We often hear about schools cutting back on bus routes to save money，yet plenty of communities（社區(qū)） have their buses stopping almost as often as the mail truck.While the presence of sidewalks，and the safety of area roads，play a role in who gets house-to-house pickup or end-of-the-street pickup，Peter Mannella，director at the New York Association for Pupil Transportation says community culture can play an even larger role in the transportation situation.
   For example：Several years ago，Bethlehem tried spacing out its stops，says Mannella.The parents were unhappy，expressed as much and，within three days，the routes were back to their original frequency. "You can say 'We are going to save ＄100，000 by not stopping at every house，' but parents don't want their kids walking，" Mannella says.As you'd expect，this is especially true in bad weather or during winter.
   As a student in the 1980s，we walked to our stops.The neighborhood wait-spot was a good quarter mile away.Parents didn't make a fuss （大驚小怪），and no child was jye.aijured.In fact，the walking was good—it woke us up each morning.Not to mention，the sense of community that came with hanging out together each morning waiting for bus No.23 to roll up and take us all to school.
   Thing is a lot has changed since the 1980s.Too many people are texting and driving，making them as dangerous on the roads as drunken drivers.And，with reduced work forces at many companies，parents often work longer hours，meaning they aren't around to guard their kids to and from stops like many parents did when we were growing up.
   So I'll give them an understanding pass on not wanting their children to walk a mile each way to get to and from school.I can't agree with the complaints of having kids walk to a community neighborhood stop，though.If you worry they're going to be cold，get them a hat.If you fear they may miss the bus，send them out the door ？Five minutes earlier.

（1）What do we know about Bethlehem's plan？

A

A

A．It ended up in failure.
B．It lasted for a long time.
C．It wasn't put into practice.
D．It saved a lot of money.
（2）What can we learn about students in the 1980s from paragraph 3？

D

D

A．They woke up early in the morning.
B．They were driven to school by parents.
C．They usually hung out with their neighbors.
D．They benefited by walking to a neighborhood stop.
（3）Why are today's parents unwilling to let their children walk to a neighborhood stop？

A

A

A．Drivers do not concentrate on driving.
B．The weather conditions are awful in winter.
C．Children might be late for school.
D．The house-to-house pickup is available.
（4）What is the author's attitude towards children walking to bus stops？

C

C

A．Doubtful.
B．Unconcerned.
C．Supportive.
D．Critical.