（C） Not economical for farmers
（D） Considered economical by the government
11.The word "alternative" in line 13 is closest in meaning to
（A） option
（B） transition
（C） intention
（D） authorization
12.The word "them" in line 9 refers to
（A） crops
（B） farmers
（C） prices
（D） merchants
13.Which of the following products would a northwestern farmer in the early nineteenth century be most likely to purchase from the east？
（A） Grain
（B） Vegetables
（C） Textiles
（D） Fruit.
14.According to the passage， where was the Erie Canal located？
（A） Between Ohio and Indiana.
（B） Along the Appalachian Mountains
（C） Between Lake Erie and the Ohio River
（D） Across New York State.
15.The word "imposing" in line 26 could best be replaced by
（A） impractical
（B） successful
（C） demanding
（D） misleading
16.The word "penetrate" in line 28 is closest in meaning to
（A） cut down
（B） go through
（C） fill up
（D） take over
17.The word "its" in line 32 refers to
（A） prosperity
（B） Erie
（C） System
（D） State
18.The word "extended" in line 34 is closest in meaning to
（A） increased
（B） constructed
（C） deepened
（D） measured
19.According to the passage， Indiana and Ohio supported the development of the New York canal system by
（A） helping to build the Erie Canal.
（B） Building branches to connect it with the Ohio River
（C） Providing much of the water for the Erie Canal.
（D） Contributing financially to the construction costs
20.What does the paragraph following the passage probably discuss？
（A） Industry on Lake Erie
（B） Canals in Ohio and Indiana
（C） Sectional jealousies in Indiana and Ohio
（D） Travel on the Erie Canal.
Question 21-31
Legend has it that sometime toward the end of the Civil War （1861-1865） a government train carrying oxen traveling through the northern plains of eastern Wyoming was caught in a snowstorm and had to be abandoned. The driver returned the next spring to see what had become of his cargo. Instead of the skeletons he had expected to find， he saw his oxen，living， fat， and healthy. How had they survived？
The answer lay in a resource that unknowing Americans lands trampled underfoot in their haste to cross the "Great American Desert" to reach lands that sometimes proved barren. In the eastern parts of the United States， the preferred grass for forage was a cultivated plant. It grew well with enough rain， then when cut and stored it would cure and become nourishing hay for winter feed. But in the dry grazing lands of the West that familiar bluejoint grass was often killed by drought. To raise cattle out there seemed risky or even hopeless.
Who could imagine a fairy-tale grass that required no rain and somehow made it possible for cattle to feed themselves all winter？ But the surprising western wild grasses did just that. They had wonderfully convenient features that made them superior to the cultivated eastern grasses. Variously known as buffalo grass， grama grass， or mesquite grass， not only were they immune to drought； but they were actually preserved by the lack of summer and autumn rains. They were not juicy like the cultivated eastern grasses， but had short， hard stems. And they did not need to be cured in a barn， but dried right where they grew on the ground. When they dried in this way，they remained naturally sweet and nourishing through the winter. Cattle left outdoors to fend for themselves thrived on this hay. And the cattle themselves helped plant the fresh grass year after year for they trampled the natural seeds firmly into the soil to be watered by the melting snows of winter and the occasional rains of spring. The dry summer air cured them much as storing in a barn cured the cultivated grasses.
21.What does the passage mainly discuss？
（A） Western migration after the Civil War
（B） The climate of the western United States
（C） The raising of cattle.
（D） A type of wild vegetation
22.What can be inferred by the phrase "Legend has it" in line 1？
（A） The story of the train may not be completely factual.
（B） Most history books include the story of the train.
（C） The driver of the train invented the story.
（D） The story of the train is similar to other ones from that time period.
23.The word "they" in line 7 refers to
（A） plains
（B） skeletons
（C） oxen
（D） Americans
24.What can be inferred about the "Great American Desert" mentioned in line 9-10？
（A） It was not originally assumed to be a fertile area.
（B） Many had settled there by the 1860's.
（C） It was a popular place to raise cattle before the Civil War.
（D） It was not discovered until the late 1800's.
25.The word "barren" in line 10 is closest in meaning to
（A） lonely
（B） dangerous
（C） uncomfortable
（D） infertile.
26.The word "preferred" in line 11 is closest in meaning to
（A） ordinary
（B） available
（C） required
（D） favored
27.Which of the following can be inferred about the cultivated grass mentioned in the second paragraph？
（A） Cattle raised in the western United States refused to eat it.
（B） It would probably not grow in the western United States.
（C） It had to be imported into the United States.
（D） It was difficult for cattle to digest.
28.Which of the following was NOT one of the names given to the Western grasses？
（A） Grama grass
（B） Bluejoint grass
