Before the mid 1860's, the impact of the railroads in the United States was limited, in the sense that the tracks ended at this Missouri River, approximately the center of the country. At the point thetrains turned their freight, mail, and passengers over to steamboats, wagons, and stagecoaches. This meant that wagon freighting, stage coaching, and steam boating did not come to an end when the first train appeared; rather they became supplements or feeders. Each new "end of track" became a center for animal drawn or waterborne transportation. The major effect of the railroad was to shorten the distance that had to be covered by the older, slower, and more costly means. Wagon freighters continued operating throughout the 1870's and 1880's and into the 1890's. Although over constantly shrinking routes, and coaches and wagons continued to crisscross the West wherever the rails had not yet been laid. The beginning of a major change was foreshadowed in the later 1860's, when the Union Pacific Railroad at last began to build westward from the Central Plains city of Omaha to meet the Central Pacific Railroad advancing eastward from California through the formidable barrier of the Sierra Nevada. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the original Pacific Railroad bill in 1862 and a revised, financially much more generous version in 1864, little construction was completed until 1865 on the Central Pacific and 1866 on the Union Pacific. The primary reason was skepticism that a Railroad built through so challenging and thinly settled a stretch of desert, mountain, and semiarid plain could pay a profit. In the words of an economist, this was a case of "premature enterprise", where not only the cost of construction but also the very high risk deterred private investment. In discussing the Pacific Railroad bill, the chair of the congressional committee bluntly stated that without government subsidy no one would undertake so unpromising a venture; yet it was a national necessity to link East and West together. What can be inferred about coaches and wagon freighters as the railroad expanded? A) They developed competing routes. B) Their drivers refused to work for the railroads. C) They began to specialize in private investment. D) There were insufficient numbers of trained people to operate them.
D
(Question)
The mobile phone rule is just common polite behavior. Most people today have a mobile phone. In fact, many people can't imagine how they ever get along without them. However, many people also complain about mobile phone users. People complain about other people loudly discussing personal matters in public places. They complain when mobile phones ring in movie theaters and concert halls. They complain about people driving too slow, and paying no attention to where they are going because they are talking on a mobile phone. And they complain about people walking around talking to people who aren't there. Whenever a new communication technology becomes popular, it changes the way in which society is organized. Society has to invent rules for the polite way to use the new devices . Our rules of politeness for mobile phones are still evolving(;). The mobile phone rule applies to most public places. Always try to have your phone ring as low as possible or put your mobile phone on the vibration mode, so _ does not distract the people around you. The basic mobile phone rule includes: 1. Switch it off: Turn it off when you have meetings, worship, and so on. 2. Be brief: When you get a call and you're with friends, keep the call short. 3. Permission: Often, it is correct and polite behavior to inform others at the beginning of the meeting that you are expecting an important call and get their permission. 4. Be polite: Don't scream -- speak in a lower-than-normal voice. 5. Don't distract: Avoid talking where you may be distracting to others. 6. Driving: It is not only very dangerous, but also unlawful in most countries to drive and talk on your mobile phone. According to this passage, we can know that the rules for mobile phones are _ . A) far from our satisfaction B) getting worse C) making people disappointed D) developing gradually
(Answer)
D
Ques: Mary Allen was my best friend- like the sister I ever had. We did everything together : piano lessons, movies, swimming, and horseback riding. When I was 13, my family moved away. Mary and I kept in touch through letters and we saw each other on special occasions- like my wedding and Mary's. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back stamped "Address Unknown". Over the years, I thought of Mary often. I wanted to share stories of my children and then grandchildren. And I needed to share my sorrow when my brother and then mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Mary could fill. One day I was reading the newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked a lot like Mary and whose last name was Wagman- Mary's married name. "There must be thousands of Wagman. "I thought, but I wrote to her anyway. She called as soon as she got my letter. "Mrs Tobin!"she said excitedly. "Mary Allen Wagman "is my mother. Minutes later I heard a voice that was recognized instantly, even after 40 years. We laughed and cried and caught up on each others lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And theres one thing that Mary and I know for sure: We don't lose each other again. The best title of the passage is _ A) My Good Friend B) Friend Again- Forever C) An Important Friend D) Friends Like the brother
Ans: B
Matt and his wife lived in the country. Matt was very mean and hated spending money. One day a fair came to the nearby town. They went to the fair and looked at all the things to buy. Matt's wife wanted to buy a hat only costing $28, but was refused. Later on, a comb of $5 attracted her attention, but he would not let her spend any money. Then, in a nearby field, they saw a small airplane. "Fun flight!" the notice said, "$10 for 10 minutes." Matt had never been in an airplane and he wanted to go on a fun flight. However, he didn't want to pay for his wife either. "I've only got $10," he told the pilot. "Can my wife come with me for free?" The pilot wasn't selling many tickets, so he said, "I'll make a bargain with you. If your wife doesn't scream, she can have a free flight." Matt agreed, and got into the small airplane with his wife. The pilot took off and made his airplane do all kinds of things. At one moment it was flying upside down. When the plane landed, the pilot said, "OK, your wife didn't make a sound. She can have her ride free." "Thank you," Matt said, "it wasn't easy for her, you know, especially when she fell out." The passage is intended to _ . A) teach readers a lesson B) attract tourists C) make readers laugh D) praise the couple
C