1 . If you want to travel from Xi’an to Chengdu by train, it will take about 16 hours. But starting this month, the new Xi’an-Chengdu high-speed railway will shorten this travel time to three hours.

The 643-kilometer line is China’s first high-speed railway to run through the Qinling Mountains, which form a natural boundary (分界线) between China’s north and south. With a speed of 250 km per hour, it’s also the first mountain-heavy train line to provide a 4G network. Along the way, the train passes through two areas for rare wild animals — one for pandas and the other for crested ibises (朱鹮).

To reduce the railway’s influence on the animals, workers and experts have designed and built the railway to be environmentally friendly. There were 345 wild pandas living in the Qinling Mountains. China currently has 1, 864 wild pandas in total, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

To avoid disturbing the pandas, the railway was designed to run through tunnels within the area. Protective shields (防护屏) are placed near the entrance of each tunnel to stop animals from going in.

To protect the thousands of crested ibises that fly near one part of the railway, protective nets have been set up to make sure the birds will not fly into a train.

The nets are about 32 km long and 4 meters high. Experts tested different shapes and materials for building the nets before making their final choice.

1. From this month, it will take ______to travel from Xi’an to Chengdu by the high-speed train.

A．16 hours	B．13 hours
C．6 hours	D．3 hours

2. Which of the following is TRUE about the new Xi’an-Chengdu railway?

A．It runs through the Qinling Mountains.

B．It is China’s first high-speed railway.

C．It is the best mountain-heavy train line.

D．The train passes through many areas for rare wild animals.

3. Why did people build the railway to be environmentally friendly?

A．To save money and energy.

B．To avoid harming wild animals.

C．To avoid damaging the mountains.

D．To help the train run through tunnels quietly.

4. What is the passage about?

A．Protective shields and nets.

B．How to protect pandas and crested ibises.

C．Qinling Mountains.

D．Xi’an-Chengdu high-speed railway.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where did Cindy hear about smart cars?

A．From a magazine article.

B．From a TV program.

C．From a newspaper report.

2. What does Joe imply about Louis?

A．He owns a smart car.

B．He works in a car company.

C．He has a good sense of direction.

3. Why was Joe late?

A．He got lost.

B．He ran out of gas.

C．He got into an accident.

4. What’s the relationship between the speakers?

A．Co-workers.

B．Brother and sister.

C．Husband and wife.

3 . When will the train arrive at the station?

A．At 7:30.

B．At 8:00.

C．At 8:30.

5 . What does the woman mean?

A．Mary had the car filled up.

B．Mary’s car ran out of gas halfway home.

C．Mary had her car repaired on her way home.

6 . A Beijing subway line linking with Daxing International Airport has now started a new recognition system, which allows passengers to enter and exit stations by just scanning the palm of a hand, according to a report in China Daily. The system is available at the ticket machines and gates at all stops along the line.

The pilot program was launched on Sunday on the Daxing Airport Express subway line to spare passengers the trouble of swiping a card or scanning a QR code to catch a train, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport said.

Any people aged 14 and above can first register the print of either palm through a simple, automated process and provide relevant information to authorize the payment gateway of WeChat, a popular messaging app in China. The registration is a one-time process and doesn’t require renewal. Once the palm print is registered, a passenger can just place the palm above the scanning machine when entering or exiting a subway station. The ticket gate will open automatically if the palm scan matches the palm print registered. The fare is automatically deducted (扣除) after exit.

To protect the users’ information, the system uses data masking and encryption (加密) technologies and it combines the use of palm print and vein mapping, which are different for every individual. It can recognize the user’s palm print and veins without contact, which is healthier, faster and safer than the ordinary check-in methods.

Currently, it is very useful for the elderly and those who have physical limitations. They can take the subway without using smartphone apps. Passengers can take subway trains if they do not have cash or when they forget their subway cards.

The system can be gradually used in offices, schools, gyms and restaurants, as it requires no contact and is therefore more safe and efficient.

1. How can a passenger take the subway with the new system?

A．By swiping a subway card.	B．By scanning a QR code.
C．By showing his ID card.	D．By scanning his palm.

2. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The work mode of the system.	B．The method of registration.
C．The gateway of payment.	D．The age limit of applicants.

3. What might be passengers’ main concern about the new system?

A．The safety of information.	B．The effects on personal health.
C．The reliability of data.	D．The price of the tickets.

4. What can we learn about the system from the last two paragraphs?

A．It is highly competitive.	B．It needs to be improved.
C．It’ll be used more widely.	D．It takes years to see effects.

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

A slow train in Southwest China boasting its own study room has attracted much attention from netizen. The train No. 5609/5610, which runs between Chongqing and Xiushan county, is     1     public-welfare “slow train”.

In some carriages, some seats have been replaced with desks and chairs near the windows to transform it into a“study carriage”for passengers     2     need.

The Chinese characters “Yu Yue” appear on the train, meaning “traveling and reading happily”. Other    3     (inspire) slogans can be seen throughout the adapted carriages.

Students from nearby schools often take the train between school and home. The trains are their “school buses” and many passengers use their travel time     4     (complete) homework.

On train No.Z150, which runs between Guiyang and Beijing, a     5     ( transform) “book bar” carriage has been welcomed by college students. There are nearly 400 universities and colleges in the cities along the line,     6    (make) train No.Z150 the best     7     (choose) for most students on those campuses.

Since 2015, the train’s dining car     8     (be) open for free at night to provide returning students with a lending library, free tea and other services. These small     9     (measure) by the railway department are a welcome comfort for passengers     10     need a relaxing place to continue their studies.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why is Carol Lee unhappy?

A．She nearly missed her flight.

B．The driver didn’t pick her up on time.

C．Roadworks on the way affected her.

2. What is the probable relationship between the speakers?

A．Clerk and customer.

B．Driver and passenger.

C．Colleagues.