into the west, and materials could pour into the east. The Erie Canal helped New York develop into the nation's largest city.

　　The building of the canal was paid for entirely by the state of New York. It cost $7,143,789, but it soon gained its price many times over. Between 1825, when the canal was opened, and 1882, when toll charges (过运河费) were stopped, the state collected $121,461,891.

　　For a hundred years before the Erie was built, people had been talking about a canal which could join the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. The man who planned the Erie Canal and carried the plan through was De Witt Clinton. Those who were against the canal laughingly called it "Clinton's Ditch (沟)". Clinton talked and wrote about the canal and drew up plans for it. He and Governor Morris went to Washington in 1812 to ask for help for the canal, but they were unsuccessful.

　　Clinton became governor of New York in 1817, and shortly afterwards, on July 4, 1817, broke ground for the canal in Rome, N．Y. The first part of the canal was completed in 1820. As the canal grew, towns along its course developed fast. The length of the canal is 363 miles.

　　1．We can see that the Erie Canal ________.

　　A．joined the Great Lakes together

　　B．crossed New York from north to south

　　C．played an important part in developing New York

　　D．was the first waterway built in the U．S.

　　解析：选C　细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句"The Erie Canal helped New York develop into the nation's largest city."及全段内容可知，伊利运河对纽约的发展起到了巨大的作用。故选C项。

　　2．It can be inferred that ________ into the Atlantic Ocean.

　　A．the Great Lakes flow

　　B．the Hudson River flows

　　C．Lake Erie flows

　　D．the Erie Canal flows

　　解析：选B　推理判断题。根据第一段第二、三句"It crossed New York from Buffalo on Lake Erie to Albany ... with the Atlantic Ocean."可知，运河从伊利湖到哈德逊河，横跨了纽约，把五大湖和大西洋连接了起来，由此可推断哈德逊河流入大西洋。故选B项。

　　3．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

　　A．The Erie Canal brought profits of over $114,000,000.

　　B．It's 363 miles from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

C．The West was more advanced than the East when the canal was built.