Traveling by train is usually not easy in China. It can be hard to get a ticket. When you’re traveling to the railway station you look at your watch, afraid you will miss your train.
But there is good news for people traveling between Beijing and Shanghai. Construction (建设) on the express railway (高速铁路) between the two cities started just before the Spring Festival of 2008. When it is finished by 2013, taking a train will be as easy as taking a bus.
“There will be trains every several minutes. Buying a ticket, getting through the checkpoint (检查站) and taking your seat, will take just 10 minutes,” said an engineer.
There may be high-speed trains running at 350 kilometers an hour. The travel time between the two cities will decease from 10 to about 5 hours. The trains will carry twice the present number of passengers.
The new line will be 1,318 kilometers long and go across specially built bridges. It will run along side the present line. There will be 21 stations in Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu.
“The cost of traveling by the express railway may be around 800 yuan. That will be more expensive than an ordinary train, but cheaper than by air.” Said Zhang Xiaoling, a Jiangsu government official.
According to Zhang, the higher price is caused by the large cost of the railway project. At about 200 billion yuan, the project may be even more expensive than the Three Gorges Project (三峡工程).
【小题1】The express railway between Beijing and Shanghai will be finished _______.
| A．at the end of this year | B．before the Spring Festival of 2008 |
| C．after 2013 | D．in about 5 years |
【小题2】Before taking your seat, you should _____ with your ticket.
| A．buy a ticket | B．get through the checkpoint |
| C．pack your things | D．make some friends |
【小题3】The word “decrease” in the passage possibly means ______ in Chinese.
A. 延长 B. 缩短 D. 提速 D. 限速
【小题4】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Traveling by train is usually difficult in China because tickets are too expensive.
B. The high-speed trains will have 21 stations in Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Hunan and Jiangsu.
C. Tickets for the high-speed trains will be cheaper than those for planes.
D. The cost of the express railway project is as high as that of the Three Gorges Project.
【小题5】What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．An enormous project. | B．Train tickets will get more expensive |
| C．Specially built bridges | D．Beijing—Shanghai express railway |
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