【Readthepassagecarefully.ThenanswerthequestionsorcompletethestatementsinthefewestpossiblewordsTheautomobilemaynotbecloselyassociatedwithmodemAmericanculture,butithasoccupiedacentralroleinAmerica’seconomicand】
Readthepassagecarefully.Thenanswerthequestionsorcompletethestatementsinthefewestpossiblewords
TheautomobilemaynotbecloselyassociatedwithmodemAmericanculture,butithasoccupiedacentralroleinAmerica’seconomicandsocialhistory.
NoonecandenythestatusofHenryFordincarhistory.WhenthefirstFordModelTrolledofftheassemblylinein1908,businessmanHenryFordtransformedthecarfromaluxuryattachmentfortherichtoanautomobileproductforthemiddleclasses.Therushofcarsintothecommunityforcedalllevelsofgovernmenttobuildnewandbetterroads.Betterroadsfedthedemandforlarger,faster,morestylishvehicles,andahostofcompaniesrushedtomeetthatdemand.
IftherewasafirstGoldenAgeofautomobile,itmaywellhavebeenthe1950s.Itwasanageofprosperity.Large,regularpaychecksencouragedthepublicdisplayofwealththroughcostlyitemssuchasnewcars.Americans,moreover,neededthosecarsastheymovedawayfromthecitiesintothesuburbs,wheresuchthingsasstores,jobs,andschoolswereseldomwithinwalkingdistance.Carsbecameessentialifpeopleweretogettoworkortothegrocerystore.
AsAc1950sslippedinto1960s,itbecameapparentthatthesefashionablewheelsweregas-consumingroadcruisers,dangerousinanaccident,andoftenfulloffaults.Underpressurefromavarietyofgroins,thefederalgovernmentrequiredthatnewermodelsprovidegreaterfuelefficiencyandcleaneremissions.SeatbeltsbecamestandardequipmentaswellRisingfadpricesinthe1970s,coupledwithconcernfortheenvironment,madethesmallercarsproducedbyforeigncompaniesforEuropeanandAsianmarketsverypopular.
The1980sand1990ssawanupswinginthepopularityofbigcars.Newmodelsincludingminivansandsportutilityvehicleshavebecomemainproductsinautodealers’showrooms.TrafficjamsontheroadshavebecomepartoftheAmericanwayoflife.In1911ahorsecouldtravelthroughrush-hourtrafficinLosAngelesat11milesperhour.In2000acarcoveringthesameterritoryatthesametimeofdaymovedatabout4milesperhour.Butperhapsthatisnotimportant.Whenacarisequippedwithatelephoneandtelevisionset,acomputer,andglobalpositioningsatelliteconnections,itcanfeeljustlikeho

