四级考试阅读备考笔记（54）

　　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.

　　40. What most likely made people think about a transcontinental railroad?

　　A) The possibility of government support for such a task.

　　B) The need to explore Utah.

　　C) The need to connect the east coast with the west.

　　D) The need to develop the railroad industry in the west.

　　注：1.问题是建设跨洲铁路的目的

　　2.transcontinental 跨越大洲的 trans -- 跨越

　　A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement 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.

　　38. The best title for this passage would be ________

　　A) Settlements Spread Westward

　　B) The Coast-to-Coast Railroad: A Vital Link

　　C) American Railroad History

　　D) The Importance of Railroads in the American Economy

　　注：本文主题词：transcontinent railroad，A选项直接摘抄，C选项范围过大，D选项railroads范围过大

　　●文章标题题型：1.文章主题词必须在选项中出现

　　2.选项范围恰如其分，不可过大，亦不可过于细节

　　范围过大：选项本身范围过大;选项缺少文章中的限定词

　　范围过细：只出现某一段中心事物的选项

　　3.直接从文章首句或某句话摘抄词语编成的选项为干扰