填空题

Let’’s proceed to the main exhibit hall and look at some of the actual vehicles that have played a prominent role in speeding up mail delivery. Consider how long it used to take to send a letter across a relatively short (36)______. Back in the 1600’’s it took two weeks on (37)______to get a letter from Boston to New York, a distance of about 260 miles. Crossing a river was also a (38)______. Ferry service was so (39)______that a carrier would sometimes wait hours just to catch a ferry. For journeys inland, there was always the stagecoach, but the ride was by no means (40)______because it had to be (41)______with other passengers. The post office was pretty ingenious about some routes. In the nineteenth century, in the Southwestern desert, for instance, camels were (42)______in to help get the mail through. In Alaska, reindeer were used. This practice was discontinued because of the (43)______temperament of these animals. We’’ll stop here a minute so that you can enter this replica of a railway mail car. (44)____________. In fact, the United States transported most bulk mail by train for nearly 100 years. (45)____________. Please take a few moments to look around. I hope you’’ll enjoy your tour. And as you continue on your own, may I suggest you visit our impressive philatelic collection. (46)____________.