首页 > 学历类考试

题目内容（请给出正确答案）

[主观题]

The railroad industry could not have grown as large as it did without steel. The first rai

ls were made of iron. But iron rails were not strong enough to support heavy trains running at high speeds. Railroad executives wanted to replace them with steel rails because steel was ten or fifteen times stronger and lasted twenty times longer. Before the 1870's, however, steel was too expensive to be widely used. It was made by a slow and expensive process of heating, stirring and reheating iron ore.

Then the inventor Henry Bessemer discovered that directing a blast of air at melted iron in a furnace would burn out the impurities that made the iron brittle. As the air shot through the furnace, the bubbling metal would erupt in showers of sparks. When the fire cooled, the metal had been changed, or converted to steel. The Bessemer converter made possible the mass production of steel. Now three to five tons of iron could be changed into steel in a matter of minutes.

Just when the demand for more and more steel developed, prospectors discovered huge new deposits of iron ore in the Mesabi Range, a 120 long region in Minnesota near Lake Superior. The Mesabi deposits were so near the surface that they could be mined with steam shovels.

Barges and steamers carried the iron ore through Lake Superior to depots on the southern shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. With dizzying speed Gary, Indiana, and Toledo, Youngstown, and Cleveland, Ohio, became major steel manufacturing centers. Pittsburgh was the greatest steel city of ail.

Steel was the basic building material of the industrial age. Production skyrocketed from seventy seven thousand tons in 1870 to over eleven million tons in 1900.

According to the passage, the railroad industry preferred steel to iron because steel was ______.

A．cheaper and more plentiful

B．lighter and easier to mold

C．cleaner and easier to mine

D．stronger and more durable

查看答案

如果结果不匹配，请联系老师获取答案

您可能会需要：

重置密码查看订单联系客服

安装优题宝APP，拍照搜题省时又省心！

更多“The railroad industry could no…”相关的问题

第1题

The construction of the transcontinental railroad took ______.A．9 yearsB．7 yearsC．4 yearsD

The construction of the transcontinental railroad took ______.

A．9 years

B．7 years

C．4 years

D．3 years

点击查看答案

第2题

What most likely made people think about a transcontinental railroad？A．The possibility of

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.

点击查看答案

第3题

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

settlement(新拓居地) spread over 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 toad, 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.

The high point in railroad building came with the construction of the first transcontinental sys tem. In 1862 congress authorized two western railroad companies to build lines from Nebraska west ward 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 labourers. 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 honour the great achievement.

The railroad was very important in encouraging westward movement. It also helped build up industry and farming by moving raw materials and by distributing products rapidly to distant markets. In linking towns and people to one another it helped unify the United States.

The major problems with America' s railroad system in the mid-19th century lay in ______.

A．poor quality rails and unreliable stopping systems

B．lack of financial support for development

C．limited railroad lines

D．lack of a transcontinental railroad

点击查看答案

第4题

A century ago in the United States, when an individual brought suit against a company, pub

lic opinion tended to protect that company. But perhaps this phenomenon was most striking in the case of the railroads. Nearly half of all negligence cases decided through 1896 involved railroads. And the railroads usually won.

Most of the cases were decided in state courts, when the railroads had the climate of the times on their sides. Government supported the railroad industry; the progress railroads represented was not to be slowed down by requiring them often to pay damages to those unlucky enough to be hurt working for them.

Court decisions always went against railroad workers. A Mr. Farwell, an engineer, lost his right hand when a switchman's negligence ran his engine off the track. The court reasoned that since Farwell had taken the job of an engineer voluntarily at good pay, he had accepted the risk. Therefore the accident, though avoidable had the switchman acted carefully, was a "pure accident". In effect a railroad could never be held responsible for injury to one employee caused by the mistake of another.

In one case where a Pennsylvania Railroad worker had started a fire at a warehouse and the fire had spread several blocks, causing widespread damage, a jury found the company responsible for all the damage. But the court overturned the jury's decision because it argued that the railroad's negligence was the immediate cause of damage only to the nearest buildings. Beyond them the connection was too remote to consider.

As the century wore on, public sentiment began to turn against the railroads— against their economic and political power and high fares as well as against their callousness toward individuals.

Which of the following is NOT true in Farwell's case？

A．Farwell was injured because he negligently ran his engine off the track.

B．Farwell would not have been injured if the switchman had been more careful.

C．The court argued that the victim had accepted the risk since he had willingly taken his job.

D．The court decided that the railroad should not be held responsible.

点击查看答案

第5题

During a cattle drive, cowboys took a group of cows from a wild and open country toA．the W

During a cattle drive, cowboys took a group of cows from a wild and open country to

A．the West states and Texas

B．the cities of the East States

C．the people who eat beef in the cities

D．the railroad towns hundred miles away

点击查看答案

第6题

Building Renovation In cities across the United States, old factories,warehouses,schools,

Building Renovation

In cities across the United States, old factories,warehouses,schools, railroad stations and other buildings are being renovated for new uses. City planners and private investors are finding that good buildings, no matter how old, can be remodeled for new purposes. "If you'd asked someone four or five years ago whether he'd rent an apartment in an abandoned piano factory or clothing warehouse, he' d have thought you were crazy," says a New York architect. "Today, many people are eager to do it. " The, renovating may include a former city hall or courthouse changed into offices;a bank or church changed into a restaurant; or, as in Plains, Georgia, a railroad station used as a center for a presidential campaign.

Only a few decades ago, renovation was unpopular and generally far more expensive than taking down abandoned buildings, and starting from the beginning.A change began in the 1960s with a number of well-advertised projects, They included Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco,where an old chocolate factory was restored and made into shops and restaurants; Trolley Square in Salt Lake City, where abandoned car warehouses became a shopping mall;the Soho District of New York City, where unused warehouses were made into artists' studios and apartments.

What caused the change？ "One reason is nostalgia,"a San Francisco builder suggests."Maybe old is better than new, many people are saying, Feelings about preserving attractive or historic buildings have changed a great deal. " A second cause is economy. The cost of tearing down an old building and constructing a new one from nothing now has risen to the point where it is often less expensive to fix a solid older structure. Also builders realize that fixing up an existing building often requires no new permits, sewer lines, or water connections.

Even when the costs of restoration are the same as or a bit more than the costs of putting up a new building, fixing the old building may be better. A Boston architect says,"The advantage comes when you can develop a final project that is more desirable than a new building one with the right location, more space, more floor area, a special character, materials of a particular quality. " Gradually, architects and builders are developing knowledge about renovation and preservation, bringing imagination and creativity to the job．

第 41 题 In the United States, renovating old buildings_________

A．has had a long history

B．is becoming increasingly popular

C．is still unpopular

D．has just caught the fancy of architects and builders

点击查看答案

第7题

Blue jeans are probably the single most representative article of American clothing．They

were originally 26 by Jacob Davis，a tailor from Nevada， 27 ，together with dry-goods sales man Levi Strauss，patented the idea as 28 clothing for miners in l873．Blue jeaRs，also 29 as work clothing，spread among workers of all kinds in the late l9th and early 20th centuries， 30 among cowboys，farmers，loggers，and railroad workers．During the 1950s， 31 Marion Brando and James Dean made blue jeaRs 32 by wearing them in movies，and jeans be。came part of the 33 of teenagers’rebelling．In the l960s and 1970s，this fashion statement exploded as LevI’s 34 a fundamental part of the youth 35 focused on both civil rights and antiwar protests． 36 the late1970s，almost everyone in the United States wore blue jear, 37 youths all around the world sought after them． 38 designers began to create more complicated 39 of blue jeaRs and to 40 their fit，jeaRs began to express the American emphasis 41 informality and the importance of detail．By stressing the right label and 42 the right look，blue jeans， 43 their worker origins，satirically。represented the status consciousness of American fashion and the 44 to get close to the 45 fashion．In 1971，Levi Strauss＆Co．received the Coty Fashion Critics’Award，the highest award of the American fashion industry．回答下列各题：

A.invented

B.introduced

C.developed

D.delivered

点击查看答案

第8题

In cities across the United States, old factories, warehouses, schools railroad statio

ns and other buildings are being renovated for new uses.City planners and private investors are finding the good buildings, no matter how old, can be remodeled for new purposes.“If you’d asked someone four or five years ago whether he’d rent an apartment in an abandoned piano factory of clothing warehouse, he’d have thought you were crazy,” says a New York architect.“Today, many people are eager to do it.” The renovating may include a former city hall or courthouse changed into offices; a bank or church changed into a restaurant; or , as in Plains, Georgia, a railroad station used as a center for a presidential campaign.

Only a few decades ago, renovation was unpopular and generally far more expensive than taking down abandoned building and string from the beginning.A change began in the 1960s with a number of well-advertised projects.They included Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, where an old chocolate factory was restored and made into shops and restaurants, Trolly Square in Salt Lake, where unused warehouses were made into artists’ studios and apartments.

What caused the change？ “One reason is nostalgia,” a San Francisco builder suggests.“Maybe old is better than new, many people are saying.Feelings about preserving attractive or historic buildings have changed a great deal.” A second cause is economy.The cost of tearing down an old building and constructing a new one from nothing now has risen to the point where it is often less expensive to fix a solid older structure.Also builders realize that fixing up an existing building often requires no new permits, sewer lines, or water connections.

Even when the costs of restoration are the same as or a bit more than the costs of putting up a new building, fixing the old building may be better.A Boston architect says The advantage comes when you can develop a final project that is more desirable than a new building – one with the right location, more space, more floor area, a special character, materials of a particular quality.” Gradually, architects and builders are developing knowledge about renovation and preservation, bringing imagination and creativity to the job.

16.In the United States, renovating old buildings_____.

A.has had a long history

B.is becoming increasingly popular

C.is still unpopular

D.has just caught the fancy of architects and builders

17.Ghirardelli Square, Trolley Square, and the Soho district are projects that_________.

A.have been given much publicity

B.are little known to the public

C.have been widely discussed among builders and city planners

D.have changed the building business

18.“Nostalgia” in the 3rd paragraph most probably means________.

A.being conservative

B.being keen on saving money

C.being fond of things new

D.being fond of things of the remote past

19.Which of the following statements is true？

A.Every old building can be renovated for new uses

B.Renovating old buildings is always less costly than putting up new ones

C.Renovation does not require imagination and creativity

D.Fixing an old building may have advantages even when it costs a little more

点击查看答案

第9题

The first hotels were very different from today's hotels. They were small inns built along

the road. Later, as people began to travel by train, hotels were built in the centers of large cities. Usually located near railroad stations, these hotels were many stories tall and had hundreds of rooms.

Although trains were a popular means of travel for some time, automobiles slowly began to take their place. Automobile travel caused problems for city hotels, which did not have enough parking space for so many cars.

People who traveled by automobile needed a different kind of hotel. They needed places to stay that were near highways and had room to park. Motorists did not like to drive in heavy city traffic to reach a hotel. The answer to the motorists' problems came when a new kind of hotel was built. These new buildings were called motels, a word made from the first part of MOTORIST and the last part of HOTELS.

Motels were much smaller than hotels. Built on ground level, often in separate units, they were more convenient for people traveling. The separate units also made them quieter than hotels, best of all, there was more than enough room for cars to park. ,

Now, many big hotels in the cities are being torn down. They can no longer make enough money to stay in business. In their place, many small motels have been built on the outskirts(近郊) of cities. Motels have become a big business in the United States.

The first hotels were built______.

A．with hundreds of rooms

B．around the city centers

C．near railway stations

D．quite close to roads.

点击查看答案

第10题

Anyone who has ridden on a railroad train knows how rapidly another train【36】by when it is

traveling in the【37】direction and conversely how it may look almost【38】when it is moving in the same direction.【39】a train at a station starts to move forward【40】gently that passengers feels no backward movement【41】.Then if they happened to【42】the window and see another train slide past on the next track, they have no way of knowing【43】train is in motion and which is at rest;【44】can they tell how fast either one is moving or in which direction The only way they can judge their【45】is by looking out the other side of the car for some fixed body of reference【46】the station platform. or a single fight. Newton was【47】these tricks of motion, only he thought in terms of ships. He knew that on a calm day at sea a sailor can shave himself or drink soup as【48】as when his ship is lying motionless in harbor. The water in his basin, the soup in his bowl, will remain【49】whether the ship is making five knots, 15 knots or 25 knots. So【50】he looks hard at the sea it will be【51】for him to know how fast his ship is moving or indeed if it is moving at all. Of course, if the sea should get rough or the ship changes course suddenly,【52】he will sense his state of motion. But even supposing that we have the idealized conditions of a glass calm sea and a silent ship, nothing that happens below decks -- no amount of observation or mechanical experiment performed inside the ship --will reveal its velocity through the sea. The physical【53】based on these facts was formulated by Newton in 1687."The motions of bodies included in a given space , he wrote, "are the same【54】themselves, whether that space is at rest or moves uniformly【55】in a straight line."

(66)

A．passes

B．goes

C．flashes

D．moves

点击查看答案

长沙图香大数据有限公司版权所有 ©2024

湘ICP备20011576号-2 营业执照

违法和不良信息举报电话：400-118-7898

举报/反馈/投诉邮箱：deng＃ujigu.com（请将＃替换成@）