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The new high speed railway line between Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur selfgoverning region, and Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, has cut train travel time by half to less than 12 hours.
The dramatic improvement will benefit many families planning reunions for Spring Festival.
“For the first time, I feel home is not that far away after all，” said Liang Shaofu as he boarded a high speed train in Urumqi with six members of his family.
The 35yearold left Lanzhou to set up a dry fruit business in Xinjiang eight years ago, and he has now settled in Urumqi.
The 1,776km line, which passes through Qinghai Province and is the country's first high speed railway built in a high altitude region, came into service on Dec.26.
“We normally drive home for Spring Festival to avoid the difficulties of buying seven train tickets for the whole family during the peak season，” Liang said.“Driving can be very tiring and dangerous sometimes, so one year we even decided not to go back to Lanzhou simply to avoid the trip.”
More than 600,000 passengers traveled on the line during its first month, and the Urumqi Railway Bureau said the introduction of high speed services will ease transport pressure during the Spring Festival peak season.
The existing usual railway line could no longer support Xinjiang's development.All passenger trains will gradually shift to the new link, leaving the old one to be used for goods.As a result, Xinjiang's annual goods ability could reach 200 million metric tons from the current 70 million.
The line passes through areas that experience high winds, and it also crosses parts of the deserted Qinghai Tibet Plateau and the bone dry sands of the Gobi Desert.
The project could help China to promote its high speed railway technology abroad, said Ma Xizhang, director of the LanzhouXinjiang railway project's management department in Xinjiang.
语篇解读：本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述的是新疆维吾尔自治区首府乌鲁木齐与甘肃省省会兰州之间新建的高速铁路给社会带来的益处。该项目可以帮助中国在海外推广其高速铁路技术。
1．How long did it take to go from Urumqi to Lanzhou by the usual train before?
A．About 12 hours. B．About 6 hours.
C．About 24 hours. D．About 18 hours.
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据第一段中的“ ... has cut train travel time by half to less than 12 hours.”可知，时间缩短一半后，还需要不到12小时的时间，所以原来需要大概24小时。故选C。
2．What's the main advantage of the new high speed railway?
A．It takes more time to go to Urumqi to Lanzhou.
B．It will be more convenient for people all over the country to Xinjiang.
C．All the people in Lanzhou can return home on festivals.
D．It helps to improve Xinjiang's development.
解析：选D 推理判断题。根据倒数第三段前两句可知，原来的老铁路不能再支持新疆的发展，高速铁路的修建使得旧铁路过渡到货运，货运量得以增加，从而促进了新疆的发展。故选D。
3．From the passage we can learn ________.
A．Xinjiang's annual goods ability can increase nearly four times
B．the high speed railway lines can't be built across the bone dry sands
C．the new railway technology may help more railway lines to be built abroad
D．the old railway lines can only carry goods now
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“The project could help China to promote its high speed railway technology abroad”可知，中国的高铁新技术可以帮助其他国家修建更多的铁路。故选C。
4．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．The new high speed railway line is good for all people to go home.
B．Taking the new train is safer than driving home from Urumqi to Lanzhou.
C．The new high speed railway line benefits businessmen to carry goods.
D．Businessmen seldom went home for Spring Festival before.
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第六段第二句可知，乘坐新的高铁比自己驾车安全，故选B。
