【正确答案】Dependable transportation is a necessary prerequisite for sustained economic development. The first steps are already being taken to build a network of new roads similar to America' s interstate highway system. China' s railroads are being transformed as well. Beijing-Kowtoon Railway opened in 1997 is perhaps the best symbol of these changes. Completed two years ahead of schedule, this modern 2, 400-kilometer railroad helps bring economic vitality to under-developed regions of central China, alleviate intense pressure on existing north-south transportation links and facilitate regional economic growth by better linking Hong Kong and Macao with the rest of China.