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The United States has one of the best highway systems in the world.
美國擁有世界上最好的公路系統。
Interstate highways connect just about every large and mid-sized city in the country.
州際公路連接幾乎所有大、中期的城市國家。
Did you ever wonder why such a complete system of excellent roads exists?
你有沒有想過為什么這樣一個完整的系統優秀的道路存在嗎?
For an answer, you would have to go back to the early 1920s.
要回答這個問題，你必須回到20世紀20年代初。
In those years, just after World War I, the military wanted to build an American highway system for national defense.
那些年,第一次世界大戰之后,美國軍方想建立一個國防公路系統。
Such a system could, if necessary, move troops quickly from one area to another.
這樣一個系統,如果必要,將部隊迅速從一個地區到另一個地方。
It could also get people out of cities in danger of being bombed.
它也可以讓人們的城市被轟炸的危險。
So-called roads of national importance were designated, but they were mostly small country roads.
所謂國家重要性的道路被指定,但他們大多是小國家的道路。
In 1944, Congress passed a bill to upgrade the system, but did not fund the plan right away.
1944年,國會通過一項法案來升級系統,但沒有基金的計劃。
In the 1950s, the plan began to become a reality.
20世紀50年代，這個計劃開始成為現實。
Over $25 billion was appropriated by Congress, and construction began on about 40,000 miles of new roads.
由國會撥款超過250億美元,建設開始于大約40000英里的新道路。
The idea was to connect the new system to existing expressways and freeways.
當時的想法是將新系統連接到現有的高速公路和高速公路。
And though the system was built mostly to make car travel easier* defense was not forgotten.
雖然系統建于主要是為了使汽車旅行更容易防御不被遺忘。
For instance, highway overpasses had to be high enough to allow trailers carrying military missiles to pass under them.
例如,高速公路立交橋必須高到足以讓拖車運送軍事導彈通過。
By 1974, this system was mostly completed.
到1974年，這個系統基本完成。
A few additional roads would come later.
之后還會有一些其他的道路。
Quick and easy travel between all parts of the country was now possible.
現在可以在全國各地之間方便快捷地旅行了。
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
請根據你剛剛聽到的文章回答問題19至問題21。
Question 19. What does the speaker say about the American highway system?
問題19：關于美國的高速公路系統，講話者都說了些什么?
Question 20. What was the original purpose of building a highway system?
問題20：修建公路系統的最初目的是什么？
Question 21. When was the interstate highway system mostly completed?
問題21：州際公路系統于何時基本建成？
