【美国精神】第88期

Explanation:

  Before there were cars or very good railroads¹, which are special roads for trains, most transportation in the United States relied on (or used) rivers. Using boats on rivers was the fastest way to move people and goods (or products, like food, medicine, and tools) from one place to another. The United States has many long rivers that were used for transportation in those early days. This was especially true for the country’s longest river, the Missouri River, and its second-longest river, the Mississippi River.

  The Missouri River played an important role (or part) in the exploration of the western United States. This exploration was an effort to try to learn what the land was like in the West. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson asked Captain Meriwether Lewis to explore the Missouri River and find out whether it could be used to transport (or move) things across North America. At that time, no one knew where the Missouri River went, but everyone wanted to find a river that would move things from the east to the west.

  Captain Meriwether Lewis chose a team of 33 people to go with him, including a partner, William Clark. Their journey (or long trip) became known as the Lewis and Clark expedition. It lasted from 1803 to 1806. It was a difficult and dangerous journey into uncharted (or unmapped and unknown) land. The men suffered from disease² (or illnesses), hunger, cold weather, and fights against the Native Americans (or American Indians), but only one man died during the expedition. This is a testament³ to William and Clark’s leadership, or a sign that their leadership was very good and strong.

  Lewis and Clark wrote about everything they did and saw in journals⁴ (or small books). They described many plant and animal species⁵ (or types of plants and animals) that no one had seen before. They discovered that the Missouri River did not go all the way to the Pacific Ocean, but they got there anyway. They established relationships with many Native American tribes⁶ (or groups). In general, the expedition was a major success and an important source of information for the United States at that time.

 

问题：

Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.

Answer:

• Missouri (River)

• Mississippi (River)

1 railroads   

n.铁路，铁道( railroad的名词复数 )；铁路系统v.铁路，铁道( railroad的第三人称单数 )；铁路系统

参考例句：

• Water transportation was outmoded by railroads and good pikes. 水上运输已因铁路和良好的税道而变得过时了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• A severe snowstorm blocked up railroads. 一场暴风雪使铁路中断。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

3 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。

4 journals   

n.（某学科或专业的）杂志( journal的名词复数 )；期刊；日志；（用于报纸名）…报

参考例句：

• Which journals does the library subscribe to? 图书馆订有哪些报刊？
• This short story was published by two journals of repute. 这篇短篇小说由两种著名的杂志刊出。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

6 tribes   

n.部落( tribe的名词复数 )；（动、植物的）族；（一）帮；大群

参考例句：

• tribes living in remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest 居住在亚马孙河雨林偏远地区的部落
• In Africa the snake is still sacred with many tribes. 非洲许多部落仍认为蛇是不可冒犯的。 来自《简明英汉词典》