E
A century ago in the United States, when an individual brought suit against a company, public opinion tended to protect that company. But perhaps this phenomenon was most striking in the case of the railroads. Nearly half of all negligence cases decided through 1896 involved railroads. And the railroads usually won.
Most of the cases were decided in sate courts, when the railroads had the climate of the times on their sides. Government supported the railroad industry; the progress railroads represented was not to be slowed down by requiring them often to pay damages to those unlucky enough to be hurt working for them.
Court decisions always went against railroad workers. A Mr. Farwell, an engineer, lost his right hand when a switchman’s negligence ran his engine off the track. The court reasoned that since Farwell had taken the job of an engineer voluntarily at good pay, he had accepted the risk. Therefore the accident, though avoidable had the switchmen acted carefully, was a “pure accident”. In effect a railroad could never be held responsible for injury to one employee caused by the mistake of another.
In one case where a Pennsylvania Railroad worker had started a fire at a warehouse and the fire had spread several blocks, causing widespread damage, a jury found the company responsible for all the damage. But the court overturned the jury’s decision because it argued that the railroad’s negligence was the immediate cause of damage only to the nearest buildings. Beyond them the connection was too remote to consider.
As the century wore on, public sentiment began to turn against the railroads—against their economic and political power and high fares as well as against their callousness toward individuals.
72. Which of the following is NOT true in Farwell’s case?
A. Farwell was injured because he negligently ran his engine off the track.
B. Farwell would not have been injured if the switchman had been more careful.
C. The court argued that the victim had accepted the risk since he had willingly taken his job.
D. The court decided that the railroad should not be held responsible.
73. What must have happened after the fire case was settled in court?
A. The railroad compensated for the damage to the immediate buildings.
B. The railroad compensated for all the damage by the fire.
C. The railroad paid nothing for the damaged building.
D. The railroad worker paid for the property damage himself.
74. The following aroused public resentment EXCEPT _____.
A. political power   B. high fares    C. economic loss   D. indifference
75. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. Railroad oppressing individuals in the US.
B. History of the US railroads.
C. Railroad workers’ working rights.
D. Law cases concerning the railroads.

Lucy complained to her father about her hard life. She wanted to  36 because she didn’t know how to______37___ her problems. She felt tired of fighting and fighting. Once one    ___38____  had been solved, another came.
Her father, a cook, took her into the ___39____. He poured water into three pans. After the water ___40____, in the first pan he put some carrots, the second some eggs, and in the __41____ some coffee. He waited without any   42  .
The girl closed her mouth and waited,   43 by what her father was doing. After about twenty minutes, her father   44 the stove and took out the carrots and the eggs. Then the coffee was ____45___ into a cup.
Turning back to his daughter, he asked, “what do you  46  ?”
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she answered.
Her father suggested she   47   the carrots. She did, and felt the carrots were   48 . Then he asked her to take the eggs and   49 them. After peeling（剥）them, she felt that the eggs were hard.  Lastly, he asked her to smell the __50____. She asked impatiently  , “What’s the meaning of this, father?” He explained that  51  had felt the same misfortune to be put into the __52___ water， but had reacted  53 . The strong and hard carrots became soft and weak after a while in the boiling water. The easily ___54___eggs became hard after being cooked. Coffee was very unique --- it could change water.
“  55 are you?  ”asked  her father. “When the difficulty knocks your door, what is your reaction? Are you carrots, eggs, or coffee?”

【小题1】

A．give up B．wear out C．catch up D．run out

【小题9】

A．turned off B．turned up C．turned down D．turned away

【小题20】

A．How B．Who C．When D．Where

________ moved us most was ________ he looked after the old man for more than twenty years．

1. A.
   That; that
2. B.
   What; that
3. C.
   What; what
4. D.
   That; what

 After the earthquake passed away, all the villages and towns were _____. And no being was seen.

A. in ruin            B. in ruins             C. at ruins         D for ruins

After the long journey, the three of them went back home, _________.