【一起听英语】坐动车（在线收听）

动车或者高铁已经远远超过了传统火车的速度，现在乘坐动车或者高铁已经日益成为一种受大众热捧的出行方式，它到底有哪些方便之处呢？

Rob: Hello I'm Rob. Welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm joined today by Finn. Hi

Finn.

Finn: Hi Rob.

Rob: Today we're talking about high-speed train travel. Many countries have

very fast trains that whisk people from city to city in super-quick time.

Finn: Yes, we might think that air travel is the transport of the future but it

seems high-speed train travel is becoming just as popular.

Rob: I've travelled on high-speed trains in Japan – the Shinkansen – and I have

to admit it's an exciting experience, very comfortable and you get to see

things out of the window.

Finn: Well, we'll be finding out why the UK is hoping to jump on the

bandwagon – or do something that is already popular – by building a

new high-speed rail line. And we'll be learning some related vocabulary.

Rob: But before we set off on the right track, how about a question?

Finn: Why not!

Rob: Here goes. According to Guinness World Records, which country currently

holds the record for the fastest train running on a national railway

system? Is it:

a) France

b) Spain

c) China

Finn: They all have fast trains but I'm going to say c) China.

Rob: I'll let you know the answer at the end of programme. Back to our

discussion about high-speed rail travel. We know that it has many

benefits – good things; it helps to take traffic off the road, it causes less

pollution, it can transport – or move – lots of people and it's quick.

Finn: Yes speed is important. The TGV train in France takes about three hours

to travel over 750 kilometres from the capital, Paris, to Marseille in the

south – very impressive. 

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Rob: And the AVE - Spain's ultra-modern high-speed train – stole 20 per cent

of the national airlines' customers when it started a service from Madrid to

Barcelona.

Finn: But the UK has been slow to build high-speed rail lines. It has one from

London to Paris but the government wants to build another one – called

HS2 – connecting London to the middle and north of England.

Rob: The Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, thinks one line is not good

enough. What word does he use to mean that the UK must have another

high-speed line?

Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin:

I do find it ironic that I can go from London to Paris or London to Brussels on high-speed

trains, but I can't go from London to Leeds, or London to Manchester, or London to

Birmingham. This is essential to actually make sure that our great cities are connected

and we get the right benefits for the United Kingdom.

Finn: So he finds it ironic – so different from what you would expect – that he

can get to Paris by train more quickly than he can travel to many British

cities.

Rob: He used the word 'essential' to mean a new line to connect British cities

has to be built. It would connect the poorer northern cities with London,

cut journey times and stop overcrowding – that's when there are too

many people on one train.

Finn: But plans to build HS2 are controversial – not everyone agrees and

there is much discussion. Some say other areas of the country will miss

out on the economic benefits.

Rob: And it will be very very expensive to build - although some experts say for

every £1 spent, it will bring £2 into the economy.

Finn: There are also concerns that some of the countryside will be destroyed. So

these are just some of the arguments and it could be a long time before

a final decision is made.

Rob: So now we'll just have to accept that our trains in the UK will carry on at a

sedate speed while we watch with envy as another country's high-speed

train passes us by!

Finn: But which country's train is the fastest?

Rob: Yes, earlier I asked you which country currently holds the record for the

fastest train running on a national railway system. Is it:

a) France

b) Spain

c) China

Finn: I said c) China.

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Rob: You are wrong. The record belongs to France. It ran a modified version of

its TGV train on its network at a speed of 574.8 km/h.

Finn: That's 357.2 miles per hour. I wouldn't like to be standing on the platform

as that went by!

Rob: That train ran on a railway track – but a train that uses magnets to float

above the track is being developed in Japan that will run, slightly slower,

at 500 km/h. OK Finn, there's just time to remind us of some of the

vocabulary we've heard today:

Finn: Yes, we heard:

to jump on the bandwagon

on the right track

benefits

to transport

ultra-modern

ironic

essential

controversial

arguments

sedate

envy

Rob: Thanks. We hope you've enjoyed today's programme. Please join us soon

again for 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

Both: Bye.