阅读理解。
For years and years people have been saying that railways are dead. “We can do without railways,” people say—as if cars and planes have made railways unnecessary. We all keep hearing that trains are slow, lose money and are dying. But this is far from the truth. In these days of expensive oil, railways have become highly competitive with cars and planes. If you want to carry people or goods from place to place, they are cheaper than planes. And they have much in common with planes. A plane goes in a straight line and so does a railway. What is more, a railway takes you from the heart of a city center. It doesn't stop you as a car does on crowded roads. And no plane or car can ever carry as many goods as one train does.
Far from being dead, railways are much alive. Modern railway lines give you a comfortable journey. Where else can you eat well, sleep comfortably, feel safe and enjoy the scene while you are traveling at the same time? And we are only the beginning, for we have just entered the age of super-fast trains, which are traveling 150 miles an hour and more. Soon we will be wondering why we spent so much on highways and planes we can't fly in because we don't have enough money to buy the oil.
