Bus travel now and then
Nobody, except perhaps little children, considers a journey in a bus as exciting experience. Although there are thousands of cars on the roads, more people travel by bus than by car. Workers rushing to their offices or factories, children hurrying to school, housewives going shopping, use buses. For cities without other public transport services, if all the buses were to stop running for a day, work would come to a standstill in hundreds of offices and factories and most classrooms would be deserted.
Buses today are large and have comfortable seats, mostly facing the front. To get the driver to stop at a bus-stop, a passenger has merely to push a button, which rings a bell placed near the driver. The bus schedule for the city is well planned, and seldom does one have to wait very long to catch a bus. One can go from almost any part of the city to another by bus.
Of course, there are drawbacks in bus travel. Often the buses are filled to capacity, especially during the rush-hours, and then one may have to wait longer than usual at a bus-stop for a bus with space for more passengers. If one gets into a crowded bus, one may have to remain standing throughout the journey holding on to a leather strap. This can be quite uncomfortable and even a little dangerous, as one may be jerked off one’s feet if the bus stops or starts suddenly.
In spite of the inconveniences, we should be grateful for the advantages of bus travel today. The situation was quite different a generation or two ago. In the early 1830’e buses were much smaller than they are now. They did not run to a proper timetable. To catch a bus one stood at a bus-stop(many roads did not even have bus-stops), and took one’s chance. Buses took in as many passengers as could squeeze in. passengers sat on benches placed on either side of the bus, facing each other.
1. In a big city, cars are less important than buses because ___.
A. cars carry far fewer people
B. car travel is less exciting
C. cars are more expensive
D. cars are inconvenient
2. In order to get off the bus, a passenger has to ___.
A. shout to the driver
B. push some buttons
C. jump off the bus
D. ring a special bell
3. Bus travel nowadays ___.
A. is worse than before
B. is no better than before
C. is more convenient than before
D. is the same as before
4. What may happen when one is standing in a crowded bus?
A. one may be forced to leave the bus
B. one may not have to pay the fare
C. one may become suffocated
D. one may lose one’s balance
5. We can deduce from the fourth paragraph that in former times bus services were ___.
A. eventful
B. irregular
C. efficient
D. well planned