The Development of Cities

  Mass transportation revised the social and economic fabric of the American city in three fundamental ways. It catalyzed physical expansion, it sorted out people and land uses, and it accelerated the inherent instability of urban life. By opening vast areas of unoccupied land for residential expansion, the omnibuses, horse railways, commuter trains, and electric trolleys pulled settled regions outward two to four times more distant form city centers than they were in the premodern(现代文明之前)era. In 1850, for example, the borders of Boston lay scarcely two miles from the old business district; by the turn of the century the radius extended ten miles. Now those who could afford it could live far removed from the old city center and still commute there for work, shopping, and entertainment. The new accessibility of land around the periphery of almost every major city sparked an explosion of real estate development and fueled what we now know as urban sprawl. Between 1890 and 1920, for example, some 250,000 new residential lots were recorded within the borders of Chicago, most of them located in outlying areas. Over the same period, another 550,000 were plotted outside the city limits but within the metropolitan area. Anxious to take advantage of the possibilities of commuting, real estate developers added 800,000 potential building sites to the Chicago region in just thirty years – lots that could have housed five to six million people.

  Of course, many were never occupied; there was always a huge surplus of subdivided, but vacant, land around Chicago and other cities. These excesses underscore a feature of residential expansion related to the growth of mass transportation: urban sprawl was essentially unplanned. It was carried out by thousands of small investors who paid little heed to coordinated land use or to future land users. Those who purchased and prepared land for residential purposes, particularly land near or outside city borders where transit lines and middle-class inhabitants were anticipated, did so to create demand as much as to respond to it. Chicago is a prime example of this process. Real estate(财产)subdivision(细分再分的部分)there proceeded much faster than population growth.

With which of the following subjects is the passage mainly concerned?

A Types of mass transportation.

B Instability of urban life.

C How supply and demand determine land use.

D The effect of mass transportation on urban expansion.

Why does the author mention both Boston and Chicago?

A To demonstrate positive and negative effects of growth.

B To exemplify cities with and without mass transportation.

C To show mass transportation changed many cities.

D To contrast their rate of growth.

According to the passage, what was one disadvantage of residential expansion?

A It was expensive.

B It happened too slowly.

C It was unplanned.

D It created a demand for public transportation.

The author mentions Chicago in the second paragraph as an example of a city,

A that is large.

B that is used as a model for land development.

C where the development of land exceeded population growth.

D with an excellent mass transportation system.

A special laboratory at the University of Chicago is busy only at night. It is a dream laboratory where researchers are at work studying dreamers. Their findings have discovered that everyone dreams from three to seven times a night, although in ordinary life a person may remember none or only one of his dreams.
  While the subjects—usually students—sleep, special machines record their brain waves and eye movements as well as the body movements that signal the end of a dream. Surprisingly, all subjects sleep soundly.
Observers report that a person usually fidgets(烦躁不安) before a dream. Once the dream has started, his body relaxes and his eyes become more active, as if the curtain had gone up on a show. As soon as the machine shows that the dream is over, a buzzer wakens the sleeper. He sits up, records his dream, and goes back to sleep—perhaps to dream some more.
Researchers have found that if the dreamer is wakened immediately after his dream, he can usually recall the entire dream. If he is allowed to sleep even five more minutes, his memory of the dream will have disappeared.
【小题1】According to the passage, researchers at the University of Chicago are studying ____.

A.contents of dreams B.dreamers while they dream
C.the meaning of dreamsD.the progress of sleeping
【小题2】Their finding has discovered that _____.
A.everyone dreams every night
B.dreams are easily remembered
C.dreams are likely to be frightening
D.One person dreams only one dream a night
【小题3】The machines being used in the experiment record _____.
A.the depth of sleep
B.the subjects’ brain waves and eye movements
C.how many dreams a person has
D.what a sleeper dreams during his sleep
【小题4】A person would be most likely to remember the dream that _____.
A.was of most interest to him
B.occurred immediately after he went to sleep
C.occurred just before he woke up
D.was the longest one to him

How to have fun in Chicago without spending a lot of money?

Sightseeing

★The Art Institute of Chicago has a fine collection of photos and paintings. The ticket is $10.00. But on Tuesdays you’ll get in free.

★The Sears Tower is the world’s third tallest building. By going to the 103rd floor, you can get a great view of the whole city! All for only $8.50.

Free show

★There are free concerts in Grant Park in summer. They are held from Wednesday to Saturday at 7:00 pm.

★Attend the taping of a TV show for free. The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Jenny Jones Show both offer tourists free tickets. For the Oprah Winfrey Show you’ll have to book tickets at least a month before.

Places to stay

★You can get a hotel for $100 to $300 a day. However, you can get a room in the dormitory

at Roosevelt University for $215 for a whole week! But you have to stay for 30 days to get this great rate(价格).

1.This passage tells us _________.

A.Chicago is a big and beautiful city

B.where we can see fine photos and paintings

C.how to make a cheap trip in Chicago

D.there are many free concerts in Chicago

2.It will cost you ________ if you visit the Art Institute instead of the Sears Tower on Sundays.

A.more             B.less              C.a little            D.nothing

3.You may go to _________ if you like to get a great view of the whole city.

A.the Art Institute                        B.the Sears Tower

C.Roosevelt University                     D.Grant Park

4.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A.It is free to go to the Art Institute on Tuesdays.

B.Free Grant Park concerts are held four nights a week in summer.

C.The Sears Tower is the world’s third tallest building.

D.You can get tickets to the Oprah Winfrey Show as soon as you arrive.

 

 

New York Helmsley Hotel

New York City, NY

KAYAK members are specially offered the New York Helmsmen Hotel, a world – class hotel located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, within walking distance of Times Square, Grand Central Station and the United Nations, as well as the Theatre District and Rockefeller Center.

Gaylord Palms

Orlando, FL

Gaylord Palms Hotel and Convention Center offers excitement to KAYAK members with world – class restaurants, dynamic on – site recreation, and breathtakingly beautiful gardens under glass. The Gaylord offers great room and food service close to the world’s most trilling places – Disney, Sea World, and Universal.

Affinia Chicago

Chicago, IL

Steps from the Magnificent Mile, the Affinia Chicago is best known for its perfect location at the Windy City’s center of shopping, entertainment, culture and business. Known for its fast pace, famous museums, amazing buildings, and action – packed sporting events, Chicago offers something for every KAYAK member.

The Liaison Capitol Hill, An Af finia Hotel

Washington DC

KAYAK members seeking the typical DC experience are offered the Liaison Capitol Hill. Having a great location on Capitol Hill, The Liaison Capitol Hill is the closest hotel to the U. S. Captiol. The Smithsonian, Union Station and dozens of the country’s most visited museums and monuments are within walking distance.

1.What do these hotels have in common?

         A.They are all near shopping center.

         B.They are all favorably located.

         C.They all have world – class restaurants.

         D.They all attract people with their low prices.

2.Which might be the best place for parents with kids to spend their holiday?

         A.Orlando, FL                      B.Chicago, IL

         C.Washington DC          D.New York City, NY

3.If you are interested in museums, which may be your best hotels to stay in?

         A.New York Helmsely Hotel and Affinia Chicago.

         B.The Liaison Capitol Hill and Gaylord Palms.

         C.The Liaison Capitol Hill and Affinia Chicago

         D.Gaylord Palms and New York Helmsley Hotel.

 

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