Imagine, one day, getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours, and then, after a full day of work, going back home to Beijing and having dinner there.
Sounds unusual, doesn’t it? But it’s not that unrealistic, with the development of China’s high-speed railway system. And that’s not all. China has an even greater high-speed railway plan-----to connect the country with Southeast Asia, and eventually Eastern Europe.
China is negotiating to extend its own high-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 10 to 15 years, eventually reaching London and Singapore.
China has proposed three such projects. The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia. Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and possibly to Germany. The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe.
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward, people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days.
The new system would still follow China’s high-speed railway standard. And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour, almost as fast as some airplanes.
China’s bullet train (高速客车), the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou, already has the world’s fastest average speed. It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours.
Of course, there are some technical challenges to overcome. There are so many issues that need to be settled, such as safety, rail gauge (轨距), maintenance of railway tracks. So, it’s important to pay attention to every detail.
But the key issue is really money. China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on domestic railway expansion.
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital investment. Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development.
It’ll be a win-win project. For other countries, the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business, tourism and so on, not to mention the better communication among those countries.
For China, such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources, but would also help develop China’s far west. We foresee that in the coming decades, millions of people will migrate to the western regions, where the land is empty and resources unused. With high-speed trains, people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for all. And they’ll trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries.
1. China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because ____________.
A. China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions
B. China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways
C. China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries
D. the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation, business and tourism
2.According to the passage, the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is___________.
A. technical issues B. safety of the system
C. financial problems D. maintenance of railway tracks
3.Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed railway plan?
A. Critical. B. Reserved.
C. Doubtful D. Positive.
4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. New Railway Standards
B. Big Railway Dreams
C. High-speed Bullet Trains
D. International Railway Network
Gallery Policies for Visitors to National Gallery of Art, Washington | |
Visitors must present all carried items for inspection upon entry. After inspection, all bags, backpacks, umbrellas, parcels, and other things as determined by security officers must be left at the checkrooms, free of charge, close to each entrance. All oversized bags, backpacks and luggage must be left at the checkrooms near the 4th Street entrance of either the East or West Building. These items will have to be x-rayed before being accepted. Items of value, such as laptop computers, cameras, and fur coats, may not be left in the checkrooms but may be carried into the galleries. We regret that we do not have enough space for visitor items larger than 17×26 inches into the Gallery or its checkrooms. Additional security procedures and checks may be taken according to the decision of the Gallery. | For the safety of the artworks and other visitors, nothing may be carried on a visitor’s back. Soft front baby carriers are allowed, but children may not be carried on shoulders or in a child carrier worn on the back. Pushchairs are available free of charge near each checkroom. Smoking is prohibited. Food and drink are not permitted outside the food service areas. Unopened bottled water may be carried only in a visitor’s bag. Cell phones may not be used in the galleries. Animals, other than service animals, are not permitted in the Gallery. Skateboarding is prohibited. Picture-taking (including video) for personal use is permitted except in special exhibitions and where specifically prohibited. Tripods (三角架) are not allowed. Please do not touch the works of art. |
1. When people come to visit the Gallery, they should ____________.
A. leave all their carried items at the checkrooms
B. have all their carried items x-rayed at the entrance
C. take all their carried items with them without inspection
D. have all their carried items inspected at the entrance
2.What does the Gallery feel sorry for?
A. Visitors have to keep their valuable items in the checkrooms.
B. The size of visitor items allowed into the Gallery is limited.
C. It cannot keep oversized visitor items due to limited space.
D. Visitor items over 17×26 inches must go through additional checks.
3.Parents with small children visiting the Gallery _____________.
A. can carry their children in soft front child carriers
B. can carry their children on their shoulders
C. can carry their children in child carriers worn on the back
D. ought to pay if they want to use pushchairs for their children
4.Visiting photographers should make sure that ____________.
A. pictures and videos are allowed for personal use anywhere in the Gallery
B. tripods are allowed except in some special exhibitions
C. picture-taking and videoing are totally forbidden in the Gallery
D. pictures and videos can be taken in some places for personal use
When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie”. My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, then there were baths, playing catch and many other games. Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. We always felt better when she was around.
One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up (咬破) one of Dad’s shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, “Bad girl,” she looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.
Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet. She went everywhere with us. People would stop and ask if they could pet her. Of course she’d let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we’d be out walking and a small child would come over and pull on her hair. She never barked (吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loved everyone.
Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss the days when she was with us.
1.What would Brownie do when someone was ill in the family?
A. Keep them company. B. Look at them sadly.
C. Play games with them. D. Touch them gently.
2.We can infer from Paragraph 2 that Brownie__________.
A. would eat anything when hungry
B. felt sorry for her mistake
C. loved playing hide-and-seek
D. disliked the author’s dad
3.Why does the author say that Brownie was more than just a family pet?
A. She was treated as a member of the family.
B. She played games with anyone she liked.
C. She was loved by everybody she met.
D. She went everywhere with the family.
阅读下面短文，从短文后1--20各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
On August 26, 1999, New York City was struck by a terrible rainstorm. The rain caused the streets to and the subway system almost came to a stop.
Unfortunately, this happened during the morning rush hour. Many people who were going to work were to go home. Some battled to a taxi or to get on a bus. Still others faced the bravely, walking miles to get to work.
I to be one of the people on the way to work that morning. I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most had stopped. After making my way crowds of people, I finally found a subway line that was . Unfortunately, there were so many people waiting to the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the . So I took the train going in the opposite direction, and then switch back to the downtown train. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the train my stop. Then I had to walk several blocks in the increasingly heavy rain. When I finally got to my office, I was through, exhausted and .
My co-workers and I spent most of the day drying off. When it was 5:00 pm, I was ready to go home. I was about to turn off my computer I received an email from Garth, my Director:
I would like to thank all of you who made the effort and reported to work. It is always reassuring (令人欣慰), at times like these, when employees so clearly show their to their jobs. Thank you.
Garth’s email was short, but I learned more from that message than I ever did from a textbook. The email taught me that a few words of can make a big difference. The rainstorm and the traffic had made me tired and upset. But Garth’s words immediately me and put a smile back on my face.
1.A. break B. flood C. sink D. crash
2.A. forced B. refused C. adjusted D. gathered
3.A. order B. pay C. call D. search
4.A. climate B. scenery C. storm D. burden
5.A. used B. promised C. deserved D. happened
6.A. practice B. routine C. process D. service
7.A. to B. through C. over D. for
8.A. operating B. cycling C. turning D. rushing
9.A. check B. carry C. find D. board
10.A. street B. ground C. floor D. platform
11.A. paused B. crossed C. reached D. parked
12.A. wet B. weak C. sick D. hurt
13.A. ashamed B. discouraged C. surprised D. puzzled
14.A. while B. when C. where D. after
15.A. hardly B. casually C. absolutely D. eventually
16.A. devotion B. donation C. connection D. reaction
17.A. accurate B. urgent C. brief D. humorous
18.A. promise B. appreciation C. advice D. guidance
19.A. troubles B. signals C. rules D. signs
20.A. corrected B. supported C. amazed D. refreshed
-- I’m thinking of the test tomorrow. I’m afraid I can’t pass this time.
-- ______! I’m sure you’ll make it.
A. Go ahead B. Good luck
C. No problem D. Cheer up
After that, he knew he could ________any emergency by doing what he could to the best of his ability.
A. get away with B. get on with
C. get through D. get across
