备战2024年中考英语阅读话题训练二 人与社会 主题13 高铁的建设与发展

China now has more than 30, 000 kilometers of high speed track, and this is expected to increase to 38,000 kilometers by 2025. Fully two thirds of the world's high speed rail(by length) is in China. Here, we track the exciting technological developments in high speed rail and consider their cultural influence. 

While the main advantage of the high speed rail lines is convenient for people to get from one city to another as quickly as possible, some of these high speed lines have become popular tourist attractions(景点). A good example of this is the Hefei-Fuzhou high speed line. Technically speaking, this was one of the most challenging high speed rail routes ever built; nearly 90% of the track was laid either on bridges or in tunnels(隧道). However, the amazing views are worth it, as the train goes through some of China's most beautiful mountainous areas, including the Huangshan and the Wuyi Mountain Ranges. 

As China has gained skills and knowledge in high speed rail, it is trying to export (出口) its technology to other countries. Its first project on the international market was the line connecting 

Istanbul with Turkey's capital, Ankara, 530 kilometers away. This was followed by projects among other countries. Perhaps its most challenging project is a Trans Asian network connecting China with Europe. Although it is difficult, China will make every effort to take on this plan. It is hoped to be completed by 2030 as a part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (中国"一带一路"倡议).

Thanks to high speed rail, the travel time between main cities in China has already been reduced to only a few hours. So this convenience should improve the development within and out of China. No doubt, it will also bring the people of the country closer together, and in time bring about deep social changes. 

New trains run across rocky mountains and the Great Wall to the north of Beijing like bullets（子弹）. They run on a high-speed railway line between Beijing and Zhangjiakou. The opening was on Dec 30, 2019. 

The railway is an important support project for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The 174-km railway's trains move at a top speed of 350 km/h. This reduces the travel time between Beijing and Zhangjiakou, the Winter Games will be held there, from over three hours to only 47 minutes. It has 10 stops in total. It will help improve tourism. There are places of interest nearby. 

Some of the trains on this railway are smart trains that can run by themselves. With the help of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, they can automatically（自动）start, run between stations, change their timing according to the time table, correctly stop at a station, and open and close their doors. Passengers can also watch live sports programmes during the Winter Olympics on the train, which is helped with 5G technology. 

Some people consider Zhan Tianyou as "the father of China's railways". Who is Zhan Tianyou? In 1872, the Qing government chose 30 young boys to be sent to the US to study. They were the first students in Chinese history to study abroad. Zhan Tianyou was one of them. After graduating from Yale University, Zhan came back to China. In 1905, the Qing government decided to build a railroad between Beijng and Zhangjiakou. Zhan, who studied engineering, led the project. The project is best-known for its Y-shaped switchback（人字形坡路）. There are many mountains along the Beijng-Zhangjiakou railway. It was difficult for trains to climb the mountains. 

He led construction（建设）on the old Beijing—Zhangjiakou railway, China's first independently—designed railway. It was not possible to build a railway without foreign help at that time. But Zhan, the head engineer of the railway project, insisted（坚持） that it could be done. Zhan came up with an idea to reduce the slope（坡度）: a Y-shaped switchback. Instead of going directly from A to B along a steep（陡的）slope, the train goes from A to C first and then from C to B. This makes the slope much less steep. 

After many difficulties, the Beijing—Zhangjiakou line went into operation in 1909. Its trains ran at 35 km/h. 

As President Xi Jinping said, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway stands for the development of China's railways over more than a century, as well as China's development in general. 

China now has more than 30, 000 kilometers of high speed track, and this is expected to increase to 38,000 kilometers by 2025. Fully two thirds of the world's high speed rail（by length）is in China. Here, we track the exciting technological developments in high speed rail and consider their cultural influence.

While the main advantage of the high speed rail lines is convenience for people to get from one city to another as quickly as possible, some of these high speed lines have become popular tourist attractions（places that many tourists visit）. A good example of this is the Hefei-Fuzhou high speed line. Technically speaking, this was one of the most challenging high speed rail routes ever built; nearly 90% of the track was laid either on bridges or in tunnels（隧道）. However, the amazing views are worth it, as the train goes through some of China's most beautiful mountainous areas, including the Huangshan and the Wuyi Mountain Ranges.

As China has gained skills and knowledge in high speed rail, it is trying to export（出口）its technology to other countries. Its first project on the international market was the line connecting Istanbul with Turkey's capital, Ankara, 530 kilometers away. This was followed by projects among other countries. Perhaps its most challenging project is a Trans Asian network（横贯亚洲铁路网）connecting China with Europe. Although it is difficult, China will make every effort to take on this plan. It is hoped to be completed by 2030 as a part of China's Belt and Road Initiative（一带一路的倡议）.

Thanks to high speed rail, the travel time between main cities in China has already been reduced to only a few hours. So this convenience should improve the development within and out of China. No doubt, it will also bring the people of the country closer together, and in time bring about deep social changes.

China now has more than 30, 000 kilometers of high speed track, and this is expected to increase to 38,000 kilometers by 2025. Fully two thirds of the world's high speed rail(by length) is in China. Here, we track the exciting technological developments in high speed rail and consider their cultural influence.

While the main advantage of the high speed rail lines is convenience for people to get from one city to another as quickly as possible, some of these high speed lines have become popular tourist attractions(景点). A good example of this is the Hefei-Fuzhou high speed line. Technically speaking, this was one of the most challenging high speed rail routes ever built; nearly 90% of the track was laid either on bridges or in tunnels(隧道). However, the amazing views are worth it, as the train goes through some of China's most beautiful mountainous areas, including the Huangshan and the Wuyi Mountain Ranges.

As China has gained skills and knowledge in high speed rail, it is trying to export (出口) its technology to other countries. Its first project on the international market was the line connecting

Istanbul with Turkey's capital, Ankara, 530 kilometers away. This was followed by projects among other countries. Perhaps its most challenging project is a Trans Asian network connecting China with Europe. Although it is difficult, China will make every effort to take on this plan. It is hoped to be completed by 2030 as a part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (中国“一带一路”倡议).

Thanks to high speed rail, the travel time between main cities in China has already been reduced to only a few hours. So this convenience should improve the development within and out of China. No doubt, it will also bring the people of the country closer together, and in time bring about deep social changes.

The opening of the Beijing—Zhangjiakou high-speed railway took place in December, 2019. The railway is a milestone in China's railway development because it has used the latest technologies in railway building.

The railway is 174 kilometers long, with 10 stations. The stations are managed by one control center, which is described by China Railway Beijing Group — also known as CR Bejing — as an "intelligent (智能的) brain". The center collects and shares the stations' real-time information. "With the information, the workers in the center can control the stations' lighting and temperature, monitor (监测) trains' operation and deal with emergencies(紧急情况). " said Zhu Dianping, from CR Beiing.

Zhu said some trains on the Bejing—Zhangjiakou line are "smart" as they provide 5G signals and wireless charging (无线充电) for passengers, as well as intelligent lighting. These trains can start and stop, open and close doors, and deal with emergencies themselves.

All the ten stations provide e-ticket services. Travelers who have bought tickets online can use their ID cards instead of waiting in line for paper tickets.

At Qinghe Railway Station in Beijing, China's first visual remote ticket vending machine (远程可视售票机) has been installed (安装) to help passengers who are not able to afford tickets online. Passengers keep in touch with the conductor through the machine and buy tickets according to video instructions.

In addition, the Badaling Great Wall Station, the deepest underground railway station in China, is another great example of the country's achievements in railway building.

Many of you have probably had this experience: You get on a train and are ready to take a nap or read a book, only to find that the passenger in front of you is watching a TV show without earphones. The child next to you won't stop crying. And the man behind you talks on her phone during the whole trip.

Wish the train could be less noisy? There might be a solution for you. The Beijing Shanghai high-speed railway, one of China's busiest high-speed rail lines, will have "quiet" carriages (车厢) starting from Dec 23, Xinhua reported.

In quiet carriages, videos will be muted (静音) and doors at the ends of the carriage will be kept closed to reduce noise from other carriages, CGTN noted. Train attendants (乘务员) will make sure that passengers remain quiet and follow the rules.

Passengers who are willing to follow the rules can choose the quiet carriages when booking their tickets, according to China Daily.

Some people have pointed out that this kind of quiet environment should be offered in all carriages. They say that having quiet carriages might give people the idea that they don't need to be quiet in non-quiet carriages.

While some Internet users are in favor of the new service, it has also led discussion about just how quiet travelers should be in quiet carriages. Many people have raised questions such as "What if l snore (打呼噜) ?"and "Can we talk to our travel partners if we need to?"

China has been famous around the world since ancient times. In the past, we had the Four Great Inventions. Nowadays, more inventions and creations have made China stronger and greater in the world.

On May 5th, 2017, at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China's first large homemade jet airliner(喷气式客机), the C919, took off successfully for the first time. It has taken about ten years for the scientists and researchers to make this Chinese Dream come true. It's a pride of the whole nation. So far, more than 23 companies have already ordered 570 C919 planes from China. But we still have a long way to go before the C919 carries passengers by 2020. It also faces the challenge of competing with the Airbus A320 and the new Boeing B737.

What's more, China is working on the new high-speed trains with the highest speed of 400 km/h. It will be ready by 2020. The new trains are expected to push area cooperation(合作) and create new business for China and foreign countries. Many countries, especially the ones in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, are planning to build high-speed rail lines or to improve their railways with the help of China. They'd to get support in technology from China.

China has made great progress in both science and technology. And it makes a great contribution(贡献) to human, too. All of these are changing the daily life of Chinese people, even of the people around the world.

    The construction (建设) of high-speed railways in China began with the building of the Qinhuangdao- Shenyang High-Speed Railway (HSR) in 1999. Now the high-speed rail network in China is the largest in the world. So far, there have been about 1,700 kilometers of HSR in service, along with trains of an average (平均) speed of 220 km/h.

    Now Chinese government plans to spend $300 million building the largest and fastest HSR system in the world by 2020. It's said that the trains can run 400 km/h and create new business for China and other countries through the Belt and Road (一带一路).

    It's predicted that the HSR network in China will reach 30,000 kilometers and it will be like a grid, which is mainly made up of 8 long-distance high-speed rail lines: four north-south HSR lines and four east-west HSR lines. Except for the Qingdao-Taiyuan HSR, all HSR lines of the rail grid are longer than 1,000 kilometers.

    Feng Hao, an expert, says "Many markets along the Belt and Road, especially in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Eastern European countries, are planning to build HSR lines. They look forward to getting technological support from China".