China’s C919 airliner, a potential     1     (compete) to Western-made Boeing and Airbus planes, made its first flight outside China on Sunday by staging a flyby at the Singapore Airshow.

China calls the C919,     2     (produce) by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), its first large homegrown passenger jet. The aircraft took to the skies for its first commercial flight last May. At present, it is carrying passengers only within Chinese mainland     3     flies with China Eastern Airlines.

China has more and more confidence to     4     (eventual) compete against Boeing and Airbus. The C919’s first overseas flight comes at the time     5     Boeing is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Last month, part of the fuselage (机身) of a 737 Max 9 Boeing plane     6     (fall) off during an Air Alaska flight in the United States.

The C919 would be the most focused aircraft at the Singapore Airshow. There is a lot of interest     7     (see) the actual aircraft, how it performs and how it is in flight. With an ability to fly between five to six hours, the C919 is perfect for regional travel.     8     had the potential to appeal to countries in Southeast Asia, Africa and Central Asia.

Currently, only a     9     (hand) of countries make their own planes because of extremely high barriers to entry in the industry. A high level of special technology, as well as huge amounts of time and resources,     10     (need).

Millions of bus passengers will enjoy cleaner, safer     1     more comfortable journeys as the government invests (投资) a further £143 million to roll out almost a thousand new zero emission (排放) buses in England. The new     2     (serve) is expected to have a marked impact on the future of the country.

The funding comes from the     3     (two) round of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme, which will see new electric buses in towns, villages and     4     (city) across England, including the most rural parts of the country, many of which will get zero emission buses for the first time. Thanks to the ZEBRA programme, no other European country     5     (record) as many electric buses in 2023 as the UK, with zero emission buses accounting     6     almost half of all new large buses introduced last year.

Today’s investment follows over £270 million to 16 local transport authorities (LTAs)     7     (lead) the total government support to cover 41 LTAs.     8     (make) sure more parts of England benefit from better buses and green technology, particularly rural areas     9     the journey towards decarbonising (碳减排) buses is in     10     (it) early stages, the government has put the first £40 million into rural communities.

Is it a train? Or is it a bus? Neither, it’s a Ferrobus—    1     unique form of transport found across mountainous regions of South America.

Combining old road bus bodies with rail wheels, these strange-looking machines are a lifeline     2     a lot of remote mountain villages     3     (lack) official road access. Using otherwise     4     (abandon) rail lines—often built in the 19thand early 20th century—Ferrobus routes can     5    (find) in Chile, Bolivia and Colombia, climbing high into the Andes. There are two different Ferrobuses     6     leave on different days.

Ferrobus trips are increasingly popular with tourists wanting to avoid uncomfortable and often     7     (danger) road journeys. Chile’s Gondola Carril from Los Andes to Rio Blanco, north of Santiago, operates     8    (pure) for tourists, but others provide regular, if somewhat unpredictable, transport for     9     (local) and tourists alike.

Bolivia is arguably the center of the Ferrobus world, with at least three routes, although there’s a constant risk of disruption (中断) from floods, rock falls and extreme weather.

Riding a Ferrobus     10     (require) patience and nerve, but you are guaranteed to return with some hair-raising stories to tell your friends.

Several studies in recent years have suggested that ride-sharing services like Uber can     1     (worse) traffic problems in cities,     2     continue to have high rates of private vehicle ownership.

The new study,     3     (conduct) by the not-for-profit group Union of Concerned Scientists, represents     4     attempt to center on how ride-sharing services affect pollution. The research examined the effects of ride-sharing services     5     the environment of seven American cities.

Overall, the researchers reported that ride-sharing trips now result in an estimate 69% more climate pollution on average than the     6     (replace) trips. The study explains that the same passengers could have chosen to travel by bus, train, bike or on foot.

One of the big reasons they give for this result is that usually ride-sharing vehicles     7     (drive) with no passengers in the car. This happens     8     drivers are either waiting for rider requests, are on the way to pick up passengers,     9     are driving in between pickups.

The study urges services like Uber     10     (work) to increase the number of pooled rides and electric vehicles on the road, and to improve connections to public transportation centers.

Many people are afraid of flying in airplanes, but they shouldn’t be. Over time airplanes     1     (improve) their safety measures. Flying has become one of the safest ways to travel. In fact, when measured per mile, flying is     2     (actual) far safer than driving, or travelling by train.

Not only is flying the safest mode of transport,     3     it is also the fastest. Just a hundred years ago if you wanted to travel from China to the United States, you would have to travel by boat     4     many weeks. Fortunately now, you can get there in less than 24 hours. Airplanes are also quite     5     (comfort), and often offer in-flight entertainment, such as movies. This helps explain     6     travelling by plane is now the first choice for long     7     (distant) journeys.

Of course, that doesn’t stop some people from being afraid of flying. People can be frightened,     8     (think) about flying through the atmosphere (大气层) at hundreds of miles per hour. One of the main reasons that people are afraid to fly is that     9     (passenger) lack any control over the airplane, and have to place their trust in the hands of the pilots. Many people intend     10     (remain) in control.

It is often time-consuming to travel by car or bus in a country     1     size of China. Consequently, high speed trains make good sense.

An early attempt     2     (find) a technological breakthrough for high speed rail travel in China was the Shanghai Maglev (磁悬浮列车), which opened to the public in 2004．As the first     3     (commerce) magnetic-levitation train in the world, it connects Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport with the Shanghai subway system,     4     (travel) a distance of 30 kilometers in 8 minutes.

In 2007, the Chinese Ministry of Railways began joint ventures (风险事业)     5     four companies (from Canada, Japan, France and Germany) to develop high speed rail within China. As Chinese railway technology     6     (mature), the development of the high-speed rail system became     7     (increase) localized, until the all-Chinese Fuxing Hao (Renaissance)     8     (create) and rolled into production in 2017.

China now has nearly 30,000 kilometers of high speed track. Using high speed rail,    9     used to be a 34-hour journey can now be accomplished in just seven to nine hours. While this is still a long journey, it means you can leave in the morning     10     arrive in the afternoon.

Every early morning in Southwest China’s Chongqing, there is a common scene at the city’s Rail Transit Line 4: A group of farmers     1     (shoulder) vegetables for sale are busy riding on the subway to downtown.

Nicknamed “packbasket special line”, the second phase of the subway line, connecting Shichuan town to the city center, has     2     total length of 32.8 kilometers and 15 stations. It     3     (provide) local farmers near the town with a wider channel for selling their produce since its opening.

Every morning around 6 o’clock, the entrance and exit of the Shichuan Town station of the line are     4     (crowd) with these special commuters (上下班往返的人)     5     baskets are filled with fresh seasonal vegetables. It took them more than one hour     6     (reach) the city before the opening of the line as they had to take several buses. Now, by taking the subway, they can get there in less than 30 minutes     7     any difficulty. The opening of this subway line not only saves money for the farmers but also time, bringing great     8     (convenient) to them.

To facilitate the farmers, the station, which was supposed to open at 6:15, now opens five minutes earlier every day. The staff members     9     (arrange) at the station also assist as much as possible: guiding them to     10     (efficient) enter the station in order and to use the elevators, and helping them with the baskets.

Dominic Richard loves cycling. In 2023, he ordered a new bike from a factory in Shanghai and flew there     1     (pick) it up in person. However,     2     followed was jaw-dropping. Instead of flying back, he determined to ride back alone to the UK.

Richard cycled through cities and countries, taking in the sights along the way. He started in Shanghai, where after successfully picking up his new bike he began the journey. Considering all the possible challenges, he travelled light. The bike     3     (equip) with a carbon frame and tubeless tires, meaning no worry about a flat tire on route. He had a sleeping mat that kept him     4     (comfort) at night and bags to pack his clothing and equipment in. Battling a burning heat wave, he cycled across the vast expanse of China, often resting by the side of the road. People were curious     5     his journey along the way. Now and then Richard got     6     (invite) to many natives’ houses for free lunch and supplies, with truck drivers and cyclists     7     (stop) him along the road to chat.

Fortunately, after the     8     (impress) long ride, Richard made     9     to his home in the UK. “Thanks to this experience, I got     10     better understanding of amazing China and found a better self.”

In today’s urban centers, traffic jam is a common sight, characterized by long lines of vehicles     1     (inch) along the roadways. Many commuters experience fatigue from spending hours behind the wheel, navigating through winding streets.

Due to the congestion, it’s easy to become disillusioned with the daily grind.(日常琐事) However, there’s hope in the form of nation-driven initiatives     2     (aim) at easing the pressure on both the roads. One such initiative is the promotion of alternative modes of transportation through campaigns that highlight the benefits of walking, cycling, and     3     (use) public transportation instead of private cars.stresses the fact that the exaggeration of the benefits of private vehicle usage should be examined critically.

These initiatives are not environmentally friendly     4     appealing to those seeking an escape from over-scheduled work     5     they are constantly chasing after the next deadline or appointment, feeling stressed out. By encouraging a shift in mindset,     6     one focused merely on speed and efficiency to one that values well-being, cities can create a more livable environment for their citizens. Governments     7     (explore) solutions that prioritize the well-being of all residents. This may include implementing carpooling schemes, establishing designated pedestrian zones, or establishing facilities around communicates that are within walking distance.

Implementing innovative approaches to traffic issues in urban centers helps promote a     8     (healthy) urban environment. It is necessary that initiatives calling for alternative transportation modes     9     (support) to keep company with these efforts, and     10     unsustainable practices, such as reliance solely on private vehicles, be disposed of in the near future.

As a pioneer bullet train (动车) driver, Li Dongxiao, 52, is part of the history of China’s high-speed railway network. In 2008, he drove China’s first high-speed train,     1     (reach) 350 kilometers per hour, between Beijing and Tianjin.

    2     number on Li’s bullet train driver’s license is 0001, which led the media to give him the name of China’s “first” bullet train driver. “Over 14 years, the length of the network has grown     3     zero to more than 40, 000 kilometers, and more varieties of Fuxing bullet trains have been developed and adopted, ”he said.

However, all those     4     (impress) achievements came from the ground up. Driving at high-speed is among certain     5     (profession) that require strict training. In March 2008, Li, along with some of China’s best train drivers,     6     (select) to undergo training to operate bullet trains at the manufacturer, China CNR Corp. He participated in more than 200 test runs and created a guidebook for bullet train drivers,     7     was named after him as the “Dongxiao Manual”.

China’s high-speed rail network     8     (see) rapid development over the past 20 years. Li’s development has been intertwined with the evolution of China’s high-speed railway system. He no longer     9     (operate) bullet trains himself, but is now head of the Huairou North locomotive depot (机务段) in Beijing, which is the center of train operations, repair and maintenance. Even more importantly, it is     10     all the drivers receive their training.