Questions 40-50 At the turn of the twentieth century, Americans who wished to travel between cities
either for work or for pleasure had limited options. The steam railroad offered the best,
the most reliable and the fastest means of transport. Electric railways (trams and trolleys)
Line provided reasonable intraurban and short-distance intercity travel They also offered some longer routes, but only in certain parts of the country. Horse-drawn coaches were neither
a competitive nor a comfortable alternative given the deplorable slate of the nation's
highways; and though bicycles were popular in both town and country, they, too, were
hampered by poor road surfaces. It took the mass production and ownership of cars,
together with increased attention to road construction, to bring the major breakthrough in travel in the 1920's. And alongside the rapid spread of the popular and individualistic
auto came the slower, but significant, growth of bus transport. Not only did buses largely
replace trams and trolleys in urban mass transit, they also opened up new avenues of
intercity travel both to those Americans who could not afford cars and to those car owners
who preferred to leave distance driving to others. No particular date marks the beginning of the American intercity bus industry because
so many individuals were attracted to it at about the same time by the large profits
available to those who could carry fare-paying passengers over public highways- These
ubiquitous bus pioneers came from all walks of life. Few knew much about transport or
about business, but they were willing to take a chance on a new venture that had low entry costs. Frequently driving used vehicles, these drivers concentrated on local services
operated on a consumer-demand basis with the driver taking cash fares. There were no
formal schedules or routes. People became aware of the new service by word of mouth
or newspaper advertisements, but a regular commitment was not guaranteed. Bus drivers
frequently did not start until they Had a full load; and those who traveled on the early
buses were content with reaching their destination rather than enjoying a fast or
comfortable journey.
【題組】43. The word "hampered" in line 8 is closest in meaning to
(A) restrained
(B) supported
(C) favored
(D) damaged