Passage 24
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" 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" 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" 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" is closest in meaning to
(A) Experts
(B) Pioneers
(C) Reviewers
(D) Supporters
10. Why does the author mention "industrialization"?
(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
Passage 25
Although only 1 person in 20 in the Colonial period lived in a city, the cities had a disproportionate influence on the development of North America. They were at the cutting edge of social change. It was in the cities that the elements that can be associated with modern capitalism first appeared ¡ª the use of money and commercial paper in place of barter, open competition in place of social deference and hierarchy, with an attendant rise in social disorder, and the appearance of factories using coat or water power in place of independent craftspeople working with hand tools. "The cities predicted the future," wrote historian Gary. B. Nash, "even though they were but overgrown villages compared to the great urban centers of Europe, the Middle East and China."
Except for Boston, whose population stabilized at about 16,000 in 1760, cities grew by exponential leaps through the eighteenth century. In the fifteen years prior to the outbreak of the
War for independence in 1775, more than 200,000 immigrants arrived on North American shores. This meant that a population the size of Boston was arriving every year, and most of it flowed into the port cities in the Northeast. Philadelphia's population nearly doubted in those years, reaching about 30,000 in 1774, New York grew at almost the same rate, reaching about 25,000 by 1775. The quality of the hinterland dictated the pace of growth of the cities. The land surrounding Boston had always been poor farm country, and by the mid-eighteenth century it was virtually stripped of its timber. The available farmland was occupied, there was little in the region beyond the city to attract immigrants. New York and Philadelphia, by contrast, served a rich and fertile hinterland laced with navigable watercourses. Scots, Irish, and Germans landed in these cities and followed the rivers inland. The regions around the cities of New York and Philadelphia became the breadbaskets of North America, sending grain not only to other colonies but also to England and southern Europe, where crippling droughts in the late 1760's created a whole new market.
1. Which of the following aspects of North America in the eighteenth century does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The effects of war on the growth of cities
(B) The growth and influence of cities
(C) The decline of farming in areas surrounding cities
(D) The causes of immigration to cities
2. Why does the author say that "the cities had a disproportionate influence on the development of North America"?
(A) The influence of the cities was mostly negative
(B) The populations of the cities were small, but their influence was great.
(C) The cities were growing at a great rate.
(D) Most people pretended to live in cities
3. The phrase "in place of” is closest in meaning to
(A) connected to
(B) in addition to
(C) because of
(D) instead of
4. The word "attendant" is closest in meaning to
(A) avoidable
(B) accompanying
(C) unwelcome
(D) unexpected
5. Which of the following is mentioned as an element of modern capitalism?
(A) Open competition
(B) Social deference
(C) Social hierarchy
(D) Independent craftspeople
6. It can be inferred that in comparison with North American cities, cities in Europe, the Middle East, and China had
(A) large populations
(B) little independence
(C) frequent social disorder
(D) few power sources
7. The phrase "exponential leaps" is closest in meaning to
(A) long wars
(B) new laws
(C) rapid increases
(D) exciting changes
8. The word "it" refers to
(A) population
(B) size
(C) Boston
(D) Year
9. How many immigrants arrived in North America between 1760 and 1775?
(A) About 16,000
(B) About 25,000
(C) About 30,000
(D) More than 200,000
10. The word "dictated" is closest in meaning to
(A) spoiled
(B) reduced
(C) determined
(D) divided
11. The word "virtually" is closest in meaning to
(A) usually
(B) hardly
(C) very quickly
(D) almost completely
12. The region surrounding New York and Philadelphia is contrasted with the region surrounding Boston in terms of
(A) quality of farmland
(B) origin of immigrants
(C) opportunities for fishing
(D) type of grain grown
13. Why does the author describe the regions around the cities of New York and Philadelphia as "breadbaskets"?
(A) They produced grain especially for making bread.
(B) They stored large quantities of grain during periods of drought
(C) They supplied grain to other parts of North America and other countries.
(D) They consumed more grain than all the other regions of North America.
Passage 26
As Philadelphia grew from a small town into a city in the first half of the eighteenth century, it became an increasingly important marketing center for a vast and growing agricultural hinterland. Market days saw the crowded city even more crowded, as farmers from within a radius of 24 or more kilometers brought their sheep, cows, pigs, vegetables, cider, and other products for direct sale to the townspeople. The High Street Market was continuously enlarged throughout the period until 1736, when it reached from Front Street to Third. By 1745 New Market was opened
on Second Street between Pine and Cedar. The next year the Callowhill Market began operation. Along with market days, the institution of twice-yearly fairs persisted in Philadelphia even after similar trading days had been discontinued in other colonial cities. The fairs provided a means of bringing handmade goods from outlying places to would-be buyers in the city. Linens and stockings from Germantown, for example, were popular items.
Auctions were another popular form of occasional trade. Because of the competition, retail merchants opposed these as well as the fairs. Although governmental attempts to eradicate fairs and auctions were less than successful, the ordinary course of economic development was on the merchants' side, as increasing business specialization became the order of the day. Export merchants became differentiated from their importing counterparts, and specialty shops began to appear in addition to general stores selling a variety of goods.
One of the reasons Philadelphia's merchants generally prospered was because the surrounding area was undergoing tremendous economic and demographic growth. They did their business, after all, in the capital city of the province. Not only did they cater to the governor and his circle, but citizens from all over the colony came to the capital for legislative sessions of the assembly and council and the meetings of the courts of justice.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) Philadelphia's agriculture importance
(B) Philadelphia's development as a marketing center
(C) The sale of imported goods in Philadelphia
(D) The administration of the city of Philadelphia
2. It can be inferred from the passage that new markets opened in Philadelphia because
(A) they provided more modem facilities than older markets
(B) the High Street Market was forced to close
(C) existing markets were unable to serve the growing population
(D) farmers wanted markets that were closer to the farms.
3. The word “hinterland” is closest in meaning to
(A) tradition
(B) association
(C) produce
(D) region
4. The word "it" refers to
(A) the crowded city
(B) a radius
(C) the High Street Market
(D) the period
5. The word "persisted" is closest in meaning to
(A) returned
(B) started
(C) declined
(D) continued
6. According to paragraph 2, fairs in Philadelphia were held
(A) on the same day as market says
(B) as often as possible
(C) a couple of times a year
(D) whenever the government allowed it
7. It can be inferred that the author mentions "Linens and stockings" to show that they were items that
(A) retail merchants were not willing to sell
(B) were not available in the stores in Philadelphia
(C) were more popular in Germantown man in Philadelphia
(D) could easily be transported
8. The word "eradicate" is closest in meaning to
(A) eliminate
(B) exploit
(C) organize
(D) operate
9. What does the author mean by stating that "economic development was on the merchants' side "?
(A) Merchants had a strong impact on economic expansion.
(B) Economic forces allowed merchants to prosper.
(C) Merchants had to work together to achieve economic independence
(D) Specialty shops near large markets were more likely to be economically successful.
10. The word "undergoing" is closest in meaning to
(A) requesting
(B) experiencing
(C) repeating
(D) including
Passage 27
The principal difference between urban growth in Europe and in the North American colonies was the slow evolution of cities in the former and their rapid growth in the latter. In Europe they grew over a period of centuries from town economies to their present urban structure. In North America, they started as wilderness communities and developed to mature urbanism in little more than a century.
In the early colonial days in North America, small cities sprang up along the Atlantic Coastline, mostly in what are now New England and Middle Atlantic states in the United States and in the lower Saint Lawrence valley in Canada. This was natural because these areas were nearest to England and France, particularly England, from which most capital goods (assets such as equipment) and many consumer goods were imported. Merchandising establishments were, accordingly, advantageously located in port cities from which goods could be readily distributed to interior settlements. Here, too, were the favored locations for processing raw materials prior to export. Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Montreal, and other cities flourished, and, as the colonies grew, these cities increased in importance.
This was less true in the colonial South, where life centered around large farms, known as plantations, rather than around towns, as was the case in the areas further north along the Atlantic coastline. The local isolation and the economic self-sufficiency of the plantations were antagonistic to the development of the towns. The plantations maintained their independence because they were located on navigable streams and each had a wharf accessible to the small shipping of that day. In fact, one of the strongest factors in the selection of plantation land was the desire to have its front on a water highway.
When the United States became an independent nation in 1776, it did not have a single city as large as 50,000 inhabitants, but by 1820 it had a city of more than 10,000 people, and by 1880 it
had recorded a city of over one million. It was not until after 1823, after the mechanization of the spinning had weaving industries, that cities started drawing young people away from farms. Such migration was particularly rapid following the Civil War (1861-1865).
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) Factors that slowed the growth of cities in Europe.
(B) The evolution of cities in North America
(C) Trade between North American and European cities
(D) The effects of the United Sates' independence on urban growth in New England.
2. The word "they" refers to
(A) North American colonies
(B) cities
(C) centuries
(D) town economies
3. The passage compares early European and North American cities on the basis of which of the following?
(A) Their economic success
(B) The type of merchandise they exported
(C) Their ability to distribute goods to interior settlements
(D) The pace of their development
4. The word "accordingly" is closest in meaning to
(A) as usual
(B) in contrast
(C) to some degree
(D) for that reason
5. According to paragraph 2, early colonial cities were established along the Atlantic coastline of North America due to
(A) an abundance of natural resources
(B) financial support from colonial governments
(C) proximity to parts of Europe
(D) a favorable climate
6. The passage indicates that during colonial times, the Atlantic coastline cities prepared which of the following for shipment to Europe?
(A) Manufacturing equipment
(B) Capital goods
(C) Consumer goods
(D) Raw materials
7. According to the passage, all of the following aspects of the plantation system influenced the growth of southern cities EXCEPT the
(A) location of the plantations
(B) access of plantation owners to shipping
(C) relationships between plantation residents and city residents
(D) economic self-sufficiency of the plantations
8. It can be inferred from the passage that, in comparison with northern cities, most southern cities were
(A) more prosperous
(B) smaller
(C) less economically self-sufficient
(D) tied less closely to England than to France
9. The word "recorded" is closest in meaning to
(A) imagined
(B) discovered
(C) documented
(D) planned
10. The word "drawing" is closest in meaning to
(A) attracting
(B) employing
(C) instructing
(D) representing
11. The passage mentions the period following the Civil War because it was a time of
(A) significant obstacles to industrial growth
(B) decreased dependence on foreign trade
(C) increased numbers of people leaving employment on farms
(D) increased migration from northern states to southern states
Passage 28
In 1900 the United States had only three cities with more than a million residents in New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. By 1930, it had ten giant metropolises. The newer ones experienced remarkable growth, which reflected basic changes in the economy.
The population of Los Angeles (114,000 in 1900) rose spectacularly in the early decades of the twentieth century, increasing a dramatic 1,400 percent from 1900 to 1930. A number of circumstances contributed to the meteoric rise of Los Angeles. The agricultural potential of the area was enormous if water for irrigation could be found, and the city founders had the vision and dating to obtain it by constructing a 225-mile aqueduct, completed in 1913, to tap the water of the Owens River. The city had a superb natural harbor, as well as excellent rail connections. The climate made it possible to shoot motion pictures year-round; hence Hollywood. Hollywood not only supplied jobs; it disseminated an image of the good life in Southern California on screens all across the nation. The most important single industry powering the growth of Los Angeles, however, was directly linked to the automobile. The demand for petroleum to fuel gasoline engines led to the opening of the Southern California oil fields, and made Los Angeles North America's greatest refining center.
Los Angeles was a product of the auto age in another sense as well: its distinctive spatial organization depended on widespread private ownership of automobiles. Los Angeles was a decentralized metropolis, sprawling across the desert landscape over an area of 400 square miles. It was a city without a real center. The downtown business district did not grow apace with the city as a whole, and the rapid transit system designed to link the center with outlying areas withered away from disuse. Approximately 800,000 cars were registered in Los Angeles County in 1930, one per 2.7 residents. Some visitors from the east coast were dismayed at the endless urban sprawl and dismissed Los Angeles as a mere collection of suburbs in search of a city. But the freedom and mobility of a city built on wheels attracted floods of migrants to the city.
1. What is the passage mainly about?
(A) The growth of cities in the United States in the early 1900's
(B) The development of the Southern California oil fields
(C) Factors contributing to the growth of Los Angeles
(D) Industry and city planning in Los Angeles
2. The author characterizes the growth of new large cities in the United States after 1900 as resulting primarily from
(A) new economic conditions
(B) images of cities shown in movies
(C) new agricultural techniques
(D) a large migrant population
3. The word "meteoric" is closest in meaning to
(A) rapid
(B) famous
(C) controversial
(D) methodical
4. The word "it" refers to
(A) aqueduct
(B) vision
(C) water
(D) agricultural potential
5. According to paragraph 2, the most important factor in the development of agriculture around Los Angeles was the
(A) influx of new residents to agricultural areas near the city
(B) construction of an aqueduct
(C) expansion of transportation facilities
(D) development of new connections to the city's natural harbor
6. According to the paragraph 2, the initial success of Hollywood’s motion picture industry was due largely to the
(A) availability of many skilled workers
(B) beauty of the countryside
(C) region's reputation for luxurious lifestyles
(D) region's climate and good weather
7. It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that in 1930 the greatest number of people in the Los Angeles area were employed in
(A) farming
(B) oil refining
(C) automobile manufacturing
(D) the motion picture industry
8. According to paragraph 2, the Southern California oil fields were initially exploited due to
(A) the fuel requirements of Los Angeles' rail system
(B) an increase in the use of gasoline engines in North America
(C) a desire to put unproductive desert land to good use
(D) innovative planning on the part of the city founders
9. The phrase "apace with" is closest in meaning to
(A) anew with
(B) apart from
(C) as fast as
(D) at the middle of
10. It can be inferred from the passage that the spatial organization of Los Angeles contributed to the relative decline there of
(A) public transportation
(B) industrial areas
(C) suburban neighborhoods
(D) oil fields
11. According to the last paragraph, the visitors from the east coast mentioned in the passage thought that Los Angeles
(A) was not accurately portrayed by Hollywood images
(B) lacked good suburban areas in which to live
(C) had an excessively large population
(D) was not really a single city