After leaving San Diego without finding work, McCandless made his way to Seattle enjoying a new kind of transportation. What was it?

After leaving San Diego without finding work, McCandless made his way to Seattle enjoying a new kind of transportation. What was it?

• A. Riding the rails
• B. Flying in a plane
• C. Riding a bike
• D. Walking

Answer: (A)

Riding the rails is the idea being tested here. In this part of McCandless’s journey, he moves toward Seattle by hopping freight trains—a rough, improvised way of traveling that people in debt to money or formal schedules often used. It fits his desire to travel cheaply and freely, exploring the country on his own terms rather than by conventional means. This mode stands out as a “new kind of transportation” because it’s not a routine or comfortable way to get from city to city; it’s risky, adventurous, and driven by necessity, which is why it’s highlighted in the narrative. The other options don’t match the described method of travel in this leg of his trip.

Riding the rails is the idea being tested here. In this part of McCandless’s journey, he moves toward Seattle by hopping freight trains—a rough, improvised way of traveling that people in debt to money or formal schedules often used. It fits his desire to travel cheaply and freely, exploring the country on his own terms rather than by conventional means. This mode stands out as a “new kind of transportation” because it’s not a routine or comfortable way to get from city to city; it’s risky, adventurous, and driven by necessity, which is why it’s highlighted in the narrative. The other options don’t match the described method of travel in this leg of his trip.