In the United States, railroads spearheaded thesecondphaseof thetransportationrevolutionby overtaking thepreviousimportance of canals. The mid-1800s saw a greatexpansionof American railroads. Themajorcities east of the Mississippi River were linked by a spiderweb ofrailroadtracks. Chicago's growth illustrates theimpactof these rail links. In 1849 Chicago was a village of a few hundred people withvirtuallyno rail service. By 1860 it had become a city of 100,000, served by eleven railroads. Farmers to the north and west of Chicago no longer had to ship theirgrain,livestock, anddairyproducts down the Mississippi River to New Orleans; they could now ship their products directly east. Chicago supplanted New Orleans as theinteriorof America's maincommercialhub.

The east-west rail lines stimulated thesettlementand agriculturaldevelopmentof the Midwest. By 1860 Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin had replaced Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York as theleadingwheat-growing states. Enabling farmers to speed their products to the East, railroads increased the value of farmland and promotedadditionalsettlement. In turn,populationgrowth in agricultural areas triggeredindustrialdevelopmentin cities such as Chicago, Davenport (Iowa), and Minneapolis, for the new settlers neededlumberfor fences and houses and mills togrindwheat intoflour.

Railroads also propelled the growth of small towns along their routes. The Illinois CentralRailroad, which had moretrackthan any otherrailroadin 1855, made money not only from its traffic but also from realestatespeculation. Purchasing land for stations along itspath, the Illinois Central then laid out towns around the stations. Theselectionof Manteno, Illinois, as a stop of the Illinois Central, for example, transformed the site from a crossroads without a single house in 1854 into abustlingtown of nearly a thousand in 1860, replete with hotels, lumberyards,grainelevators, and gristmills. By theCivilWar (1861-1865), few thought of the railroad-linked Midwest as afrontierregionor viewed its inhabitants as pioneers.

As the nation's first big business, the railroads transformed theconductof business. During the early 1830s, railroads, like canals, depended onfinancialaid fromstategovernments. With the onset ofeconomicdepressionin the late 1830s, however,stategovernments scrapped overlyambitiousrailroadprojects. Convinced that railroads burdened them with high taxes and blasted hopes, voters turned againststateaid, and in the early 1840s, several states amended their constitutions to barstatefunding for railroads and canals. Thefederalgovernmenttook up some of theslack, butfederalaid did not provide amajorstimulusto railroads before 1860. Rather, part of the burden offinancepassed to city andcountygovernments in agricultural areas that wanted toattractrailroads. Suchmunicipalgovernments, for example, often gave railroads rights-of-way, grants of land for stations, and public funds.

Thedramaticexpansionof therailroadnetwork in the 1850s, however, strained the financingcapacityoflocalgovernments and required a turn toward private investment, which had never been absent from the picture. Wellawareof theeconomicbenefits of railroads, individuals living near them had long purchasedrailroadstockissued by governments and had directly boughtstockin railroads, often paying by contributing their labor to building the railroads. But the large railroads of the 1850s needed more capital than such small investors couldgenerate. Gradually, the center ofrailroadfinancing shifted to New York City, and in fact, it was therailroadboomof the 1850s that helped make Wall Street in New York City the nation's greatest capitalmarket. The stocks of all theleadingrailroads were traded on the floor of the New YorkStockExchangeduring the 1850s. Inaddition, the growth of railroads turned New York City into the center of modern investment firms. The investment firms evaluated thestockof railroads in the smaller American cities and then found purchasers for these stocks in New York City,Philadelphia, Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Hamburg. Controlling the flow of funds to railroads, the investment bankers began toexertinfluence over the railroads'internalaffairs by supervising administrative reorganizations in times of trouble.

Questions:
question_stem: According to paragraph 1, what effect did the expansion of rail links have on Chicago?
choices: tag: A
text: Chicago became the headquarters for eleven new railroads

tag: B
text: Chicago became the most important city east of the Mississippi River

tag: C
text: Chicago was transformed from a village into a large city

tag: D
text: Chicago replaced eastern cities as the main buyer of farm products from the region
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】
根据第1段，铁路连接的扩张对芝加哥产生了什么影响？
A: 芝加哥成为11条新铁路的总部
B: 芝加哥成为密西西比河以东最重要的城市
C: 芝加哥从一个村庄变成了一个大城市
D: 芝加哥取代东部城市成为该地区农产品的主要买家
答案: C

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】：本题为细节题，根据题干中的关键词“Chicago”，我们定位到第一段第四句话“Chicago's growth illustrates the impact of these rail links.” 这句话之后的内容都与芝加哥有关，主要描述铁路对芝加哥发展的影响，使芝加哥从一个小村庄变成了大城市，让芝加哥的农民能更快地将农产品运往东部。

【逻辑分析】：文中第一段表明芝加哥从一个村庄变成了一个大城市

【选项分析】：
A 选项：芝加哥成为了11条新铁路的总部。错误。因为根据选项中关键词“eleven new railroads”，我们定位到第一段第6句话“By 1860 it had become a city of 100,000, served by eleven railroads.”文章只是说到芝加哥在发展为大城市后，有11条铁路贯穿其中，但并没有说芝加哥是11条铁路的总部，所以 A 选项错误。
B 选项：芝加哥成为了密西西比河东部最重要的城市。错误。根据选项中关键词“east of the Mississippi River”定位到第一段第3句“The major cities east of the Mississippi River were linked by a spider web of railroad tracks.”这句话说密西西比河以东的主要城市由蜘蛛网一样纷繁交错的铁轨连接起来，但是并没有提到芝加哥，所以 B 选项错。
D 选项：芝加哥代替东部城市成为了农产品的主要购买地。错误，因为文中完全未提及相关信息，文中只提到铁路使芝加哥北部和西部的农民可以直接将他们的产品运送到东部。所以 D 选项错误。

question_stem: Paragraph 2 supports the idea that Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin were able to become the leading wheat-growing states by 1860 in large part because
choices: tag: A
text: by 1860 there were more railroads in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin than in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York

tag: B
text: the expansion of east-west rail lines made transporting Midwestern products to East Coast markets relatively fast and easy

tag: C
text: by 1860 states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York had become more interested in industrial development than in agriculture

tag: D
text: most of the farmers who had grown wheat in Ohio, Pennsylvania, or New York resettled in the Midwest after the expansion of east-west rail lines
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】：第2段支持伊利诺伊州，印第安纳州和威斯康星州能够在1860年成为主要的小麦种植州的观点，这在很大程度上是因为？
A：到1860年，伊利诺伊州，印第安纳州和威斯康星州的铁路比俄亥俄州，宾夕法尼亚州和纽约州多
B: 东西铁路线的扩建使中西部产品运输到东海岸市场相对快速和容易
C: 到1860年，俄亥俄州，宾夕法尼亚州和纽约州等国家对工业发展的兴趣大于对农业的兴趣
D: 在东西铁路线扩建后，大部分在俄亥俄州，宾夕法尼亚州或纽约州种植小麦的农民在中西部重新定居

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】：根据题干中的关键词“Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin”，我们定位到第二段第2句话“By 1860 Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin had replaced Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York as the leading wheat-growing states.”伊利诺斯州、印第安纳州和威斯康星州成为了小麦的主要产地，正是对应第二段首句中所提到的，东西向铁路促进了 agricultural development。接着往下看第3句话“Enabling farmers to speed their products to the East, railroads increased the value of farmland and promoted additional settlement.” 第3句话就是对第2句话的具体解释：因为铁路能使农民能快速把农作物运到东部，所以伊利诺斯州、印第安纳州和威斯康星州称为了小麦的主要产地。

【逻辑分析】：第二段第三句与第二句关联，最后解释因为铁路能使农民能快速把农作物运到东部，所以伊利诺斯州、印第安纳州和威斯康星州称为了小麦的主要产地。

【选项分析】：
A 选项说伊利诺斯州、印第安纳州和威斯康星州比俄亥俄州、宾夕法尼亚州和纽约市有更多的铁路。但原文中并未提及这层比较关系，故排除。
只有 B 选项符合原文，故为正确答案。
C 选项说到1860年，相比发展农业，俄亥俄州、宾夕法尼亚州和纽约市对发展工业更感兴趣。错误，因为原文中并未提到这层比较关系，文章只是说“In turn, population growth in agricultural areas triggered industrial development in cities such as Chicago, Davenport (Iowa), and Minneapolis” 意思是说农业地区的人口增长促进了一些地区的工业发展。故 C 选项错误。 
D 选项说俄亥俄州、宾夕法尼亚州和纽约市种小麦的农民在东西向铁路扩张之后，搬到中西部定居。该信息文章完全未提及，属于无中生有，故排除。

question_stem: The word "promoted" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: encouraged

tag: B
text: controlled

tag: C
text: promised

tag: D
text: predicted
answer_key: A
explanation: 【题目翻译】：文章中的“提升”一词的含义最接近?
A: 促进;支持
B: 控制
C: 允诺，许诺
D: 预言，预测

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与所选单词意思相近的单词，故判断本题为词汇题。。

【关键词定位】：词汇所在句“Enabling farmers to speed their products to the East, railroads increased the value of farmland and promoted additional settlement.

【词汇解析】: “promote”的意思是“促进，推进”，带到原句中，原句的意思是意思是“铁路使农民加快了将农产品运输到东部的速度，提升了耕地的价值，并催生出了许多新的定居点。”

【选项分析】：
A 选项“encourage”意思是“促进;支持”，意思符合，故为正确答案。
B 选项“control”意思是“控制”，意思不符，故排除。 
C 选项“promise”意思是“允诺，许诺”，意思不符，故排除。 
D 选项“predict”意思是“预言，预测”，意思不符，故排除。

question_stem: According to paragraph 2, one effect of the increased agricultural development in the Midwest was to
choices: tag: A
text: slow the rate at which population grew in many Midwestern cities

tag: B
text: increase the demand for industrial products from Midwestern cities

tag: C
text: encourage the extension of east-west rail lines to the Midwest

tag: D
text: reduce the pressure on Midwestern farmers to get their products to market faster
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】：根据第2段，中西部地区农业发展增加的一个影响是?
A: 减缓许多中西部城市人口增长的速度
B: 增加中西部城市对工业产品的需求
C: 鼓励将东西铁路延伸至中西部
D: 减轻中西部农民的压力，使他们的产品更快上市

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】：题目问中西部地区农业发展的一个作用是什么。我们定位到第二段第4句话“In turn, population growth in agricultural areas triggered industrial development in cities such as ……mills to grind wheat into flour” 意思是农业地区的人口增长促进了芝加哥、达文波特（美国艾奥瓦州）、明尼阿波利斯等城市的工业发展，因为新移民需要木材来建造栅栏和房屋，需要用磨坊来把小麦磨成面粉。

【逻辑分析】：文章第二段第四句话表明中西部地区农业发展增加中西部城市对工业产品的需求

【选项分析】：B 选项正确，因为 B 选项说农业发展的一个作用是，提升中西部城市对工业产品的需求。 
A 选项说农业发展减缓了中西部城市人口增长率，但是我们通过上述的第4句话，已经可以知道农业地区的人口数量是增加的，故 A 选项与原文矛盾，排除。
C 选项说农业发展能促进东西向铁路向中西部扩张。但是第二段首句就说“The east-west rail lines stimulated the settlement and agricultural development of the Midwest.”事实上，是铁路的扩张促进了农业的发展，C 选项的逻辑完全颠倒，故排除。 D 选项说可以减少中西部农民更快地将农作物运输到市场的压力。但这只是铁路发展能够促进农业发展的一个体现，并不是农业发展的作用，故排除。

question_stem: The author mentions "Manteno, Illinois" in order to
choices: tag: A
text: give an example of how railroads decided which small towns would be selected for stations

tag: B
text: illustrate the power of railroads to determine where towns would come into existence

tag: C
text: explain how some railroads were able to make more money from real estate speculation than from railroad traffic

tag: D
text: show how people's view of the Midwest as a frontier region had changed by the Civil War
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】：作者提到了“Manteno，Illinois”是为了什么？
A：一个例子，说明铁路如何决定哪些小城镇将被选为车站
B：说明铁路确定城镇将要存在的力量
C：解释一些铁路如何通过房地产投机赚取更多的钱，而不是铁路交通
D：展示人们对中西部作为边境地区的看法是如何被内战改变的

【判定题型】：根据题干问法“in rder to”， 可以判断本题为功能目的题

【关键词定位】：根据题干中的关键词“Manteno, Illinois”，定位到第三段第4句话“The selection of Manteno, Illinois, as a stop of the Illinois Central……lumberyards, grain elevators, and gristmills.”
 
【引用内容分析】：这句话描述了铁路公司在曼蒂诺建造了车站之后，该地从荒芜人烟的地区转变为繁华小镇。这句话是个具体的例子，例子都是用来证明观点句的，所以我们往前寻找观点句，看到第3句话“Purchasing land for stations along its path, the Illinois Central then laid out towns around the stations.”铁路公司沿着铁轨购买土地建造新的车站，接着就在车站的周围建造了城镇。而第4句话恰好就是第3句话的一个实证。

【选项分析】：
B 选项：说明铁路公司能够决定在城镇会出现在何地，是正确的。 
A 选项：举了一个例子证明铁路公司是如何选择小城镇来建造车站的。而事实上，曼蒂诺一开始不是小城镇，是一块荒地，是先建造了车站，才渐渐发展为城镇的。所以 A 选项不仅逻辑错误，也不是这个例子要说明的内容。
C 选项：说明一些铁路公司如何从房地产投资中赚取比从交通运输中赚取的更多的钱。但是，文中 not only…but also 这个结构表示并列，并没有比较关系。所以 C 选项逻辑错误，并不是这个例子要证明的内容。
D 选项：说明人类认为中西部地区是边疆地区的观点是怎样因内战而改变的，对应第3段最后一句，但是曼蒂诺的例子，和这句话并无联系，可以直接排除 D 选项。

question_stem: The word "bustling" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: commercial

tag: B
text: wealthy

tag: C
text: lively

tag: D
text: modern
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】文章中”繁忙的”义最接近以下哪个选项？
A: 商业的;贸易的
B: 富有的
C: 热闹的；生机勃勃的
D: 现代的

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与所选单词意思相近的单词，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】： “bustling”的意思是“繁忙的，熙熙攘攘的”,词汇在文中所在句“The selection of Manteno, Illinois, as a stop of the Illinois Central, for example, transformed the site from a crossroads without a single house in 1854 into a bustling town of nearly a thousand in 1860, replete with hotels, lumberyards, grain elevators, and gristmills.”的

【词汇解析】：bustling”的意思是“繁忙的，熙熙攘攘的”带到稳重的意思是：比如公司选择曼蒂诺（伊利诺斯州一处地名）建造了车站，使这个小村庄从1854年一个廖无人烟的岔道口转变为了1860年将近有一千人的繁华小镇，酒店、贮木场、谷物升降机、磨坊随处可见。” 

【选项分析】：
A 选项“commercial”的意思是“商业的;贸易的”，意思不符，故排除。
B 选项“wealthy”的意思是“富有的”,意思不符，故排除。 
C 选项“lively”的意思是“热闹的；生机勃勃的”，意思和 bustling 最接近，故为正确答案。
D 选项“modern”的意思是“现代的”，意思不符，故排除。

question_stem: The word "onset" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: possibility

tag: B
text: fear

tag: C
text: worsening

tag: D
text: start
answer_key: D
explanation: 【题目翻译】：段落中的“起始”一词的含义最接近以下哪个选项
A: 可能型
B：恐惧
C：恶化
d：启动

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与所选单词意思相近的单词，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】： “onset”的意思是“开始，动手”,词汇在文中所在句 “With the onset of economic depression in the late 1830s, however, state governments scrapped overly ambitious railroad projects.”

【词汇解析】：“onset”的意思是“开始，动手”，带入原文，句子的意思是
“然而，在19世纪30年代后期，经济大萧条的开始，使得州政府取消了规模过于宏大的铁路建设项目。” 

【选项分析】：
A 选项“possibility”的意思是“可能型”，意思不符，故排除。
 B 选项“fear”的意思是“害怕”，意思不符，故排除。
 C 选项“worsening”的意思是“恶化”，意思不符，故排除。
 D 选项“start”的意思是“开始”，意思符合，故为正确答案。

question_stem: According to paragraph 4, how were railroads affected by the economic depression in the late 1830s?
choices: tag: A
text: They lost important funding from state governments

tag: B
text: They began to realize that some of their projects were overly ambitious

tag: C
text: They had to compete with canals for government support

tag: D
text: They emerged as the nation's biggest business
answer_key: A
explanation: 【题目翻译】：根据第4段，1830年代后期铁路如何受到经济萧条的影响？
A:他们失去了州政府的重要资金
B：他们开始意识到他们的一些项目过于雄心勃勃
C：他们不得不与运河争夺政府支持
D：他们成为全美最大的企业

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】：根据题干中的关键词“economic depression”定位到第四段第3句“With the onset of economic depression in the late 1830s, however, state governments scrapped overly ambitious railroad projects.” 这句话之后的内容说的都是经济大萧条对铁路建设的影响，经济大萧条的开始，使得州政府取消了规模过于宏大的铁路建设项目。后文中提到“Convinced that railroads ……several states amended their constitutions to bar state funding for railroads and canals.” 说明选民反对政府为铁路建设提供财政援助，而且一些州修改了自己的宪法，禁止为铁路和运河建设提供国家资金。

【逻辑分析】：关键词所在句子表明州政府取消了规模过于宏大的铁路建设项目，后文句子也表明铁路公司失去了州政府提供的重要财政资金。

【选项分析】：
A 选项：铁路公司失去了州政府提供的重要财政资金。所以 A 选项正确。
B 选项：铁路公司意识到他们的项目过于宏大了，错误，因为文中只提到经济大萧条使得州政府取消了规模过于宏大的铁路建设项目。
C 选项：铁路公司要和运河建设一同竞争，为了获得政府的资金。文中完全未提及这一点，故排除。 
D 选项：铁路建设成为了美国最大的产业。这一点只在第1句“As the nation's first big business, the railroads transformed the conduct of business.”提到，但旨在强调铁路改变了企业经营方式，并不是为了说明铁路建设是美国最大的产业。而且，这也不是经济危机带来的影响。属于无关干扰信息，故排除

question_stem: 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.
choices: tag: A
text: Private investment in railroads began in the 1850s following the dramatic expansion of the railroad network, which had been financed by local governments

tag: B
text: Railroads' relations with local governments became strained in the 1850s, when railroads turned to private investors for financing to expand their capacity

tag: C
text: Local governments' limited capacity to finance railroad expansion was a long-standing problem that railroads solved in the 1850s by turning toward private investment

tag: D
text: When local governments could not adequately finance the railroads' dramatic expansion in the 1850s, private investment became increasingly important
answer_key: D
explanation: 【题目翻译】：下面哪个句子最能表达段落中突出显示的句子中的基本信息？ 不正确的选择会在重要方面改变含义或遗漏重要信息。
A：铁路网络的私人投资始于19世纪50年代铁路网络的急剧扩张，这是由地方政府资助的
B：铁路与地方政府的关系在19世纪50年代变得紧张，当时铁路向私人投资者寻求融资以扩大其产能
C：地方政府为铁路扩张提供资金的能力有限是铁路在19世纪50年代通过转向私人投资解决的一个长期问题
D：当地方政府无法为19世纪50年代铁路的大规模扩张提供充足的资金时，私人投资变得越来越重要

【判定题型】：根据题目问法，题目要求选择和所选句子意思逻辑都最为接近的句子，故判断本题为句子简化题。

【句子分析】：句子的意思是“然而，1850年铁路网络的急剧扩张，给当地政府的融资能力造成了不小的压力，铁路资金的需求转向了私人投资方向，而私人投资一直以来都是铁路资金来源的一部分。这与选项 D 句子的意思基本一致。

【选项分析】：
A 选项说“Private investment in railroads began in the 1850s following……”，认为私人投资是从19世纪50年代开始的，但是原句中说“……which had never been absent from the picture.”说明私人投资一直存在，所以 A 选项在语义上与原文矛盾，故排除。 
B 选项说“Railroads' relations with local governments became strained in the 1850s”，但是原文中并没有说铁路公司和政府的关系开始变得紧张，文中说的是“The dramatic expansion of the railroad network in the 1850s, however, strained the financing capacity of local governments”，意思是1850年铁路网络的急剧扩张，给当地政府的融资能力造成了不小的压力，所以 B 选项的这部分内容在文中并未提及，B 选项可以排除。 
C 选项说政府融资的局限性是一个长久以来的问题，在50年代通过转向私人投资的方式得到解决。但文中说是因为经济危机，才使政府融资困难，C 选项中的“long-standing problem”与原文矛盾；此外，原文并没有说私人投资就解决了融资问题，故 C 选项排除。
 D 选项说对于50年代的铁路扩张，地方政府的融资并不能完全满足铁路建设需求，因此私人投资就显得更加重要。符合原文，逻辑正确，主干完整，故为正确答案。

question_stem: Paragraph 5 supports which of the following ideas about people who held railroad stock?
choices: tag: A
text: Many of them were not particularly wealthy

tag: B
text: Many of them overestimated the economic benefits of railroads

tag: C
text: Most of them bought their stock for less than it was worth

tag: D
text: Most of them had been employed by a railroad
answer_key: A
explanation: 【题目翻译】：关于持有铁路股票的人，第5段支持以下哪些想法？
A: 他们中的许多人并不是特别富有
B：他们中的许多人高估了铁路的经济效益
C：他们中的大多数以低于它的价值购买了他们的股票
D：他们大多数都是铁路公司雇用的

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】：people who held railroad stock,持有股票的人， 对应文章第五段中持有股票的人大多是铁路公司雇佣的。对应原文：often paying by contributing their labor to building the railroads.

【逻辑分析】：文章第五段表明持有股票的人大多是铁路公司雇佣的，D 项表明了这个观点。

【选项分析】： A 选项说他们并非特别有钱，文中未正面提及，只说了公司需要比这些投资者更多的资金。
B 选项：他们高估了铁路公司的经济效益。文中未提及。
C 项他们以比实际价格更低的价钱买股票文中未提及。
D 项对应原文：often paying by contributing their labor to building the railroad

question_stem: According to paragraph 5, investment bankers were involved in all of the following EXCEPT
choices: tag: A
text: controlling the distribution of funds to railroads

tag: B
text: finding national and international buyers of railroad stock

tag: C
text: overseeing administrative changes of railroads when needed

tag: D
text: persuading the federal government to reinvest in railroads
answer_key: D
explanation: 【题目翻译】：
根据第5段，投资银行家参与以下所有事项除了以下哪个选项？
A：控制铁路资金的分配
B：寻找铁路库存的国内和国际买家
C：在需要时监督铁路的行政变更
D：说服联邦政府再投资铁路

【判定题型】：根据题干中出现的大写“EXCEPT”，可以判定本题为否定事实信息题，需要找出与原文信息不符的那个答案。

【关键词定位】：根据题干关键词”paragraph 5“, 可以将出题范围锁定在第五段。

【选项分析】：
A 选项对应第五段的最后一句中的“Controlling the flow of funds to railroads“，投资银行家控制资金流向铁路，符合原文，故排除。
B 选项对应这句话“The investment firms evaluated the stock of railroads in the smaller American cities and then found purchasers for these stocks in New York City, Philadelphia, Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Hamburg.“ 说明投资公司寻找国内国外的买家来买铁路股票，符合原文，故排除。
C 选项对应最后一句话中的“supervising administrative reorganizations”，选项中的“oversee”是就是原文中“supervise”的同义转换，符合原文故排除。 
D 选项：说服联邦政府重新投资铁路建设。在文中未提及，故为正确答案。

question_stem: The word "flow" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: promise

tag: B
text: growth

tag: C
text: movement

tag: D
text: source
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】：与文中“流动”意思最相近的单词是以下哪个选项？
A：许诺;希望
B：成长
C：活动，移动
D：根源

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与所选单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】：flow 的意思是“流动”,词汇在文中所在句 “Controlling the flow of funds to railroads, the investment bankers began to exert influence over the railroads' internal affairs by supervising administrative reorganizations in times of trouble.”

【词汇解析】：flow 的意思是“流动”，带入原文的意思是是“为了控制资金流向铁路，投资银行家们开始在困难时期通过监督行政重组的方式对铁路公司的内部事务施加影响。”

【选项分析】：
A 选项“promise”的意思是“许诺;希望”，意思不符，故排除。 
B 选项“growth”的意思是“生长;增长”，意思不符，故排除。
C 选项“movement”的意思是“活动，移动”意思最接近，故为正确答案。
D 选项“source”的意思是“根源”，意思不符，故排除。