英语听力精选进阶版 7269（在线收听）

俄罗斯国家铁路局不得不推迟出售10月28日后出发的国际线路的火车票。这是因为没有人知道该国是否会于下月底采用冬令时。去年俄罗斯结束了一年两次的时间改变，但今年又在考虑是否要恢复夏令时和冬令时，目前还未做出决定。

Imagine trying to timetable cross-border train services without knowing, just a month before, whether the clocks are going to change. That's the situation that RZhD, the Russian state railway company faces.

The company runs trains to - among other places - Ukraine and Finland. Both of those countries will switch back to winter time on October the 28th. But Russia abandoned the bi-annual clock change last year, choosing to stay on summer time throughout the winter months.

If that was certain to be true this year too, things would be easier for RZhD, and for the airlines for that matter. But still, with only a month to go, nobody knows whether Russia will switch to winter time on October the 28th or remain on permanent summer time. So RZhD has announced that it will be selling no tickets for international services after the end of October, until the government makes a decision one way or another.

Quiz 听力测验

When did Russia abandon the clock change?

In 2011.

Did Russia choose to keep winter time or summer time?

Summer time.

Is the confusion only affecting rail companies?

No, airlines are affected too.

What is the decision on ticket sales for the rail company?

The rail company has decided not to sale international tickets departing after 28 October.

Glossary 词汇表

cross-border 跨国界的

the clocks 时间

faces 面对

abandoned 放弃

bi-annual 一年两次的

summer time 夏令时

permanent 永远的

one way or another 不管怎样