Passage5Arapidmeansoflong-dist-考网

Passage 5

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.

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.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 best title for this passage would be（　　）.

A.Settlements Spread Westward
B.The
C.ast-to-Coast Railroad:A Vital LinkCAmerican Railroad History
D.The Importance of Trains in the American
E.onomy

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答案： B

本题解析：

浏览全文可知本文主要讲横贯美国东西部的铁路，文章在末段点明主题，即这条铁路对美国东西部的发展起到了a vital link（非常重要）的作用。选项A表述明显错误；选项C：美国铁路历史，属于易错项，文中并未全面讲述美国铁路发展的历史；D项：铁路对美国经济所起的作用，是泛指美国所有的铁路，表述不恰当。故正确答案是选项B。