文章大意：这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲的是玛雅列车项目给当地带来的好处以及专家们对于这一项目给当地环境及生态将会造成的影响的担忧，并指出我们不应该以牺牲生态为代价来发展经济。
4 . On December 16, 2023, the first section of Maya Train officially opened, which runs between Campeche and Cancún, carrying up to 231 passengers across 290 miles and stopping at 14 train stations.
Built as an ambitious effort to promote tourism and boost Mexico’s economy, the rail system connects the major cities and tourist regions of the Yucatán Peninsula-from Cancún’s beaches to Tulum’s archaeological (考古的) wonders. Once the project is completed, the entire rail system will link tourist destinations across five states. However, environmentalists and archaeologists argue that the train route will cause great damage to the environment and ancient Mayan sites.
The Maya Train passes through six UNESCO World Heritage sites, and thousands of archaeological sites. One particular area of concern is the Calakmul biosphere reserve, which is home to many endangered species, such as jaguars and over 500 other animal species. The train lines, more than 60 meters wide, could act as artificial barriers that may limit the movement of these animals within the reserve, making it difficult for them to move around and access food and water sources.
Opponents also express safety concerns. Certain sections of the rail system will be built right on top of the aquifer’s (地下水层的) most fragile points of contact with the surface. “It’s like wanting to build over eggshells, says Guillermo Christy, a water treatment consultant.” Putting trains weighing thousands of tons on top could cause the underground caves to crash down. To construct the train infrastructure (基础设施) also requires driving long piles deep into the ground, which poses a big threat to this fragile ecosystem and leads to water shortages.
In the ongoing debate of Maya Train, it is crucial to consider the delicate balance between economic development and environmental preservation. While Maya Train may provide economic benefits, we must not overlook the potential environmental and cultural losses, as well as the safety risks it may bring. Achieving harmony between progress and conservation may be a significant challenge for the project, but we must take into account the long-term consequences of our actions.
1. What do we know about the Maya Train project?
| A．It consumes lots of labor in Mexico. |
| B．It was completed on December 16, 2023. |
| C．It has concerned some professionals. |
| D．It blocks the development of local tourism. |
2. What is the effect of the train lines on the animals in the reserve?
| A．They disturb their sleeping patterns. | B．They restrict their activities. |
| C．They pollute their water sources. | D．They engage their enemies to the area. |
3. Why does the author mention “eggshells” in paragraph 4?
| A．To show the difficulty of constructing the rail lines. |
| B．To prove the urgency of protecting the fragile ecosystem. |
| C．To explain the reasons for water shortages along the railway. |
| D．To stress the potential harm of Maya Train to the aquifer system. |
4. Which statement would the author probably agree with?
| A．Preserving cultural sites requires strong financial support. |
| B．It is time to speed up the construction process of Maya Train. |
| C．Economic development should not come at the expense of the environment. |
| D．We should prize the economic benefits of the project in the long run. |
