People in the United States in the nineteenth century were haunted by the prospect that unprecedented change in the nation’s economy would bring social chaos. In the years following 1820, after several decades of relative stability, the economy entered a period of sustained and extremely rapid growth that continued to the end of the nineteenth century. Accompanying that growth was a structural change that featured increasing economic diversification and a gradual shift in the nation’s labor force from agriculture to manufacturing and other nonagricultural pursuits.
Although the birth rate continued to decline from its high level of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the population roughly doubled every generation during the rest of the nineteenth century. As the population grew, its makeup also changed. Massive waves of immigration brought new ethnic groups into the country. Geographic and social mobility—downward as well as upward—touched almost everyone. Local studies indicate that nearly three-quarters of the population—in the North and South, in the emerging cities of the Northeast, and in the restless rural counties of the West—changed their residence ach decade. As a consequence, historian David Donald has written, “Social atomization affected every segment of society,” and it seemed to many people that “all the recognized values of orderly civilization were gradually being eroded.”
Rapid industrialization and increased geographic mobility in the nineteenth century had special implications for women because these changes tended to magnify social distinctions. As the roles men and women played in society became more rigidly defined, so did the roles they played in the home. In the context of extreme competitiveness and dizzying social change, the household lost many of its earlier functions and the home came to serve as a haven of tranquility and order. As the size of families decreased, the roles of husband and wife became more clearly differentiated than ever before. In the middle class especially, men participated in the productive economy while women ruled the home and served as the custodians of civility and culture. The intimacy of marriage that was common in earlier periods was rent, and a gulf that at times seemed unbridgeable was created between husbands and wives.
1.What does the passage mainly discuss?
2.According to the passage, the economy of the United States between 1820 and 1900 was（ ）.
3.According to the passage, as the nineteenth century progressed, the people of the United States （ ） .
4.Which of the following best describes the society about which David Donald wrote?
问题1选项
A.The economic development of the United States in the eighteenth century.
B.Ways in which economic development led to social changes in the United States.
C.Population growth in the western United States.
D.The increasing availability of industrial jobs for women in the United States.
问题2选项
A.expanding
B.in sharp decline
C.stagnate
D.disorganized
问题3选项
A.emigrated to other countries
B.often settled in the West
C.tended to change the place in which they lived
D.had a higher rate of birth than ever before
问题4选项
A.A highly conservative society that was resistant to new ideas.
B.A society that was undergoing fundamental change.
C.A society that had been gradually changing since the early 1700’s.
D.A nomadic society that was starting permanent settlements.
第1题:
1.【选项释义】
1. What does the passage mainly discuss? 1. 这篇文章主要讨论什么？
A. The economic development of the United States in the eighteenth century. A. 18世纪美国的经济发展。
B. Ways in which economic development led to social changes in the United States. B. 经济发展导致美国社会变化的方式。
C. Population growth in the western United States. C. 美国西部的人口增长。
D. The increasing availability of industrial jobs for women in the United States. D. 在美国，越来越多的工业工作机会为妇女提供。
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】首先，根据首段第一句“十九世纪的美国人被这样一种前景所困扰：国家经济的空前变化将带来社会混乱”，以及末段第一句“十九世纪快速的工业化和不断增加的地理流动性对妇女产生了特殊的影响，因为这些变化往往扩大了社会差异”可知，该文主要是围绕社会的变化来开展；然后，文章的结构是总分结构，文章开头先介绍经济增长引起的社会混乱，然后后面两段阐述经济增长带来的社会的变化，即人口构成发生变化，以及男性和女性的角色明显地分化；综合理解我们可以推断，这篇文章主要讨论的是经济发展对社会变化的影响，B项“经济发展导致美国社会变化的方式”符合这一分析。因此，该题选择B项。
【干扰项排除】
A项“18世纪美国的经济发展” 和C项“美国西部的人口增长”只是在段落里部分提及，属于以偏概全；
D项“在美国，越来越多的工业工作机会为妇女提供”，根据最后一段倒数第二句“男性参与生产经济，而女性则统治家庭，充当文明和文化的守护者”可知，该项与原文相反，属于反向干扰。
第2题:
2.【选项释义】
2. According to the passage, the economy of the United States between 1820 and 1900 was ______. 2. 根据这篇文章，美国在1820年到1900年间的经济是______。
A. expanding A. 扩张的
B. in sharp decline B. 急剧下降的
C. stagnate C. 萧条的
D. disorganized D. 混乱的
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据第一段第二句“在1820年之后的几年里，在经历了几十年的相对稳定之后，经济进入了一个持续的、极其快速的增长期（the economy entered a period of sustained and extremely rapid growth），这种增长期一直持续到19世纪末”，从中可知，1820年至1900年，美国经济经历了一个持续快速增长的时期，这与A项“扩张的”符合。因此，该题选择A项。
【干扰项排除】B项“急剧下降的”、C项“萧条的”和D项“混乱的”在文中都没有提及，属于无中生有。
第3题:
3.【选项释义】
3. According to the passage, as the nineteenth century progressed, the people of the United States ______. 3. 根据这篇文章，随着19世纪的发展，美国人民______。
A. emigrated to other countries A. 移居到其他国家
B. often settled in the West B. 经常在西部定居
C. tended to change the place in which they lived C. 倾向于改变他们居住的地方
D. had a higher rate of birth than ever before D. 出生率比以往任何时候都高
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据第二段二三四五句“随着人口的增长，其构成也发生了变化。大规模的移民潮把新的种族群体带入了这个国家。地理和社会的向下和向上流动几乎影响到了所有人。当地研究表明，近四分之三的北方和南方人口、东北部新兴城市以及西部动荡的农村县的人口在十年内改变了住所。”综合理解我们可以推断，随着十九世纪的发展，美国人民人口增加，社会流动性也随之增加，C项“倾向于改变他们居住的地方”与原文描述一致。因此，该题选择C项。
【干扰项排除】
A项“移居到其他国家”根据解题思路可知，是其他国家移居到美国来，而不是从美国移居出去，该项属于反向干扰；
B项“经常在西部定居”根据解题思路可知，西部的农村地区动荡不安，所以人们每十年更换一次居住地，该项属于反向干扰；
D项“出生率比以往任何时候都高”，根据第二段第一句“尽管出生率从18世纪和19世纪初的高水平继续下降，但在19世纪的其余时间里，人口每一代大约翻一番。”可知，随着19世纪的发展，人口增加但出生率持续下降，而不是出生率比任何时候都高，属于反向干扰。
第4题:
4.【选项释义】
4. Which of the following best describes the society about which David Donald wrote? 4. 以下哪一项最好地描述了大卫•唐纳德所写的社会？
A. A highly conservative society that was resistant to new ideas. A. 一个高度保守的社会，抵制新思想。
B. A society that was undergoing fundamental change. B. 一个正在经历根本变革的社会。
C. A society that had been gradually changing since the early 1700’s. C. 一个从18世纪早期开始就在逐渐变化的社会。
D. A nomadic society that was starting permanent settlements. D. 一个开始永久定居的游牧社会。
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至第二段最后一句“历史学家大卫•唐纳德写道，‘社会分化影响了社会的每一个部分’，在许多人看来，‘有序文明的所有公认价值都在逐渐被侵蚀’。”，从中可知，社会分化逐渐侵蚀了有序文明的所有公认价值，这也就是说社会正在经历根本性的变革，B项“一个正在经历根本变革的社会”符合原文。因此，该题选择B项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A项“一个高度保守的社会，抵制新思想”，根据解题思路可知，该项与原文相反，属于反向干扰；
C项“一个从18世纪早期开始就在逐渐变化的社会”，根据第二段可知，是人口的增长才带来社会的变化，而人口增长是从19世纪开始，所以该项属于曲解原文；
D项“一个开始永久定居的游牧社会”，原文中并未提及nomadic society（游牧社会），该项无中生有。
