READ THE TEXT AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
Japan is an island nation located in the
Pacific Ocean. It is known as the land of
the rising sun because of the characters that
make up its name mean 'sun-origin'. It is
technologically very advanced and is very
famous for Shinkansen. In English, they
are known as 'bullet trains'. However, the
literal translation means new trunk line.
Bullet trains are high speed passenger
rail trains. The term 'bullet' is due to
the pointed nose of the train that is like
that of a bullet along with its sleek and
aerodynamic appearance.
These trains are operated by Japan Railways.
Running at speeds of up to 320 kilometres
per hour, the Shinkansen is known for
punctuality, comfort, safety and efficiency.
There are two types of coaches - Ordinary
and the Green car. Both have comfortable
chairs facing forward with a generous
amount of foot space, although the Green
car is more comfortable and offers more
leg room. The network consists of multiple
lines which have been exclusively built for
and used only by the Shinkansen trains.
However, the Shinkansen has multiple
train categories ranging from the fastest
that stop only at major stations to the
slowest that stop at every station.
The original service began in 1964, connecting
the cities of Tokyo and Osaka.
The trains travelled at approximately 125
miles per hour (200 kilometres per hour)
making the journey time between the two
cities at about 2.5 hours.Over six billion passengers have travelled
on the railway since 1964 with no major
accidents.
The success of these trains led to further
development of rail in other European and
Asian countries. Two of the more notable
services are Alta Velocidad Española (AVE)
and Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) from
Spain and France respectively. TGV has
an extensive network and has carried in
excess of 1.3 billion passengers since the
service began in 1981. The AVE started 11
years later and is planning an expansion
which would create a larger network than
the French line.
Riding in a bullet train feels like gliding
through air. Even though they travel at
such high speeds, the ride is smooth and
peaceful. It is a great system and has
benefited people by reducing the time of
travel. However, there is a downside to
this. Travelling by bullet trains is quite
expensive. A ticket to travel to another
city could cost you almost as much as
an air ticket. However, train stations are
located in the middle of a city, compared
to airports that are usually on the outskirts,
making it more convenient and providing
value for money.
Which bullet train has carried the maximum number of passengers?
A The Green car
B TGV
C AVE
D Shinkansen