What significant feature did FORTRAN provide?

FORTRAN, developed in the 1950s, was one of the first high-level programming languages and introduced significant advancements in programming efficiency and usability. The correct choice highlights that FORTRAN allowed programmers to write instructions in a more abstract, human-readable form instead of requiring them to rewire physical components of a computer to execute programs. This was a transformative development in the field of computer science, as it meant that programs could be created, modified, and executed without needing deep knowledge of computer hardware or the intricate wiring of machine code.

This feature greatly enhanced the productivity of programmers, enabling them to focus on solving problems rather than getting mired in the low-level details of the machine. Consequently, the use of high-level languages like FORTRAN laid the groundwork for the development of further programming languages and influenced modern programming practices.