At one time, for the (51. PONDER) ____________________ of people needing to make the journey, the only
way to travel from Europe to America was by ship, but the days of a (52. LEISURE) ____________________
five-day (53. ATLANTIC) ____________________ crossing in a large liner have long gone. Today, everything is
about speed, and long distance travel has become almost exclusively the business of the airlines.
Although air travel is admittedly fast, passengers are still subject to the unexpected (54. HOLD)
____________________ which seem to be inherent in any form of travel, but people’s reactions to such delays seem
to be far more (55. SEE) ____________________ than in the days of the great liners. Then, passengers might have
shrugged their shoulders (56. RESIGN) ____________________ and relaxed with a book in their cabins, knowing
that little could be done about the situation, but today’s traveller is more likely to make his (57. CONTENT)
____________________ known forcibly to any official who is unfortunate enough to appear on the horizon.
It is easy to see why this might be the case since airport lounges are (58. STANDARD)
____________________ clearly inadequately equipped to cope with large numbers of (59. SHIP)
____________________ passengers. Small wonder that people’s tempers begin to fray and their nerves are (60.
TAX) ____________________ when faced with the prospect of a sleepless overnight stay in what is, after all, no
more than a vast public hall.
