Hitchhiking

When I was in myteens（十几岁）and 20s ,hitchhiking was a main form of long-distance transport. The kindness orcuriosity of strangers__________(51)me all over

Europe, NorthAmerica, Asia and southern Africa. Some of thelift-givers became friends,many provided hospitality _________(52)the road.

Not only did youfind out much more about a country than________(53)traveling by train orplane,but also there was that element of excitement about where you would

finish up thatnight. Hitchhiking featured importantly in Western culture.It has books andsongs about it.So what has happened to________(54)?

A few years ago,Iasked the same question about hitchhiking in a column on a newspaper.__________(55)of people from all over the world responded with their view onthe

state ofhitchhiking.

"If there is ahitchhiker's_________(56)it must be Iran,"came one reply. Rural Ireland wasrecommended as a friendly place for hitchhiking,_________(57)was

Quebec,Canada."if you don't mind being berated（严厉指责）for not speaking French."

But whilehitchhiking was clearly still alive and well in many parts of theworld,the_________ (58 ) feeling was that throughout much of the west it wasdoomed（消亡）.

With so much newsabout crime in the media,people assumed that anyone on the open road withoutthe money for even a bus ticket must present a danger. But do

we___________(59)tobe so wary both to hitchhike and to give a lift?

In Poland in thel960s,________(60)a Polish woman who e-mailed me,"the authoritiesintroduced the Hitchhiker's Booklet. The booklet contained coupons fordrivers,so each

time a driver_________(61)somebody,he or she received a coupon.At the end of theseason,________(62) who had picked up the most hikers were rewarded withvarious

prizes.Everybody washitchhiking then."

Surely this is agood idea for society.Hitchhiking would increase respect by breaking down_________(63)between strangers.It would help fight_________(64)warming by

cutting down on fuelconsumption as hitchhikers would be using existing fuels.It would also improveeducational standards by delivering instant__________(65)in

geography,history,politicsand sociology._________(54)

A.the books

B.them

C.it

D.the songs