Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:
   A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement (新拓居地) 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 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.

36. 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
37. The building of the first transcontinental system _____.
(A) brought about a rapid growth of industry and farming in the west
(B) attracted many visitors to the construction sites
(C) attracted laborers from Europe
(D) encouraged people to travel all over the country
38. The best title for this passage would be ______.
(A) Settlements Spread Westward
(B) The Coast-to-Coast Railroad: A Vital Link
(C) American Railroad History
(D) The Importance of Trains in the American Economy
39. The construction of the transcontinental railroad took ______.
(A) 9 years      (C) 4 years
(B) 7 years      (D) 3 years
40. 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

Part III             Vocabulary and Structure          (20 minutes)
41. We had a party last month, and it was a lot of fun, so let's have ______ one this month.
(A) another        (C) the other
(B) more         (D) other
42. It was difficult to guess what her _____ to the news would be.
(A) impression        (C) comment
(B) reaction        (D) opinion
43. I decided to go to the library as soon as I _____.
(A) finish what I did       (C) would finish what I was doing
(B) finished what I did      (D) finished what I was doing
44. There were some ______ flowers on the table.
(A) benefits        (C) false
(B) unnatural        (D) unreal
45. We are interested in the weather because it _____ us so directly ---- what we wear, what we do, and even how we feel.
(A) benefits        (C) guides
(B) affects         (D) effects
46. Will all those _____ the proposal raise their hands?
(A) in relation to       (C) in excess of
(B) in contrast to       (D) in favor of
47. Children are very curious ______.
(A) at heart        (C) on purpose
(B) in person        (D) by nature
48. The match was cancelled because most of the members _____ a match without a standard court.
(A) objected to having      (C) objected to have
(B) were objected to have      (D) were objected to having
49. The teacher doesn't permit _____ in class.
(A) smoke         (C) smoking
(B) to smoke        (D) to have a smoke
50. I like watching TV _____ to the cinema.
(A) more than to go       (C) more than going
(B) than going        (D) rather than to go