【美国精神】第89期

Explanation:   

  In the 1800s, most Americans believed in Manifest¹ Destiny², or the idea that the United States was supposed to expand (or grow) across North America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. This was an important dream for the United States, but it took many, many years to accomplish (or to make it happen). 

 

  Traveling to the west coast was very difficult and dangerous in the 1800s. People couldn’t fly in a plane or drive a car, of course. Instead, they traveled in covered wagons³, which were heavy, wooden boxes covered in white fabric⁴ that rode on wheels and were pulled by oxen, which are very strong cows. The trail (or road) that they traveled on was called the Oregon Trail. The journey (or long trip) covered more than 2,000 miles and took about five or six months. The Oregon Trail was mostly used between 1841 and 1869. People stopped using it once the first transcontinental railroad⁵ (or the road for trains that went across all of North America) was built, because it was easier, safer, and faster to travel by train. But today, if you visit western states, you can still see some of the Oregon Trail’s wheel ruts, or the deep marks in the ground that were made by the heavy wagons. 

 

  Many of the people who set off (or began their journey) on the Oregon Trail never made it to Oregon. About one-tenth (or 10%) of the travelers died as they traveled toward⁶ the west. Some of the travelers who survived (or didn’t die) went to Oregon, but others stopped and settled (or began to build homes and live) in other states, like Utah. Many of the people who traveled on the Oregon Trail went to California to participate in the California Gold Rush, where they could find gold and make a lot of money by selling it. 

 

问题：

What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?  

Answer:   

Pacific (Ocean) 

1 manifest   

n.载货单，运货单，旅客名单；adj.显然的，明白的；vt.显示，证实，出示

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• That is manifest to all of us.那对我们大家来说是显而易见的。

2 destiny   

n.命运，定数，天命

参考例句：

• Nobody knows his own destiny.没有人知道自己的命运。
• It was her destiny to become famous.她命里注定出名。

3 wagons   

n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车

参考例句：

• The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
• They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

4 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

5 railroad   

n.铁路；vi.由铁路运输

参考例句：

• The railroad connects two cities,namely,New York and Chicago.这条铁路连接两个城市，即纽约与芝加哥。
• My brother is working on the railroad.我兄弟在铁路系统工作。

6 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。