(2018·全国卷Ⅲ·B)
Cities, usually have a good reason for being where they are, like a nearby port or river. People settle in these places because they are easy to get to and naturally suited to communications and trade. New York City, for example, is near a large harbour at the mouth of the Hudson River. Over 300 years its population grew gradually from 800 people to 8 million. But not all cities develop slowly over a long period of time. Boom towns grow from nothing almost overnight. In 1896, Dawson, Canada, was unmapped wilderness(荒野). But gold was discovered there in 1897, and two years later, it was one of the largest cities in the West, with a population of 30, 000.
Dawson did not have any of the natural conveniences of cities like London or Paris. People went there for gold. They travelled over snow-covered mountains and sailed hundreds of miles up icy rivers. The path to Dawson was covered with thirty feet of wet snow that could fall without warning. An avalanche(雪崩) once closed the path, killing 63 people. For many who made it to Dawson, however, the rewards were worth the difficult trip. Of the first 20, 000 people who dug for gold, 4, 000 got rich. About 100 of these stayed rich men for the rest of their lives.
But no matter how rich they were, Dawson was never comfortable. Necessities like food and wood were very expensive. But soon, the gold that Dawson depended on had all been found. The city was crowded with disappointed people with no interest in settling down, and when they heard there were new gold discoveries in Alaska, they left Dawson City as quickly as they had come. Today, people still come and go—to see where the Canadian gold rush happened. Tourism is now the chief industry of Dawson City—its present population is 762.
【文章大意】本文是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了加拿大道森城的历史发展与现状。
1. What attracted the early settlers to New York City?
A. Its business culture. B. Its small population.
C. Its geographical position. D. Its favourable climate.
【解析】选C。推理判断题。根据第一段中People settle in these places because they are easy to get to and naturally suited to communications and trade. 可知, 人们定居在这些地方, 因为这些地方很容易到达, 自然而然就适合通信和贸易, 接下来作者以纽约举例说明这一点。由此可知, 纽约能够发展成大都市和它的地理位置有关(near a large harbour at the mouth of the Hudson River)。故选C。
2. What do we know about those who first dug for gold in Dawson?
A. Two-thirds of them stayed there.
B. One out of five people got rich.
C. Almost everyone gave up.
D. Half of them died.
【解析】选B。细节理解题。根据第二段中Of the first 20, 000 people who dug for gold, 4, 000 got rich. 可知, 第一批来这里淘金的20 000人中, 有4 000个富起来了。也就是说, 五分之一的人淘金致富(One out of five people got rich. )。故选B。
3. What was the main reason for many people to leave Dawson?
A. They found the city too crowded.
B. They wanted to try their luck elsewhere.
C. They were unable to stand the winter.
D. They were short of food.
【解析】选B。推理判断题。根据最后一段中. . . when they heard there were new gold discoveries in Alaska, they left Dawson City as quickly as they had come. 可知, 当他们听说阿拉斯加有新的金矿发现时, 他们马上就离开了道森城。也就是说, 这些人离开道森城的主要原因是想到别的地方去碰碰运气( They wanted to try their luck elsewhere. )。故选B。
4. What is the text mainly about?
A. The rise and fall of a city.
B. The gold rush in Canada.
C. Journeys into the wilderness.
D. Tourism in Dawson.
【解析】选A。主旨大意题。文章开头就指出: 城市的所在位置有着各种各样的理由, 接下来重点讲述了加拿大道森城的历史发展与现状。因此, The rise and fall of a city. (一座城市的兴衰)最能概括文章大意。
