

1. In this passage, which of the following events happened first?

A. Jefferson decided to build a new transportation system.

B. Americans built dirt roads throughout the country.

C. Thomas Jefferson became President of the US.

D. Boats began to travel along manmade canals.

2. Before railroads were built, how did people transport the goods?

A. They transported the goods on dirt roads and waterways.

B. They transported the goods by trolley.

C. They transported the goods by car.

D. They transported the goods only by boat.

3. Which of the following events happened last in the passage?

A. Trains became a big part of American culture.

B. More than half the families in America owned cars.

C. The first coast-to-coast railroad in the US was finished.

D. The electric trolley became a common form of transportation.

B

本文词数:228参考时间:2′10″

In 1863, the world’s first subway1 opened in London, the biggest city in the world at that time. This event marked the beginning of rail transport.

Unlike road and water transport with a history of many centuries, railways have a relatively short history of about 150 years. The iron2 rail and the steam locomotive3 developed separately. In the 18th century, wooden tracks were used to transport coal to rivers. Then these were replaced by iron ones, with greater durability4 and less friction5. In the second half of the 19th century, steel rails replaced the iron. In 1804, Richard Trevithick developed a high-pressure steam engine; later Stephenson improved the engine into a useful locomotive called the "Rocket", which formed the basis of the first steam-driven passenger railway in the world.

Britain led the world in railway construction, which then spread to other countries in Europe. Germany and France ranked 2nd and 3rd. By 1850, nearly 10,000 km of rails had been built in Europe. By 1910, the number had been 307,535 km.

In 1869, the trans-continental railway between New York and San Francisco opened. In 1881, another great railway, from Montreal to Vancouver, in Canada, was completed. In 1964, high-speed trains were produced in France, then in Japan, with operating speeds of more than 200 kph. Nowadays, the super train is able to go at up to 350 kph.

Notes:

1. subway n.地铁

2. iron n.铁

3. locomotive n.机车, 火车头

4. durability n.耐久性

5. friction n.摩擦

词数:91处理时间:1′57″

Read the passage and choose the best answer for each question.

1. Which of the following events happened first in the passage?

A. The steam engine was first used on trains.

B. Wooden tracks were used.

C. The iron rail was developed.

D. The first subway in the world opened in London.

2. Which of the following events happened last in the passage?

A. New York and San Francisco were connected by rail.

B. Richard Trevithick developed a high-pressure steam engine.

C. Trains that could travel at 350 kph appeared.

D. High-speed trains first appeared in France.

C

本文词数:217参考时间:2′00″

The first working airplane was designed, made, and flown by the Wright brothers. Their "Wright Flyer" was a cloth-covered airplane with a wooden frame. It was powered by a 12-horsepower water-cooled engine1.

On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers’" Flyer" flew for 12 seconds and a distance of 120 feet (37m) at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA.

The brothers were raised in Dayton, Ohio. Although they did not go to college, they had remarkable technical abilities. Before building their airplane, they had built a printing press2 and operated a bicycle repair and sales shop. They made their own bicycles. And then they spent the money they had earned in building their airplanes.

They began test flights in 1903. The engine stopped during a December 14 test. After three days of repairs, the plane accelerated3 on a track and flew into the air, staying up for 12 seconds; it flew 120 feet. That day, the brothers took turns flying the plane. On the last flight, they flew 852 feet over 59 seconds.

During the next few years, the brothers developed more advanced planes. They later formed the Wright Company, building and selling their own airplanes.

Now the Wright brothers’ famous airplane, the "Wright Flyer", is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., USA.

Notes:

1. engine n.发动机

2. printing press 印刷机

3. accelerate v.加速

词数:73处理时间:1′30″

Read the passage and choose the best answer for each question.

1. What did the brothers do before they built their planes?

A. They studied at university.

B. They were employed in a printing press company.

C. They repaired and sold bicycles.

D. They formed the Wright Company.

2. Which of the following events happened last?

A. The brothers made a test flight.

B. The brothers built a wooden plane.

C. The brothers developed more advanced planes.

D. The brothers started to sell airplanes.

阅读新题型

本文词数:347参考时间:5′00″

请将标有A-G的句子填入文章中标号1-5的合适位置,使文章意义完整,结构连贯；其中有两项是多余的。

In many of the world’s major cities, it would be difficult to imagine life without a subway. Signs, maps and station entrances are part of the urban landscape in cities like Paris, London and New York. (1) The London Underground has 275 stations throughout London. The New York City subway system has more than 450 stations packed into an area of 621.6 square kilometers.

On top of that, these subway systems have been around so long that most people can’t remember a time when they didn’t exist. (2) The first lines of the Paris Metro1 opened in 1900, and the New York City subway began operation in 1904.

These are some of the world’s most famous subways, and it’s no coincidence2 that they opened at about the same time. (3) During the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, more and more people were rushing into cities. (4) Rather than working on farms in the country, they could earn a living in factories in the city. People also came to the United States from Europe, causing the population of New York City to grow from fewer than one million people in 1870 to almost 3.5 million in 1900.

In London, city leaders eventually came to the conclusion that they’d have to build a new system of transportation to keep the city running. (5) Cities around the world followed London’s lead. Today there are more than 160 subway systems on the planet, most of which came into existence mainly because of overpopulation.

A. They all came into existence for the same basic reason.

B. Since there was no space above ground, the only choice was to put this system under the city.

C. In some areas, it seems that the subway is everywhere, even though you can’t see its tunnels3 from the street.

D. Today, the New York City subway system is in the middle of a great renovation4.

E. The Metro has a station within 500 meters of every building in Paris.

F. The world’s oldest subway, the London Underground, opened in January 1863

G. Technology was completely changing the way many people lived.

Notes:

1. metro n.地下铁路

2. coincidence n.偶然,巧合

3. tunnel n.隧道

4. renovation n.翻新,修复

第38期参考答案

A) 1-3 C A B

B) 1-2 B C

C) 1-2 C D

阅读新题型

1-5 E F A G B