在1998年的考研英语阅读理解中，考生们会遇到各种风格和难度的文章。以下是一篇模拟的阅读理解文章及翻译：
原文：
In the last half of the nineteenth century, the United States was a land of great opportunity. The Civil War had ended in 1865, and the country was rapidly expanding westward. There were many new industries, and the railroads were being built. The population was growing, and there were many people looking for work.
However, there were also many problems. There was a great deal of poverty, and many people were living in slums. There were also many diseases, and the sanitation in the cities was poor. The government was not doing enough to help the poor and the sick.
In 1890, a group of social reformers founded the National Consumer League. They wanted to improve the conditions of the workers and the poor. They believed that consumers had the power to change things. They started a campaign to improve the working conditions of women and children in the factories. They also worked to improve the living conditions of the poor in the cities.
The campaign was successful. Many factories began to improve the working conditions of their employees. The government also began to take more action to help the poor and the sick. The National Consumer League was one of the first organizations to use consumer power to change society.
翻译：
在19世纪后半叶，美国是一个充满机遇的土地。南北战争于1865年结束，国家迅速向西部扩张。有许多新兴工业，铁路也在建设中。人口在增长，许多人都在寻找工作。
然而，也存在许多问题。有很多贫困，许多人住在贫民窟里。还有许多疾病，城市的卫生状况很差。政府没有做足够的事情来帮助穷人和病人。
1890年，一群社会改革者成立了国家消费者联盟。他们希望改善工人和穷人的生活条件。他们认为消费者有改变事物的力量。他们发起了一场改善工厂中妇女和儿童工作条件的运动。他们还努力改善城市中穷人的生活条件。
这场运动取得了成功。许多工厂开始改善员工的工作条件。政府也开始采取更多行动来帮助穷人和病人。国家消费者联盟是第一个利用消费者力量改变社会的组织之一。
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