2014年5月托福考试模拟试题及答案(第五套)_第10页

　　Questions 1-10

　　In the early 1800’s, over 80 percent of the United States labor force was engaged　in agriculture. Sophisticated technology and machinery were virtually nonexistent.

　　People who lived in the cities and were not directly involved in trade often participated　Line in small cottage industries making handcrafted goods. Others cured meats, silversmiths, candle

　　5) or otherwise produced needed goods and commodities. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle　makers, and other artisans worked in their homes or barns, relying on help of family

　　Perhaps no single phenomenon brought more widespread and lasting change to the　United States society than the rise of industrialization. Industrial growth hinged on several10) economic factors. First, industry requires an abundance of natural resources, especially  coal, iron ore, water, petroleum, and timber-all readily available on the North American　continent. Second, factories demand a large labor supply. Between the 1870’s and the

　　First World War (1914-1918), approximately 23 million immigrants streamed to the　United States, settled in cities, and went to work in factories and mines. They also helped　15)build the vast network of canals and railroads that crisscrossed the continent and linked　important trade centers essential to industrial growth.

　　Factories also offered a reprieve from the backbreaking work and financial　unpredictability associated with farming. Many adults, poor and disillusioned with　farm life, were lured to the cities by promises of steady employment, regular paychecks,　20) increased access to goods and services, and expanded social opportunities. Others were  pushed there when new technologies made their labor cheap or expendable; inventions　such as steel plows and mechanized harvesters allowed one farmhand to perform work　that previously had required several, thus making farming capital-intensive rather than　labor-intensive.

　　25) The United States economy underwent a massive transition and the nature of work　was permanently altered. Whereas cottage industries relied on a few highly skilled craft　workers who slowly and carefully converted raw materials into finished products from　start to finish, factories relied on specialization. While factory work was less creative and　more monotonous, it was also more efficient and allowed mass production of goods at　less expense.

　　1.What aspect of life in the United States does the passage mainly discuss?

　　(A) The transition from an agricultural to an　industrial economy

　　(B) The inventions that transformed life in the　nineteenth century

　　(C) The problems associated with the earliest　factories

　　(D) The difficulty of farm life in the nineteenth　century

　　2. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, and candle makers are mentioned in lines 5-6 as examples of　artisans who

　　(A) maintained their businesses at home

　　(B) were eventually able to use sophisticated　technology

　　(C) produced unusual goods and commodities

　　(D) would employ only family members

　　3. The phrase “hinged on” in line 9 is closest in meaning to

　　(A) recovered from

　　(B) depended on

　　(C) started on

　　(D) contributed to

　　4. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a reason for the industrial growth that occurred in the United States before 1914?

　　(A)The availability of natural resources found only in the United States

　　(B) The decrease in number of farms resulting

　　from technological advances

　　(C) The replacement of canals and railroads by　other forms of transportation

　　(D) The availability of a large immigrant work　force

　　5. The word “lured” in line 19 is closest in meaning to

　　(A) attracted

　　(B) assigned

　　(C) restricted

　　(D) attached

　　6. The word “Others” in line 20 refers to other

　　(A) adults

　　(B) promises

　　(C) goods and services

　　(D) social opportunities

　　7.The word “expendable” in line 21 is closest in　meaning to

　　(A) nonproductive

　　(B) unacceptable

　　(C) nonessential

　　(D) unprofitable

　　8. It can be inferred from the passage that　industrialization affected farming in that　industrialization

　　(A) increased the price of farm products

　　(B) limited the need for new farm machinery

　　(C) created new and interesting jobs on farms

　　(D) reduced the number of people willing to do　farm work

　　9.What does the author mean when stating that　certain inventions made farming“capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive”　(lines 23-24)?

　　(A) Workers had to be trained to operate the new　machines.

　　(B) Mechanized farming required more capital　and fewer laborers.

　　(C) The new inventions were not helpful for all　farming activities.

　　(D) Human labor could still accomplish as much　work as the first machines.

　　10. According to the passage, factory workers　differed from craft workers in that factory　workers

　　(A) were required to be more creative

　　(B) worked extensively with raw materials

　　(C) changed jobs frequently

　　(D) specialized in one aspect of the finished　product only