Read this passage.I recall watching the fields and pastures outside my window slowly transform into roads, factories, and high-rises as our train rumbled east. My inaugural train trip to New York City sparked a curiosity about rail travel that blossomed even as the industry declined.

The passage begins with a personal memory of watching the landscape change during a train ride, then describes the curiosity that experience inspired. This vivid opening is meant to catch the reader’s interest, so it provides a high-interest “hook.”

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