Nineteenth-century writers in the United States, whether they wrote novels, short stories, poems or plays, were powerfully drawn to the railroad in its golden years. In fact, writers responded to the railroads as soon as the first were built in the 1830’s. By the 1850’s, the railroad was a major presence in the life of the nation. Writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David saw the railroad both as a boon(要求) to democracy(民主國家) and as an object of suspicion. The railroad could be and was a despoiler(掠奪者) of nature, furthermore, in its manifestation of speed and noise. It might be a despoiler of human nature as well. By the 1850’s and 1860’s, there was a great distrust among writer and intellectuals of the rapid industrialization of which the railroad was a leading force. Deeply philosophical historians such as Henry Adams lamented the role that the new frenzy for business was playing in eroding traditional values. A distrust of industry and business continued among writers throughout the rest of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth.
　 For the most part, the literature in which the railroad plays and important role belong to popular culture rather than to the realm of serious art. One thinks of melodramas, boys’ books, thrillers, romances, and the like rather than novels of the first rank. In the railroads’ prime years, between 1890 and 1920, there were a few individuals in the United States, most of them with solid railroading experience behind them, who made a profession of writing about railroading—works offering the ambience of stations, yards, and locomotive cabs. These writers, who can genuinely be said to have created a genre, the “railroad novel”, are now mostly forgotten, their names having faded from memory. But anyone who takes the time to consult their fertile writings will still find a treasure trove of information about the place of the railroad in the life of the United States.
小題1:The underlined word “it” in the passage refers to______.
A．railroadB．manifestationC．speedD．nature
小題2:In the first paragraph, the author implies that writers’ reactions to the development of railroads were______.
A．highly enthusiasticB．both positive and negative　C．unchangingD．Disinterested
小題3: According to the passage, the railroad played a significant role in literature in all of the following kinds of books except_______.　
A．thrillersB．boys’ booksC．romancesD．important novels
小題4: The phrase “first rank” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to______.
A．largest category(類別)B．highest quality　C．earliest writersD．most difficult language
小題5: Which of the following topics is the main idea of passage?
A．The role of the railroad in the economy of the USA　
B．Major nineteenth century writers
C．The conflict between expanding industry and preserving nature
D．The railroad as a subject for literature

小題1:A
小題2:B
小題3:D
小題4:B
小題5:D
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Each soldier told him name, until he came to the last one. This man remained silent, and so Captain Stone shouted at him, “ when I ask you a question, answer it! I’ll ask you again: What’s your name, soldier?”
The soldier was very unhappy, but at last he replied, “My name’s Stonebreaker, sir,” he said nervously (緊張地).
51. 小題1:The officer was strict _________.
A．because the soldiers were new.
B．with any of his soldiers, new or old.
C．because he was named Stone.
D．only when he was before soldiers.
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B．trouble would come if anybody made tricks.
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D．he often had trouble with his soldiers.
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A．he didn’t like the way the officer spoke to them.
B．he wanted to see what would happen if he disobeyed his order.
C．the question was difficult for him to answer.
D．he was afraid the officer would be angry when he heard his name.
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