Henry Edwards Huntington was born in 1850 in Oneonta, New York. In 1872 he went to work for his uncle, one of the owners of the Central Pacific Railroad. Twenty years later, Huntington moved to San Francisco at his uncle’s request to share management of the Southern Pacific Railroad. On the way to San Francisco, he visited San Marino, and later bought it, which is home to his collections today.
In 1902, Huntington moved his business operations to Los Angeles, where he developed the street railway system that created the structure of the Los Angeles area. He greatly expanded the existing electric railway lines, creating an extensive inter-urban system providing the transportation necessary. Huntington’s business interests continued to grow particularly in the areas of water, power, and land development; at one time he served on as many as 60 corporate boards throughout the United States.
At the age of 60, he announced his decision to retire in order to devote time to his book and art collections and the landscaping of the 600-acre farm. In 1911 the large Beaux Arts building, in the charge of the architect Myron Hunt, was completed.
In 1913, Huntington married Arabella Duval Huntington. She shared his interests in collecting. As one of the most important art collectors of her generation, she was highly influential in the development of the art collection now shown in the former building.
In 1919, Henry and Arabella Huntington signed the agreement that conveyed their San Marino property and collections to a nonprofit educational trust, creating the Huntington, one of the world’s great cultural, research, and educational centers.
Henry E. Huntington died in 1927, leaving his great treasures the Huntington, including the world-famous Huntington Library, Art Gallery, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California to the public, which hosts more than 500,000 visitors each year.
小题1:What can you learn about Huntington from the first two paragraphs?
A．He worked in many fields before he came to Los Angeles.
B．He built a house to store his art collection in San Marino.
C．He did a lot to the USA railway development.
D．He founded the Central Pacific Railroad.小题2:What did Huntington do after his retirement?
A．He devoted himself to his personal interests.
B．He worked part time for non-profit business.
C．He was in charge of an educational center.
D．He shared his wife’s interests with her.小题3:Which of the following can best describe Huntington?
A．An excellent artist.
B．A talented architect.
C．An ambitious educator.
D．A successful businessman.小题4: This article is most probably taken from_______.
A．a science fiction
B．a newspaper report
C．a novel
D．a biography
