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نمونه سوال درک مطلب آزمون MSRT - Reading Sample

It is said that George Washington was one of the first to realize how important the building of canals would be to the nation’s development. In fact, before he became the President, he headed the first company in the United States to build a canal, which was to connect the Ohio and Potomac rivers. It was never completed, but it showed the nation the feasibility of canals. As the country expanded westward, settlers in western New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio needed a means to ship goods. Canals linking natural waterways seemed to supply an effective method.

In 1791, engineers commissioned by the state of New York investigated the possibility of a canal between Albany on the Hudson River and Buffalo on Lake Eric to link the Great Lakes area with the Atlantic seacoast. It would avoid the mountains that served as a barrier to canals from the Delaware and Potomac rivers.

The first attempt to dig the canal, to be called the Eric Canal, was made by private companies but only a comparatively small portion was built before the project was halted for lack of funds. The cost of the prospect was an estimated $5 million, an enormous amount for those days. There was some on-again-off-again federal funding, but this time the War of 1812 put an end to construction. In 1817, DeWitt Clinton was elected Governor of New York and persuaded the state to finance and build the canal. It was completed in 1825, costing $2 million more than expected.

The canal rapidly lived up to its sponsors’ faith, quickly paying for itself through tolls. It was far more economical than any other form of transportation at the time. It permitted trade between the Great Lake region and the East coast, robbing the Mississippi River of much of its traffic. It allowed New York to supplant Boston, Philadelphia, and other eastern cities as the chief center of both domestic and foreign commerce. Cities sprang up along the canal. It also contributed in a number of ways to the North’s victory over the South in the Civil War.

An expansion of the canal was planned in 1849. Increased traffic would undoubtedly have warranted its construction had it not been for the railroads.

Question 71: Why does the author most likely mention George Washington in the first paragraph?

A. He was President at the time the Eric Canal was built.

B. He commissioned engineers to study the possibility of building the Eric Canal.

C. He successfully opened the first canal in the United States.

D. He was involved in pioneering efforts to build canals.

Question 72: The word “feasibility” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______

A. possibility

B. capability

C. difficulty

D. profitability

Question 73: According to the passage, the Eric Canal connected the _______

A. Delaware and Potomac Rivers

B. Hudson River and Lake Eric

C. Atlantic Ocean and the Hudson River

D. Potomac and Ohio Rivers

Question 74: The phrase “on-again-off-again” in paragraph 3 could be replaced by which of the following with the least change in the meaning?

A. ineffectual

B. unsolicited

C. intermittent

D. gradual

Question 75: The completion of the Eric Canal was financed by _______

A. private company

B. DeWitt Clinton

C. the federal government

D. New York

Question 76: The actual cost of building the Eric Canal was _______

A. $5 million

B. less than had been expected

C. $7 million

D. more than could be repaid

Question 77: The word “tolls” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to which of the following?

A. Grants

B. Fees

C. Links

D. Jobs

Question 78: Which of the following is NOT given as an effect of the building of the Eric Canal in paragraph 4?

A. It took water traffic away from the Mississippi River.

B. It established Boston and Philadelphia as the most important centers of trade.

C. It helped determine the outcome of the Civil War.

D. It allowed the East coast to trade with the Great Lake Sea.