Beijing is facing severe (严重的)  traffic problems."Roads are wider now, but traffic jams (堵塞) often happen every day. " Yuan, a Beijing taxi drivers said.
Beijing government is trying to do something to make traffic jams less.  Before 2007, there were a few subway lines in Beijing. There was only line 1, line 2, line 13 and Batong Line. But now there is line 5, line 10, line 4, the airport fast -track and the Olympic branch line. And there will be 13 subway lines under construction in Beijing at the same time at the end of this year.
The opening of the new subway line is convenient to tourists. Before, arriving in Beijing, many visitors would usually take a taxi to interesting places of Beijing. Today, as soon as people get off the plane, they can take the Airport Express Line, going to different interesting places through the subway lines. The government also strives to open a new line each year from now until 2015. The subway of Beijing reached 300 kilometers in 2010 and it will reach 561 kilometers in 2015.
Miss Xiao, who lives in South Water Bridge and works at Hepingli, said that traveling by her car still took her at least one hour from home to work because of traffic jams. Now, because of the railway line 5, Miss Xiao can arrive at her office in less than haft an hour.
【小题1】What are the trafc problems in Beijing now?

—Have you decided when to leave for Australia?
—Not yet. We _________ set off at the end of this month.

Traveling by train is usually not easy in China. It can be hard to get a ticket. When you’re traveling to the railway station you look at your watch, afraid you will miss your train.

But there is good news for people traveling between Beijing and Shanghai. Construction (建设) on the express railway (高速铁路) between the two cities started just before the Spring Festival of 2008. When it is finished by 2013, taking a train will be as easy as taking a bus.

“There will be trains every several minutes. Buying a ticket, getting through the checkpoint (检查站) and taking your seat, will take just 10 minutes,” said an engineer.

There may be high-speed trains running at 350 kilometers an hour. The travel time between the two cities will decease from 10 to about 5 hours. The trains will carry twice the present number of passengers.

The new line will be 1,318 kilometers long and go across specially built bridges. It will run along side the present line. There will be 21 stations in Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu.

“The cost of traveling by the express railway may be around 800 yuan. That will be more expensive than an ordinary train, but cheaper than by air.” Said Zhang Xiaoling, a Jiangsu government official.

According to Zhang, the higher price is caused by the large cost of the railway project. At about 200 billion yuan, the project may be even more expensive than the Three Gorges Project (三峡工程).

1.The express railway between Beijing and Shanghai will be finished _______.

    A. at the end of this year                  B. before the Spring Festival of 2008

    C. after 2013                           D. in about 5 years

2.Before taking your seat, you should _____ with your ticket.

    A. buy a ticket                         B. get through the checkpoint

    C. pack your things                     D. make some friends

3.The word “decrease” in the passage possibly means ______ in Chinese.

    A. 延长             B. 缩短         D. 提速             D. 限速

4.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

    A. Traveling by train is usually difficult in China because tickets are too expensive.

    B. The high-speed trains will have 21 stations in Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Hunan and Jiangsu.

    C. Tickets for the high-speed trains will be cheaper than those for planes.

    D. The cost of the express railway project is as high as that of the Three Gorges Project.

5.What can be the best title of the passage?

    A. An enormous project.                 B. Train tickets will get more expensive

    C. Specially built bridges              D. Beijing—Shanghai express railway

 It’s reported that Nanjing South Railway Station _______ at the end of this month.

A. has been completed            B. is completed

C. was completed                D. will be completed

—Have you decided when to leave for Australia?

—Not yet. We _________ set off at the end of this month.