考研英语

Bernard Bailyn has recently reinterpreted the early history of the United States by applying new social research findings on the experiences of European migrants. In his reinterpretation,migration becomes the organizing principle for rewriting the history of preindustrial North America. His approach rests on four separate propositions.

The first of these asserts that residents of early modern England moved regularly about their countryside migrating to the New World was simply a natural spillover. Although at first the colonies held little positive attraction for the English &mdash they would rather have stayed home &mdash by the eighteenth century people increasingly migrated to America because they regarded it as the land of opportunity. Secondly,Bailyn holds that,contrary to the notion that used to flourish in America history textbooks,there was never a typical New World community. For example,the economic and demographic character of early New England towns varied considerably.

Bailyn's third proposition suggest two general patterns prevailing among the many thousands of migrants:one group came as indentured servants,another came to acquire land. Surprisingly,Bailyn suggests that those who recruited indentured servants were the driving forces of transatlantic migration. These colonial entrepreneurs helped determine the social character of people who came to preindustrial North America. At first,thousands of unskilled laborers were recruited by the 1730's,however,American employers demanded skilled artisans.

Finally,Bailyn argues that the colonies were a half-civilized hinterland of the European culture system. He is undoubtedly correct to insist that the colonies were part of an Anglo-American empire. But to divide the empire into English core and colonial periphery,as Bailyn does,devalues the achievements of colonial culture. It is true,as Bailyn claims,that high culture in the colonies never matched that in England. But what of seventeenth-century New England,where the settlers created effective laws,built a distinguished university,and published books? Bailyn might respond that New England was exceptional. However,the ideas and institutions developed by New England Puritans had powerful effects on North American culture.

Although Bailyn goes on to apply his approach to some thousands of indentured servants who migrated just prior to the revolution,he fails to link their experience with the political development of the United States. Evidence presented in his work suggests how we might make such a connection. These indentured servants were treated as slaves for the period during which they had sold their time to American employers. It is not surprising that as soon as they served their time they passed up good wages in the cities and headed west to ensure their personal independence by acquiring land. Thus, it is in the west that a peculiarly American political culture began,among colonists who were suspicious of authority and intensely anti-aristocratic.

Which of the following statements about migrants to colonial North America is supported by information in the text?

[A] A larger percentage of migrants to colonial North America came as indentured servants than as free agents interested in acquiring land.

[B] Migrants who came to the colonies as indentured servants were more successful at making a livelihood than were farmers and artisans.

[C] Migrants to colonial North America were more successful at acquiring their own land during the eighteenth century than during the seventeenth century.

[D] By the 1730's,migrants already skilled in a trade were in more demand by American employers than were unskilled laborers.

「答案解析」这是一道审题定位题。

题干中的“migrants”一词暗示本题的答案信息在段或第三段，因为这两段的首句都含有“migrants”一词。又根据题干中的“supported”一词，我们可以推断出本题的答案信息来源应该在原文的第三段，因为作者应该在第三段提出相应证据来“支持”(supported)自己的观点。

仔细阅读和理解第三段，尤其是第三段的尾句，我们可以推导出本题的正确选项应该是D.考生在解题时一定要有审题定位的能力，更要具备善于理解原文中启承转合所传达的含义。