26.A) To win over the majority of passengers from airlines in twenty years.
B) To reform railroad management in western European countries.
C) To electrify the railway lines between major European cities.
D) To set up an express train network throughout Europe.
27. A) Major European airlines will go bankrupt.
B) Europeans will pay much less for traveling.
C) Traveling time by train between major European cities will be cut by half.
D) Trains will become the safest and most efficient means of travel in Europe.
28. A) Train travel will prove much more comfortable than air travel.
B) Passengers will feel much safer on board a train than on a plane.
C) Rail transport will be environmentally friendlier than air transport.
D) Traveling by train may be as quick as,or even quicker than, by air.
29. A) In 1981.
B) In 1989.
C) In 1990.
D) In 2000.
In January 1989, (26) the Community of European Railways presented their proposal for a high speed pan-European train network extending from Sweden to Sicily, and from Portugal to Poland by the year 2020. (27) If their proposal becomes a reality, it will revolutionize train travel in Europe. Journeys between major cities will take half the time they take today. Brussels will be only one and a half hours from Paris. The quickest way to get from Paris to Frankfurt, from Barcelona to Madrid will be by train, not plane. When the network is complete, it will integrate three types of railway line:totally new high speed lines with trains operating at speeds of 300 kilometers per hour, upgraded lines which allow for speeds up to 200 to 225 kilometers per hour, and existing lines for local connections and distribution of freight. If business people can choose between a three-hour train journey from city-center to city-center and a one-hour flight, they’ll choose the train, says an executive travel consultant. They won’t go by plane any more. (28) If you calculate flight time, check-in and travel to and from the airport, you’ll find almost no difference. And if your plane arrives late due to bad weather or air traffic jams or strikes, then the train passengers will arrive at their destination first. (29) Since France introduced the first 260-kilometer-per-hour high speed train service between Paris and Lyons in 1981, the trains have achieved higher and higher speeds. On many routes, airlines have lost up to 90% of their passengers to high speed trains. If people accept the Community of European Railways’ plan, the 21 century will be the new age of the train.
預(yù)覽四道題的選項(xiàng)，由選項(xiàng)中的詞匯passengers, railroad, railway lines, express train, plane, airlines等表達(dá)可以推知，短文很可能與交通運(yùn)輸或旅行相關(guān)。
26. What is the proposal presented by the Community of European Railways?[答案]D) To set up an express train network throughout Europe.[聽前猜測]四個(gè)選項(xiàng)都是表示目的的不定式短語，因此猜測本題考查做某事的目的。[精解]短文開頭提到1989年歐洲鐵道協(xié)會(huì)提出建議在2020年前修建從瑞典到西西里，從葡萄牙到波蘭的橫貫歐洲的高速鐵路網(wǎng)。由此可知?dú)W洲鐵道協(xié)會(huì)提出的建議是修建橫貫歐洲的高速鐵路網(wǎng)，故選項(xiàng)D)正確。
27. What will happen when the proposal becomes a reality?[答案]C) Traveling time by train between major European cities will be cut by half.[聽前猜測]四個(gè)選項(xiàng)關(guān)于旅行費(fèi)用和旅行時(shí)間的變化、旅行方式的優(yōu)劣，這些都與某一事件的后果有關(guān)，因此推測本題考查某一事件帶來的影響。[精解]短文中明確提到If their proposal becomes a reality, it will revolutionize train travel in Europe. Journeys between major cities will take half the time they take today，即“如果這一方案成為現(xiàn)實(shí)，歐洲鐵路運(yùn)輸業(yè)將會(huì)發(fā)生革命性變化。主要城市間的旅行時(shí)間可以比現(xiàn)在縮短一半”，所以本題的答案為C)。
28. Why will business people prefer a three-hour train journey to a one-hour flight?[答案]D) Traveling by train may be as quick as,or even quicker than, by air.[聽前猜測]四個(gè)選項(xiàng)都出現(xiàn)了than引導(dǎo)的比較級，而且比較的對象都是train travel和air travel，所以可以推測本題考查對train travel和air travel的比較。[精解]文中提到，飛機(jī)旅行固然比火車旅行更快，但是如果把飛行時(shí)間和往返機(jī)場的時(shí)間加起來，兩者幾乎沒有什么區(qū)別了。而且，如果遇到惡劣天氣或航班擁擠或罷工，乘坐火車的乘客將會(huì)最先到達(dá)目的地。綜合而言，火車旅行可以和飛機(jī)旅行一樣快，甚至比飛機(jī)旅行還要快。故選項(xiàng)D)正確。
29. When did France introduce the first high speed train service?[答案]A) In 1981. [聽前猜測]四個(gè)選項(xiàng)都是時(shí)間短語，因此本題肯定考查事情發(fā)生的時(shí)間，聽音時(shí)注意將短文中提到每個(gè)事件及其發(fā)生的時(shí)間迅速記錄下來，再根據(jù)問題進(jìn)行判斷。[精解]短文中明確提到法國在1981年首次在巴黎和里昂之間修建了時(shí)速達(dá)260公里的高速鐵路。故正確答案為A)。選項(xiàng)B)中的時(shí)間1989也在文章中出現(xiàn)，那是歐洲鐵道協(xié)會(huì)建議修建橫貫歐洲的高速鐵路網(wǎng)的時(shí)間;其余兩個(gè)選項(xiàng)中的時(shí)間文中沒有提到。
B) To reform railroad management in western European countries.
C) To electrify the railway lines between major European cities.
D) To set up an express train network throughout Europe.
27. A) Major European airlines will go bankrupt.
B) Europeans will pay much less for traveling.
C) Traveling time by train between major European cities will be cut by half.
D) Trains will become the safest and most efficient means of travel in Europe.
28. A) Train travel will prove much more comfortable than air travel.
B) Passengers will feel much safer on board a train than on a plane.
C) Rail transport will be environmentally friendlier than air transport.
D) Traveling by train may be as quick as,or even quicker than, by air.
29. A) In 1981.
B) In 1989.
C) In 1990.
D) In 2000.
In January 1989, (26) the Community of European Railways presented their proposal for a high speed pan-European train network extending from Sweden to Sicily, and from Portugal to Poland by the year 2020. (27) If their proposal becomes a reality, it will revolutionize train travel in Europe. Journeys between major cities will take half the time they take today. Brussels will be only one and a half hours from Paris. The quickest way to get from Paris to Frankfurt, from Barcelona to Madrid will be by train, not plane. When the network is complete, it will integrate three types of railway line:totally new high speed lines with trains operating at speeds of 300 kilometers per hour, upgraded lines which allow for speeds up to 200 to 225 kilometers per hour, and existing lines for local connections and distribution of freight. If business people can choose between a three-hour train journey from city-center to city-center and a one-hour flight, they’ll choose the train, says an executive travel consultant. They won’t go by plane any more. (28) If you calculate flight time, check-in and travel to and from the airport, you’ll find almost no difference. And if your plane arrives late due to bad weather or air traffic jams or strikes, then the train passengers will arrive at their destination first. (29) Since France introduced the first 260-kilometer-per-hour high speed train service between Paris and Lyons in 1981, the trains have achieved higher and higher speeds. On many routes, airlines have lost up to 90% of their passengers to high speed trains. If people accept the Community of European Railways’ plan, the 21 century will be the new age of the train.
預(yù)覽四道題的選項(xiàng)，由選項(xiàng)中的詞匯passengers, railroad, railway lines, express train, plane, airlines等表達(dá)可以推知，短文很可能與交通運(yùn)輸或旅行相關(guān)。
26. What is the proposal presented by the Community of European Railways?[答案]D) To set up an express train network throughout Europe.[聽前猜測]四個(gè)選項(xiàng)都是表示目的的不定式短語，因此猜測本題考查做某事的目的。[精解]短文開頭提到1989年歐洲鐵道協(xié)會(huì)提出建議在2020年前修建從瑞典到西西里，從葡萄牙到波蘭的橫貫歐洲的高速鐵路網(wǎng)。由此可知?dú)W洲鐵道協(xié)會(huì)提出的建議是修建橫貫歐洲的高速鐵路網(wǎng)，故選項(xiàng)D)正確。
27. What will happen when the proposal becomes a reality?[答案]C) Traveling time by train between major European cities will be cut by half.[聽前猜測]四個(gè)選項(xiàng)關(guān)于旅行費(fèi)用和旅行時(shí)間的變化、旅行方式的優(yōu)劣，這些都與某一事件的后果有關(guān)，因此推測本題考查某一事件帶來的影響。[精解]短文中明確提到If their proposal becomes a reality, it will revolutionize train travel in Europe. Journeys between major cities will take half the time they take today，即“如果這一方案成為現(xiàn)實(shí)，歐洲鐵路運(yùn)輸業(yè)將會(huì)發(fā)生革命性變化。主要城市間的旅行時(shí)間可以比現(xiàn)在縮短一半”，所以本題的答案為C)。
28. Why will business people prefer a three-hour train journey to a one-hour flight?[答案]D) Traveling by train may be as quick as,or even quicker than, by air.[聽前猜測]四個(gè)選項(xiàng)都出現(xiàn)了than引導(dǎo)的比較級，而且比較的對象都是train travel和air travel，所以可以推測本題考查對train travel和air travel的比較。[精解]文中提到，飛機(jī)旅行固然比火車旅行更快，但是如果把飛行時(shí)間和往返機(jī)場的時(shí)間加起來，兩者幾乎沒有什么區(qū)別了。而且，如果遇到惡劣天氣或航班擁擠或罷工，乘坐火車的乘客將會(huì)最先到達(dá)目的地。綜合而言，火車旅行可以和飛機(jī)旅行一樣快，甚至比飛機(jī)旅行還要快。故選項(xiàng)D)正確。
29. When did France introduce the first high speed train service?[答案]A) In 1981. [聽前猜測]四個(gè)選項(xiàng)都是時(shí)間短語，因此本題肯定考查事情發(fā)生的時(shí)間，聽音時(shí)注意將短文中提到每個(gè)事件及其發(fā)生的時(shí)間迅速記錄下來，再根據(jù)問題進(jìn)行判斷。[精解]短文中明確提到法國在1981年首次在巴黎和里昂之間修建了時(shí)速達(dá)260公里的高速鐵路。故正確答案為A)。選項(xiàng)B)中的時(shí)間1989也在文章中出現(xiàn)，那是歐洲鐵道協(xié)會(huì)建議修建橫貫歐洲的高速鐵路網(wǎng)的時(shí)間;其余兩個(gè)選項(xiàng)中的時(shí)間文中沒有提到。