在TPO的刷题、解题过程中，会遇到对某一个答案有争议，比如我们常说的tpo33阅读答案错误争论。但是正确答案只有一个，今天就以TPO33第二篇文章《Railroads and Commercial Agriculture in Nineteenth-Century United States》的第五题为例，来为大家整理解题思路，为什么这个答案对而那个是错的。
Para 3: The new railroad networks shifted the direction of western trade. In 1840 most northwestern grain was shipped south down the Mississippi River to the bustling port of New Orleans. But low water made steamboat travel hazardous in summer, and ice shut down traffic in winter. Products such as lard, tallow, and cheese quickly spoiled if stored in New Orleans’ hot and humid warehouses. Increasingly, traffic from the Midwest flowed west to east, over the new rail lines. Chicago became the region’s hub, linking the farms of the upper Midwest to New York and other eastern cities by more than 2,000 miles of track in 1855. Thus while the value of goods shipped by river to New Orleans continued to increase, the South’s overall share of western trade dropped dramatically.
1. According to paragraph 3, what was a disadvantage of shipping goods from northwestern areas to New Orleans?
A) There was no reliable way to get goods from New Orleans to eastern cities.
B) The cost of shipping goods by river to New Orleans continued to increase.
C) Goods shipped from New Orleans’ neighboring areas had a significant competitive advantage because of their lower transportation costs.
D) The temperatures and humidity.
解题思路如下：问题问what was a disadvantage of shipping goods from northwestern areas to New Orleans?即“从西北运货物到新奥尔良的缺点是什么?”那么同学们就知道我们应该从问题的关键词disadvantage以及shipping goods from northwestern areas to New Orleans出发，到该段定位。Disadvantage这个词找不到类似的表达，但我们看到了In 1840 most northwestern grain was shipped south down the Mississippi River to the bustling port of New Orleans.这句话说“1840年大多数西北部的谷物顺流而下沿着密西西比河朝南运到繁忙的新奥尔良港。”这句话后面的But告诉我们这句话以及下一句讲的是这条路线的缺点。果不其然，But low water made steamboat travel hazardous in summer, and ice shut down traffic in winter. ¢ Products such as lard, tallow, and cheese quickly spoiled if stored in New Orleans’ hot and humid warehouses.即“但是低水位让蒸汽船在夏天航行时很危险，冬天的结冰又会关闭航道。如果存储在新奥尔良热而且潮湿的仓库，诸如猪油、牛油和芝士这样的产品会很快坏掉。”从此可知，从西北运货物到新奥尔良的缺点是气温炎热和潮湿，所以我们这题选D。再来说下为什么B不对，B说The cost of shipping goods by river to New Orleans continued to increase.即“到新奥尔良的运送货物的成本持续上升”，我们看看文章最后一句话真的给B提供了证据吗?Thus while the value of goods shipped by river to New Orleans continued to increase, the South’s overall share of western trade dropped dramatically.即“因此，虽然用河流运送到新奥尔良的货物价值持续上升，但是南部在西部贸易中总体的市场份额急剧下降。”最后一句强调的是货物价值上升，而不是B里面说的运费上升，所以这句话无法得出B这个结论。
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