was directly linked to the automobile. The demand for petroleum to fuel gasoline engines
(15) led to the opening of the Southern California oil fields, and made Los Angeles North
America's greatest refining center.
Los Angeles was a product of the auto age in another sense as well: its distinctive
spatial organization depended on widespread private ownership of automobiles. Los
Angeles was a decentralized metropolis, sprawling across the desert landscape over an
(20) area of 400 square miles. It was a city without a real center. The downtown business
district did not grow apace with the city as a whole, and the rapid transit system designed
to link the center with outlying areas withered away from disuse. Approximately 800,000
cars were registered in Los Angeles County in 1930, one per 2.7 residents. Some visitors
from the east coast were dismayed at the endless urban sprawl and dismissed Los
(25) Angeles as a mere collection of suburbs in search of a city. But the freedom and mobility
of a city built on wheels attracted floods of migrants to the city.
40. What is the passage mainly about?
(A) The growth of cities in the United States in the early 1900's
(B) The development of the Southern California oil fields
(C) Factors contributing to the growth of Los Angeles
(D) Industry and city planning in Los Angeles
41. The author characterizes the growth of new large cities in the United States after
1900 as resulting primarily from
(A) new economic conditions
(B) images of cities shown in movies
(C) new agricultural techniques
(D) a large migrant population
42. The word "meteoric" in line 6 is closest in meaning to
(A) rapid
(B) famous
(C) controversial
(D) methodical
43. The word "it" in line 8 refers to
(A) aqueduct
(B) vision
(C) water
(D) agricultural potential
44. According to the passage, the most important factor in the development of agriculture around Los Angeles was the
(A) influx of "new residents to agricultural areas near the city
(B) construction of an aqueduct
(C) expansion of transportation facilities
(D) development of new connections to the city's natural harbor
45. According to the passage, the initial success of Hollywood' s motion picture industry was due largely to the
(A) availability of many skilled workers
(B) beauty of the countryside
(C) region's reputation for luxurious lifestyles
(D) region's climate and good weather
46. It can be inferred from the passage that in 1930 the greatest number of people in the Los Angeles area were employed in
(A) farming
(B) oil refining
(C) automobile manufacturing
(D) the motion picture industry
47. According to the passage, the Southern California oil fields were initially exploited due to
(A) the fuel requirements of Los Angeles' rail system
(B) an increase in the use of gasoline engines in North America
(C) a desire to put unproductive desert land to good use
(D) innovative planning on the part of the city founders
48. The phrase "apace with" in line 21 is closest in meaning to
(A) anew with
(B) apart from
(C) as fast as
(D) at the middle of
49. It can be inferred from the passage that the spatial organization of Los Angeles contributed to the relative decline there of |
