QUESTIONS 44 THROUGH 46
LISTEN TO A TALK IN A CLASS ABOUT UNITED STATES HISTORY.
LAST WEEK,YOU RECALL,WE DISCUSSED THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF RAILROADS IN THE
UNITED STATES.TODAY I WANT TO MENTION AN EVEN EARLIER FORM OF
TRANSPORTATION , ONE THAT BROUGHT THE FIRST EUROPEAN SETTLERS TO AMERICA.
AND THAT'S THE WOODEN SAILING SHIP. FROM COLONIAL TIMES SAILING SHIPS WERE
VITAL TO THE ECONOMY. MANY COASTAL TOWNS DEPENDED ON FISHING OR WHALING FOR
EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME. THIS WAS ESPECIALLYTRUE IN THE NORTHEASTERN STATES.
AND THERE THE WOOD FROM NEARBY FORESTS AND THE SKILLS OF LOCAL DESIGNERS
AND WORKERS ALSO FORMED THE BASIS OF AN IMPORTANT SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY.
BUT THE BIG PROFITS WERE TO BE MADE ON TRADE WITH FAR AWAY PLACES.AND SINCE
SEA CAPTAINS OFTEN BECAME PART OWNERS OF THEIR SHIPS,THEY HAD A STRONG
INTEREST IN THE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF THEIR VOYAGES.SO THESE YANKEES,THAT'S
WHAT US SAILOR AND OFFICERS CMAE TO BE CALLED, THEY CARRIED ON A VERY
PROFITABLETRADE WITH OTHER PARTSOF THE WORLD.THE HIGH POINTOF THIS TRADE
CAME IN THE MID-19TH CENTURYWITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CLIPPER SHIP,THE
ENORMOUS YANKEE CLIPPERS WITH HUGE SAILS REACHING NEARLY TWO HUNDREDFEET
INTO SKY.HE'D CARRY PASSENGERS AND CARGO FROM NEW YORK AROUND SOUTH AMERICA
TO SAN FRANCISCO IN LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AND CLEAR TO CHINA IN JUST HALF
A YEAR.AT THAT TIME THIS SEEMED UNBELIEVALBE FAST AND EFFICIENT.BUT IN THE
1860S ,MORE RELIABLE STEAM-POWEREDSHIP BEGAN TO TAKE OVER. AND SOON THE
IMPORTANT ROLE OF SAILING SHIPS IN THE US ECONOMY WOULD COME TO AN END.
44 WHAT ASPECT OF UNITED STATES HISTROY DOES THE PROFESSOR MAINLY DISCUSS?
45 ACCORDING TO THE PROFESSOR,WHAT MAY BE ONE REASON FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE
MERCHANT SHIPS OF THE UNITED STATES?
46 WHAT DOES THE PROFESSOR SAY ABOUT CLIPPER SHIPS?


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