Passage 3
How many hundreds of heroes go unheralded（未宣布的） from the days of the Underground Railroad? While we celebrate such important figures as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, numerous others were needed to make the operation of the "railroad" a success. Runaway slaves had to be given shelter from weather and from search parties. The tale of this awesome phenomenon is one of cooperation, coordination, and brotherly love.
The Underground Railroad operated as a secret organization dedicated to assisting runaway slaves from the South. The Railroad should not be thought of, however, as one cohesive body. It was in fact an ever-evolving organization devoted to one cause: protection of one's fellow men and women. It actually began during the colonial period.However, it reached its height in the decades preceding the American Civil War. Acts such as the “Fugitive Slave Act of 1850”（1850 年逃奴追缉法案）increased railroad activity and popularity. The ultimate goal of the Underground Railroad was to accomplish the safe arrival of runaway slaves to Canada where the long arm of the law could not reach them. Laws such as the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850 allowed slave owners to recapture escaped slaves and bring them back to bondage in the South.
Some historians believe this courageous organization was began by Quakers(贵格会教徒) in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.Over time, the backbone of this organization became the numerous free blacks of the North. They were essential to the successful operation of the Underground Railroad. In most cases, fleeing slaves traveled by any means necessary and often on their own in an effort to reach freedom in the North. After arriving in the North the people of the Underground Railroad would provide assistance and supplies in an effort to get them to the guaranteed freedom of Canada.
Which of the following statements about the underground railroad is true ?
根据文章第二段第一句 The underground railroad operated as a secret organization dedicated to assisting runaway slaves from the south 可知,答案选 C: It operated as a secret organization to help runaway slaves 这个机构主要是帮助逃跑奴隶的秘密组织。
From paragraph 2 , we know that the runaway slaves________.
根据第二段最后一句 Laws such as the fugitive slave acts of1793and1850 allowed slave owners to recapture escaped slaves and bring them back to bondage in the South 可知，答案选 B: could be recaptured by slave owners 可能被奴隶主重新抓获。
The Underground Railroad began________.
根据第二段第四行 it actually began during the colonial period 可知,选 C: during the colonial period。
Who were essential to the successful operation of the underground railroad ?
根据文章最后一段第二三句 Over time, the backbone of this organization became the numerous free blacks of the north . they were essential to the successful operation of the Underground Railroad 可知,对于地下铁路这个组织,它的成功运行依赖北部的自由黑人。选 D: free blacks of the north。
The tone of the passage can be described as________.
整篇是对一个地下秘密组织 Underground railroad 的介绍,语气客观。选 A: objective。