【导语】九层之台，起于垒土；千里之行，始于足下。备考的路上，哭过、累过、笑过，但只要坚持向前走，终将会拿到属于我们的证书。以下是整理的“托福考试阅读文章练习2”！祝大家备考顺利！
Throughout the nineteenth century and into the twentieth, citizens of the
United States maintained a bias against big cities. Most lived on farms and in
small towns and believed cities to be centers of corruption, crime, poverty, and
moral degradation. Their distrust was caused, in part, by a national ideology
that proclaimed farming the greatest occupation and rural living superior to
urban living. This attitude prevailed even as the number of urban dwellers
increased and cities became an essential feature of the national landscape.
Gradually, economic reality overcame ideology. Thousands abandoned the
precarious life on the farm for more secure and better paying jobs in the city.
But when these people migrated from the countryside, they carried their fears
and suspicious with them. These new urbanities, already convinced that cities
were overwhelmed with great problems, eagerly embraced the progressive reforms
that promised to bring order out of the chaos of the city.
One of many reforms came in the area of public utilities. Water and
sewerage systems were usually operated by municipal governments, but the gas and
electric networks were privately owned. Reformers feared that the privately
owned utility companies would charge exorbitant rates for these essential
services and deliver them only to people who could afford them. Some city and
state governments responded by regulating the utility companies, but a number of
cities began to supply these services themselves. Proponents of these reforms
argued that public ownership and regulation would insure widespread access to
these utilities and guarantee a fair price.
While some reforms focused on government and public behavior, others looked
at the cities as a whole. Civic leaders, convinced that physical environment
influenced human behavior, argued that cities should develop master plans to
guide their future growth and development. City planning was nothing new, but
the rapid industrialization and urban growth of the late nineteenth century took
place without any consideration for order. Urban renewal in the twentieth
century followed several courses. Some cities introduced plans to completely
rebuild the city core. Most other cities contented themselves with zoning plans
for regulating future growth. Certain parts of town were restricted to
residential use, while others were set aside for industrial or commercial
development.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) A comparison of urban and rural life in the early twentieth century
(B) The role of government in twentieth century urban renewal
(C) Efforts to improve urban life in the early twentieth century
(D) Methods of controlling urban growth in the twentieth century
2. The word "bias" in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) diagonal
(B) slope
(C) distortion
(D) prejudice
3. The first paragraph suggests that most people who lived in rural
areas
(A) were suspicious of their neighbors
(B) were very proud of their lifestyle
(C) believed city government had too much power
(D) wanted to move to the cities
4. In the early twentieth century, many rural dwellers migrated to the city
in order to
(A) participate in the urban reform movement
(B) seek financial security
(C) comply with a government ordinance
(D) avoid crime and corruption
5. The word "embraced" in line 11 is closest in meaning to
(A) suggested
(B) overestimated
(C) demanded
(D) welcomed
6. What concern did reformers have about privately owned utility
companies?
(A) They feared the services would not be made available to all city
dwellers.
(B) They believed private ownership would slow economic growth
(C) They did not trust the companies to obey the government
regulations.
(D) They wanted to ensure that the services would be provided to rural
areas.
7. The word "exorbitant" in line 16 is closest in meaning to
(A) additional
(B) expensive
(C) various
(D) modified
8. All of the following were the direct result of public utility reforms
EXCEPT
(A) local governments determined the rates charged by private utility
companies
(B) some utility companies were owned and operated by local governments
(C) the availability of services was regulated by local government
(D) private utility companies were required to pay a fee to local
governments
9. The word "Proponents" in line 18 is closest in meaning to
(A) Experts
(B) Pioneers
(C) Reviewers
(D) Supporters
10. Why does the author mention "industrialization" (line 24)?
(A) To explain how fast urban growth led to poorly designed cities
(B) To emphasize the economic importance of urban areas
(C) To suggest that labor disputes had become an urban problem
(D) To illustrate the need for construction of new factories
CDBBD ABDDA
