单选题 {{B}}Text 4{{/B}}
A recent history of the Chicago meat-packing industry and its workers examines how the industry grew from its appearance in the 1830's through the early 1890's. Meatpackers, the author argues, had good wages, working conditions, and prospects for advancement within the packinghouses, and did not cooperate with labor agitators since labor relations were so harmonious. Because the history maintains that conditions were above standard for the era, the frequency of labor disputes, especially in the mid-1880's, is not accounted for. The work ignores the fact that the 1880's were crucial years in American labor history, and that the' packinghouse workers’ efforts were part of the national movement for labor reform.
In fact, other historical sources for the late nineteenth century record deteriorating housing and high disease and infant mortality rates in the industrial community, due to low wages and unhealthy working conditions. Additional data from the University of Chicago suggest that the packing houses were dangerous places to work. The government investigation commissioned by President Theodore Roosevelt which eventually led to the adoption of the 1906 Meat Inspection Act found the packinghouses unsanitary, while social workers observed that most of the workers were poorly paid and overworked. The history may be too optimistic because most of its data date from the 1880 's at the latest, and the information provided from that decade is insufficiently analyzed. Conditions actually declined in the 1880's, and continued to decline after the 1880's, due to a reorganization of the packing process and a massive influx of unskilled workers. The 'deterioration, in worker status, partly a result of the new availability of unskilled and hence cheap labor, is not discussed. Though a detailed account of work in the packing houses is attempted, the author fails to distinguish between the wages and conditions for skilled workers and for those unskilled laborers who comprised the majority of the industry's workers from the 1880's on. While conditions for the former were arguably tolerable due to the strategic importance of skilled workers in the complicated slaughtering, cutting and packing process (though worker complaints about the rate and conditions of work were frequent), pay and conditions for the latter were wretched.
The author's misinterpretation of the origins of the feelings the meat-packers had for their industrial neighborhood may account for the history's faulty generalizations. The pride and contentment the author remarks upon were, arguably, less the products of the industrial world of the packers—the giant yards and the intricate plants—than of the unity and vibrancy of the ethnic cultures that formed a viable community on Chicago's South Side. Indeed, the strength of this community succeeded in generating a social movement that effectively confronted the problems of the industry that provided its livelihood.
单选题 The passage is primarily concerned with discussing ______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】文章第一段指出“A recent history of the Chicago meat-packing industry and its workers examines how the industry grew．．．Meat-packers，the author argues，had good wages，working conditions，and prospects for advancement within the packinghouses，．．．The work ignores the fact that．．．”，第二段提到“In fact，other historical sources for．．．Additional data from the University of Chicago suggest that．．．”，最后一段指出“The author's misinterpretation of the origins of the feelings the meat-packers had for their industrial neighborhood may account for the history's faulty generalizations”。这说明，文章内容主要讨论的是历史学家应如何阐述芝加哥肉类加工业最初的工作条件，这与A符合。
单选题 The author of the passage mentions all of the following as describing negative conditions in the meat-packing industry EXCEPT ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】A选项的内容在第二段“Additional data from the University of Chicago suggest that the packing houses were dangerous places to work．”提到；C选项的内容在第二段“The government investigation．．． found the packinghouses unsanitary，while social workers observed that most of the workers were poorly paid and overworked”提到；D选项的内容在第二段“...other historical sources for the late nineteenth century record deteriorating housing and high disease and infant mortality rates...”提到。只有，B不是文章中提到的不利状况。
单选题 The author of the passage mentions the "social movement" generated by Chicago's South Side community primarily in order to ________.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】文章最后一段说“Indeed，the strength of this community succeeded in generating a social movement that effectively confronted the problems of the industry that provided its livelihood．”这说明，作者提到social movement是为了说明肉类加工业发展的积极因素。这与C符合。
单选题 The author of the passage uses the second paragraph to ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】文章第一段提到：有人认为，19世纪80年代肉类加工业的工人工资高、生产条件好。第二段指出，实际情况是“...deteriorating housing and high disease and infant mortality rates in the industrial community，due to low wages and unhealthy working conditions．．．the packing houses were dangerous places to work”，这说明，第二段的内容是在驳斥第一段中提到的观点。所以D正确。
单选题 The tone of the author of the passage in discussing the meat-packer community on Chicago's South Side can best be described as one of ______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】文章最后两句话说“．．．of the unity and vibrancy of the ethnic cultures that formed a viable community on Chicago's South Side． Indeed，the strength of this community succeeded in generating a social movement that effectively confronted the problems of the industry that provided its livelihood”。这说明，作者很赞赏该社区，故答案选A。