Hitchhiking

When I was in myteens（十几岁）and20s,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 wouldfinish

up that night.Hitchhiking featured importantly in Western culture.It has books and songsabout it. So what has happened to_______(54)?

A few years ago,Iasked the same question about hitchhiking in a column on anewspaper._______(55)of people from all over the world responded with theirviews on the

state ofhitchhiking.

"If there is ahitchhiker's_______(56)it must be Iran,"cameone reply.Rural Ireland wasrecommended as a friendly place for hitchhiking,_______(57)was Quebec,Canada."If

you don't mind beingberated（严厉指责）for notspeaking French."

But while hitchhikingwas clearly still alive and well in many parts of the world,the_______( 58 )feeling was that throughout much of the west it was doomed（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)to be so waryboth to hitchhike and to give a lift?

In Poland in the1960s,_______(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 with various

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.

_________(51)

A.made

B.took

C.traveled

D.crossed