Question

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of when large numbers of Chinese started working on a huge project in the United States. They help to build America’s first transcontinental railroad between 1863 and 1869, connecting the East Coast with the West.

People know little about the Chinese railroad workers and what happened to them after the project was finished. Stanford University in California wants to learn more about the lives of these men by reaching out to their families.

Bill Yee’s ancestors came from southern China. He said, “My great-great-grandfather came to America during the‘gold rush’days and he returned to China as a wealthy man. And then my great-grandfather came to work on the railroad and died there.”

But that did not stop his grandfather from coming to the US on false papers. He operated a laundry. Bill Yee’s father continued to run the business and has never returned to China.

“Things were pretty bad in some parts of China in the 1860’s. They came to America at all costs in order that they no longer had to bear hunger,” Bill Yee said.

Shelley Fisher Fishkin is helping to direct the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford University. She said, “Many of the Chinese workers who came to work on the transcontinental and other railroads returned to China after their work was done and created families there. Some of them settled in America and created new families, but they had families who they left when they came here and they may have descendants in China.”

There is a need to create a record of the object and spoken history from the families of the railroad workers.

“The US could not have become the modern industrial nation without the railroads. And the railroads would not have come together without the work of these Chinese workers,” said Shelley Fisher Fishkin.

1.What do you know about Bill Yee?

A. His family was rich in the 1860’s.

B. His father settled in the USA.

C. He knows little about his ancestors and hopes to know more.

D. His grandfather came to America with his great-grandfather.

2.According to Bill Yee, many Chinese went to America in the 1860’s mainly .

A. to run their own businesses

B. to find their ancestors

C. to make a living

D. to dig gold

3.According to Shelley Fisher Fishkin, .

A. the descendants of the Chinese railroad workers all live a good life

B. they expect to find all the descendants of the Chinese railroad workers

C. some Chinese railroad workers hope they can find their descendants in China

D. some Chinese railroad workers have descendants both in China and the US

4.Why did Stanford University carry out the project?

A. Because they want to help the Chinese railroad workers’ descendants to get together.

B. Because they want to show the importance of America’s first transcontinental railroad.

C. Because they want to learn more about how to build a railroad in the past in America.

D. Because they want Americans to remember the Chinese railroad workers’ role in US history.

Answer 1

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.D

【解析】

试题分析： 将近150年前，大批华人开始在横贯美国大陆的铁路上工作，使得美国成为一个现代工业国家。不过，人们对这些华工的境况和命运知之甚少。美国斯坦福大学正在开发一个项目，通过联络华工后裔，从他们那里了解、拼凑起美国铁路华工的生活。

1.小题1】细节理解题。根据第四段得知，但是这没有阻止他的祖父持假证件来到美国。他经营了一家洗衣店，后来他的父亲继续了这个行当。选B。

2.小题2】细节理解题。根据第五段得知，当时60年代中国一些地区的情况很糟糕。为了不忍受饥饿，他们不惜一切代价来到美国。选C。

3.小题3】推理判断题。根据第六段得知，许多华工来横贯美洲大陆铁路和其他铁路上工作......铁路修好后他们回到中国，并且在中国成家立业。有些人在美国定居，结婚成家。”选D。

4.小题4】推理判断题。根据最后一段得知通过斯坦福大学的这个项目，我们可以记住这些人的生活；这样他们在美国历史中的作用也不会被他们的后人所遗忘。选D。

考点：科研类文章