The first underwater tunnel—Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel in South Asia, undertaken by China Communications Construction Company, opened in Bangladesh on Saturday.

    1     (locate) at the mouth of the Karnaphuli River, the tunnel connects the east and west banks of the river. It is 9. 3 kilometers long, has four lanes and is designed for speeds of 80 kilometers per hour. Major technical     2     (difficult) in construction had to be overcome, such as geological structures. To solve the problems, the project team applied the world’s     3     (large) steel casing (框架) , which allowed specialized machinery     4     (enter) and exit the tunnel.

The project, which was designed     5     Chinese standards, built using Chinese equipment and managed by Chinese enterprises,     6     (accomplish) as a successful exploration of China’s complete industrial chain for the construction of tunnels overseas, and will become     7     shining business card abroad.

As part of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, the tunnel is an important link in the Belt and Road Initiative. Not only will it     8     (great) improve transportation conditions in Chattogram     9     will drive economic development in Bangladesh. Moreover, it improves the Asian highway network, promotes connectivity between Bangladesh and     10     (neighbor) countries and will encourage the internationalization of Bangladesh’s development.

For decades, commuters traveling by train between London and Paris     1     (have) one option: trains operated by Eurostar. Now, another rail start-up, Evolyn, is planning     2     (launch) a high-speed rail service under the English Channel,     3     (give) tourlsts more options in how they move between the two European capitals. It will be fully operational by 2026. The company has not released details about fares, schedules or on-board amenities (便利设施).

“More competition for Eurostar can only be a good thing.     4     (hopeful), it’ll mean lower prices, better services and a wider variety of European destinations for     5     (traveler) in London and the rest of the United Kingdom,” an Evolyn spokesperson says.

More broadly, train travel is on the rise in Europe. Many European leaders see boosting rail travel as     6     critical step toward human-caused climate change, since trains typically have     7     (few) greenhouse gas emissions than planes. Last year, short-haul domestic flights between destinations within 2.5-hour or less     8    (ban) in France.

“    9     the demand for green mobility is growing, yet we need the rail market to respond much better and much faster, especially for long and cross-border journeys,” said Adina Valean, European commissioner for transport,     10     a statement in January.

“Let’s take a high-speed train to Taiwan. The dream     1     (realize) in 2035.We will enjoy the scene at Penghu Bay together. And visit the Ali Mountain and Riyuetan Lake.” These are lines from Traveling to Taiwan in 2035, a song     2     has gone viral on social media.

The song alludes to a ride on a Beijing-Taipei high-speed train, which     3     (mention) in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

Upon the release of the latest outline for China’s National Comprehensive Transportation Network Plan, Taipei, in the island of Taiwan,     4     (include)in the layout of one of the main routes of the travel plan     5     (conduct). In fact, with the mainland section of the railway     6     (complete), the stretch from Fujian province to Taipei across the Taiwan Straits is also to be built.

The railway, when built, will link compatriots on both sides of the Straits, and they are waiting for     7     completion.

As a response to the song, Zhu Fenglian, the spokesperson of Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said along with     8     a song Take High-speed Railway to Taipei she heard     9     (previous), they reflect the good wishes of people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to realize the vision of the high-speed railway from Fujian to Taipei. “I hope that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits will enjoy more convenient exchanges and enjoy     10     (beautiful)scenery and delicious food. I believe that this wish will certainly come true,” said Zhu.

A Polite Request

If you park your car in the wrong place,     1     traffic policeman will soon find it. You will be very     2    (luck) if he lets you go without a ticket. However,     3     does not always happen. Traffic police     4    (be) sometimes very polite. During a holiday in Sweden, I     5    (find) this note on my car: “Sir, we welcome you to     6    (we) city. This is a ‘No     7    (park)’ area. You will enjoy your stay here     8     you pay attention to our street signs. This note is only a     9    (remind).” If you receive a request like this, you cannot fail     10    (obey) it!