单选题
In 1848 a settler in distant, undeveloped California discovered gold near Sacramento. As the news spread, a great tide of gold-hungry men flowed into California. They came from all parts of the United States in tens of thousands. There were even gold-seekers from Europe. Some of the people move across the country by cart, traveling almost half a year and meeting many hardships and dangers. Other sailed all the way around South Africa, finally reached the California shore. Since the first discovery was of tiny pieces of gold at the bottom of a stream, many of them searched the waters of rivers for the precious bits of yellow metal. Others made channels to draw off flowing water in order to examine it carefully for bits of gold. They worked with almost full determination and fierce competition(竞争). Life was hard and rough in the days of the California gold rush. A few of the adventurers became rich, but most of them were bitterly disappointed. After having removed from their homes and after traveling the long, dangerous road to California, they had found little or nothing. Some returned home. But many remained in California to work and to settle as ordinary citizens without the riches they had dreamed of. It was this great arrival of population that built up California very fast and led to its becoming a state of the United States in 1850.
单选题
According to the passage, how many people became rich in the so-called gold rush?
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】事实细节题。题目询问有多少人在淘金热中发家。本题答案可以从文章第二段第二句中得到。实际上，只有少部分人发家，而大多数人却没有什么收获。因此，选项A(少数人)为正确答案。 [避错指南] 选项C(许多)和原文第二段第二句中的most of them were bitterly disappointed(大多数人都很失望)相悖；选项B(没有人)和D(几乎没有人)曲解了a few of the adventurers(有一些冒险家)的意思。
单选题
A great many people remained in California because ______ .
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】事实推理题。题目询问什么原因使得众多的人留在了加州。本题答案可以从文章第二段末句得到。该句中的without the riches they had dreamed of表明许多淘金者没有得到曾经梦想的财富，这可推断出他们没有更好的选择才会留在加州工作或定居，即选项C为正确答案。 [避错指南] 选项A(他们得到了梦想的东西)与事实相反；选项B(加州的生活充满了竞争)是淘金热时淘金者的生活写照；选项D(他们仍然憧憬着财富)与文章第2段末句的had dreamed of相悖，对财富的憧憬是他们在淘金热时的精神写照，不是他们留在加州的原因。故这三项均可排除。
单选题
Which of the following may be the best title of the passage?