Have you ever someone say "It's the real McCoy"? This means something is the best and not a fake. It is thought that this saying came from customers of Elijah McCoy. The tool he had invented for oiling (给……加润滑油) trains was so good that others tried to copy it. The railroads (铁路公司) wanted McCoy's tool but not a low-quality imitation. They wanted "the real McCoy".
Elijah McCoy was an inventor. His parents had been slaves in Kentucky, America. They ran away to Canada so that they could be free. McCoy was born in the province of Ontario in 1844. He went to school there until he was 15 years old. He was very interested in how mechanical things worked. His parents sent him to a school in Scotland where he learned to be a mechanical engineer.
After graduation, McCoy went back to Canada. Soon he moved to Michigan, America, and got a job on a railroad. The manager of the railroad thought that an African American could not be a good engineer and only offered him less important jobs.
He oiled the moving parts of the train. This had to be done while the train was stopped, which was dangerous, because when trains were stopped for oiling, other trains sometimes ran into them. What's more, it took a long time to oil the trains. McCoy invented a tool that could oil a train while it was moving. In 1872, he got a patent from the government to make and sell his automatic oil cup. In less than ten years, the automatic oil cup was being used in trains, ships, and many other kinds of steam engines.
McCoy moved to Detroit, Michigan years later. There he thought up ways to improve steam engines. McCoy kept on inventing for the rest of his life. At the age of 80, he got a patent for a tire. In all, McCoy had 57 patents for his inventions.
12. What is the text mainly about?
A. The origin of an American saying.
B. An African-American inventor.
C. Patents for steam engines.
D. The automatic oil cup.
13. Originally, what does "the real McCoy" refer to?
A. A customer of McCoy's.
B. A train oiled by McCoy.
C. One of McCoy's inventions.
D. One imitation of a McCoy's patent.
14. The railroad manager in Michigan ______ ?
A. doubted McCoy's abilities
B. refused to offer McCoy a job
C. reminded McCoy that the job was very dangerous
D. asked McCoy to invent a tool to oil a moving train
15. What do we learn about Elijah McCoy?
A. He was mainly self-taught.
B. He had been a slave in the US.
C. He was still inventing at an old age.
D. He spent most of his life in Canada.
答案
Elijah McCoy was an inventor. His parents had been slaves in Kentucky, America. They ran away to Canada so that they could be free. McCoy was born in the province of Ontario in 1844. He went to school there until he was 15 years old. He was very interested in how mechanical things worked. His parents sent him to a school in Scotland where he learned to be a mechanical engineer.
After graduation, McCoy went back to Canada. Soon he moved to Michigan, America, and got a job on a railroad. The manager of the railroad thought that an African American could not be a good engineer and only offered him less important jobs.
He oiled the moving parts of the train. This had to be done while the train was stopped, which was dangerous, because when trains were stopped for oiling, other trains sometimes ran into them. What's more, it took a long time to oil the trains. McCoy invented a tool that could oil a train while it was moving. In 1872, he got a patent from the government to make and sell his automatic oil cup. In less than ten years, the automatic oil cup was being used in trains, ships, and many other kinds of steam engines.
McCoy moved to Detroit, Michigan years later. There he thought up ways to improve steam engines. McCoy kept on inventing for the rest of his life. At the age of 80, he got a patent for a tire. In all, McCoy had 57 patents for his inventions.
12. What is the text mainly about?
A. The origin of an American saying.
B. An African-American inventor.
C. Patents for steam engines.
D. The automatic oil cup.
13. Originally, what does "the real McCoy" refer to?
A. A customer of McCoy's.
B. A train oiled by McCoy.
C. One of McCoy's inventions.
D. One imitation of a McCoy's patent.
14. The railroad manager in Michigan ______ ?
A. doubted McCoy's abilities
B. refused to offer McCoy a job
C. reminded McCoy that the job was very dangerous
D. asked McCoy to invent a tool to oil a moving train
15. What do we learn about Elijah McCoy?
A. He was mainly self-taught.
B. He had been a slave in the US.
C. He was still inventing at an old age.
D. He spent most of his life in Canada.
答案
苏19057182-3号