Clipper ships were the swiftest sailing ships that were ever
put to sea and the most beautiful. These ships had their days of glory in the
1840s and 1850s. The first were built in Baltimore, but most was constructed in
the shipyards of New England. It was Chinese tea that brought them into
existence. Tea loses its flavour quickly when stored in the hold of a vessel, and merchants were willing to
pay top prices for fast delivery. American ship-builders designed clippers to
fill this need. Then came the California Gold Rush of 1849, when clippers took
gold seekers from the East Coast to the West by way of Cape Horn.
Clippers were built for speed,
and considerations of large carrying capacity and economical operation were sacrificed
for this purpose. They had long, slender
hulls with sharp bows. Their three slanted masts carried a huge cloud of canvas
sail, including topgallants and royal sails, and sometimes skysails and
moonrakers, to capture the power of the winds. They required a hard driving
captain and a large, experienced crew.
Many records were set by
clippers. Sovereign of the Seas made
it from San Francisco to New York in eighty-two days. Flying cloud did 374 miles in one day. Lightning travelled from New York to Liverpool in thirteen days,
and Ino made it from New York to
Singapore in eighty-six days.
Some 500 clippers were built in
American shipyards. British yards turned out some twenty-seven tea clippers, as
the British ships were called. Unlike the wooden American ships, British
clippers were ‘composites’ with iron frames and wooden planking. The most
famous tea clipper was the Cutty Sark.
By 1860, the age of the clippers
was fading Gold diggings in California were nearly exhausted. American investors
found railroad building more profitable than clippers. Most importantly, there
was a technological innovation that doomed the clipper, and in fact, the entire
age of sail; the development of the steamship.
1.
What
is the author’s main purpose in writing?
A.
To
describe the tea trade in 1840s
B.
To
contrast clipper ships and steamships
C.
To
discuss nineteen-century shipbuilding techniques
D.
To
provide a brief history of clipper ships
2.
Which
of the following is closest in meaning to the word swiftest in line 1?
A.
Fastest
B.
Best
armed
C.
Largest
D.
Most
expensive
3.
According
to the passage, where were the majority of clipper ships built?
A.
California
B.
Baltimore
C.
New
England
D.
Great
Britain
4.
In
line 4, the word vessel could be best
be replaced by which of the following?
A.
Container
B.
Ship
C.
Cargo
D.
Merchant
5.
According
to the passage, how did the California Gold Rush affect clipper ships?
A.
It
encouraged the development of railroads, which completed directly with clipper
ships.
B.
The
newly discovered gold was used to finance the construction of new ships.
C.
It
simulated the demand for tea on the West Coast.
D.
People
who wanted to participate in the Gold Rush became passengers on clipper ships.
6.
According
to the passage, which of the following considerations was the most importance
to the owners of clipper ships?
A.
Maximum
speed
B.
Reduced
operating costs
C.
Increased
cargo capacity
D.
Small
crews
7.
Which
of the following is closest in meaning to the word slender in line 9?
A.
Titled
B.
Slanted
C.
Strengthened
D.
Towered
8.
What
can be inferred from the passage about skysails and moonrakers)
A.
Skysails
were the highest sails on the mast, and moonrakers were the lowest.
B.
They
were not always used on clipper ships.
C.
They
were much larger than royal sails and topgallants.
D.
They
were never used on clipper ship.
9.
According
to the passage, the record for the fastest trip between New York and Liverpool
was set by
A.
Sovereign of the Sea
B.
Flying Cloud
C.
Lightning
D.
Ino
10.
It
can be inferred for the passage that the tea clipper Cutty Sark
A.
was
faster than most American clippers
B.
had
more than three meals
C.
could
be powered by steam as well as by sails.
D.
had
a metal frame and wooden planking
11.
All
the following are given in the passage as reasons for the decline of clipper
ships EXCEPT
A. the end of the California Gold
Rush
B.
competition
with British tea clippers
C.
the
development of steamships
D. investment in railroads
12.
In
the next paragraph, the author will most likely discuss
A.
the
beginnings of the age of steam
B.
railroad
travel in the United States
C.
further
developments in sailing ships
D.
the
relationship between speed and ship design
ANSWER
KEY
1.
D
2.
A
3.
C
4.
B
5.
D
6.
A
7.
A
8.
B
9.
C
10.
D
11.
B
12.
A
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