Between the wars, the name of Croydon was famous worldwide because it held the promise of glamour and romance. The reason was the presence of CroydonAirport the stepping-off point to Europe and the world for those few who could afford air travel. It was the centre of the British Empire’s airmail services, and the start or finish of many heroic long-distance flights. Croydon was the world’s first international airport. HISTORY At the end of the First World War, the decision was taken to combine two military airfields, and to make them the “Air Port of London” – the capital’s official customs arrival or departure point for all international flights. When the airport opened in 1920, scheduled flights were introduced, carrying passengers, mail and freight to Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and from 1923 to Berlin. Every effort was made to provide a luxurious standard of in-flight accommodation and entertainment. Passengers wearing evening-dress and ball gowns made the short flight to Paris they danced and drank champagne during the trip. Many of the aircraft themselves would be unrecognisable today. _Empire Flying Boats _offering luxurious travel and first class accommodation catered for the privileged few. There was plenty of space to relax during the many hours in the air, which was very important because trips to the furthest corners of Africa, India and the Far East were measured in days not hours. Croydon witnessed many of the early landmarks of international flight. Croydon airport finally closed in 1959 – it was unable to expand enough to cope with the massive growth in air travel after the Second World War. Today you can visit Croydon airport and relive the romance and excitement of the early days of air travel. You can board an_ Empire Flying Boat _standing majestically in open fields and you can eat a meal cooked in the style of that day. You can even operate the old air traffic control machines from the top of the original control tower. 题目、 1. Croydon airport became so famous worldwide between the two world wars just because {A B C D} .