CarsareanimportantpartoflifeintheUnitedStates.Withoutacarmostpeoplefeelthattheyarepoor.Andevenifapersonispoorhedoesn’tfeelreallypoorwhenhehasacar.
HenryFordwasthemanwhofirststartedmakingcarsinlargenumbers.Heprobablydidn’tknowhowmuchthecarwasgoingtochangeAmericanculture.ThecarmadetheUnitedStatesanationonwheels.AndithelpedmaketheUnitedStateswhatitistoday.
TherearethreemainreasonswhythecarbecamesopopularintheUnitedStates.FirstofallthecountryisabigoneandAmericansliketomovearoundit.Thecarmakesthetravelthemostcomfortableandcheapest.Withacarpeoplecangotoanyplacewithoutspendingalotofmoney.
ThesecondreasoncarsarepopularisthefactthattheUnitedStatesneverreallydevelopedapracticalandcheappublictravelsystem.LongdistancetrainshaveneverbeenascommonintheUnitedStatesastheyareinotherpartsoftheworld.Nowthereisagoodsystemofair-serviceprovidedbyplanes.Butitistooexpensivetobeusedoften.
Thethirdreasonisthemostimportantonethough.TheAmericanspiritofindependenceiswhatreallymadecarspopular.Americansdon’tlikewaitingforabusoratrainorevenaplane.Theydon’tliketohavetofollowanexacttimetable.Acargivesthemthefreedomtoplantheirowntime.AndthisisthefreedomthatAmericanswantmosttohave.
LessoilhascausedabigproblemforAmericans.Buttheanswerwillnotbeabiggersystemofpublictransportation.Therealanswerwillhavetobeanewkindofcaronethatdoesnotusesomuchoil.
小题1:WecanlearnfromthispassagethatAmericans______.