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The United States has one of the best highway systems in the world.
美国拥有世界上最好的公路系统。
Interstate highways connect just about every large and mid-sized city in the country.
州际公路连接几乎所有大、中期的城市国家。
Did you ever wonder why such a complete system of excellent roads exists?
你有没有想过为什么这样一个完整的系统优秀的道路存在吗?
For an answer, you would have to go back to the early 1920s.
要回答这个问题，你必须回到20世纪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,第一次世界大战之后,美国军方想建立一个国防公路系统。
Such a system could, if necessary, move troops quickly from one area to another.
这样一个系统,如果必要,将部队迅速从一个地区到另一个地方。
It could also get people out of cities in danger of being bombed.
它也可以让人们的城市被轰炸的危险。
So-called roads of national importance were designated, but they were mostly small country roads.
所谓国家重要性的道路被指定,但他们大多是小国家的道路。
In 1944, Congress passed a bill to upgrade the system, but did not fund the plan right away.
1944年,国会通过一项法案来升级系统,但没有基金的计划。
In the 1950s, the plan began to become a reality.
20世纪50年代，这个计划开始成为现实。
Over $25 billion was appropriated by Congress, and construction began on about 40,000 miles of new roads.
由国会拨款超过250亿美元,建设开始于大约40000英里的新道路。
The idea was to connect the new system to existing expressways and freeways.
当时的想法是将新系统连接到现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.
虽然系统建于主要是为了使汽车旅行更容易防御不被遗忘。
For instance, highway overpasses had to be high enough to allow trailers carrying military missiles to pass under them.
例如,高速公路立交桥必须高到足以让拖车运送军事导弹通过。
By 1974, this system was mostly completed.
到1974年，这个系统基本完成。
A few additional roads would come later.
之后还会有一些其他的道路。
Quick and easy travel between all parts of the country was now possible.
现在可以在全国各地之间方便快捷地旅行了。
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
请根据你刚刚听到的文章回答问题19至问题21。
Question 19. What does the speaker say about the American highway system?
问题19：关于美国的高速公路系统，讲话者都说了些什么?
Question 20. What was the original purpose of building a highway system?
问题20：修建公路系统的最初目的是什么？
Question 21. When was the interstate highway system mostly completed?
问题21：州际公路系统于何时基本建成？
