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  3. A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement spread ever farther westwar

A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement spread ever farther westwar

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问题     A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement spread ever farther westward. The early trains were impractical curiosities, and for a long time the railroad companies met with troublesome mechanical problems. The most serious ones were the construction of rails able to bear the load, and the development of a safe, effective stopping system. Once these were solved, the railroad was established as the best means of land transportation. By 1860 there were thousands of miles of railroads crossing the eastern mountain ranges and reaching westward to the Mississippi. There were also regional southern and western lines.
    The high point in railroad building came with the construction of the first transcontinental system. In 1862 Congress authorized two western railroad companies to build lines from Nebraska westward and from California eastward to a meeting point, so as to complete a transcontinental crossing linking the Atlantic seaboard with the Pacific. The government helped the railroads generously with money and land. Actual work on the project began four years later. The Central Pacific Company, starting from California, used Chinese labor, while the Union Pacific employed crews of Irish laborers: The two groups worked at remarkable speed, each trying to cover a greater distance than the other did. In 1869 they met at a place called Promontory in what is now the state of Utah. Many visitors came there for the great occasion. There were joyous church bells to honor the great achievement.
    The railroad was very important in encouraging westward movement. It also helped build up industry and farming by moving raw materials and by distributing products rapidly to distant markets. In linking towns and people to one another it helped unify the United States.
How many years did the constructions of the transcontinental railroad take?
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答案The constructions of the transcontinental railroad took three years
解析 细节题。考查对细节的理解及计算能力。题干问的是：州际铁路的修建花了多长时间?找原文时间：1862年审批，4年后开始执行，1869年合拢，即1866—1869三年的时间。因此答案为The constructions of the transcontinental railroad took three years．也可简答为three years。
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