[originaltext]W: Hi, Jay!M: Hi, Linda. Are you ready for your big trip to Chic

W: Hi, Jay!
M: Hi, Linda. Are you ready for your big trip to Chicago?
W: Oh, yeah! I’m going to nail the presentation.
M: I’m sure you will. Hey, I thought I remembered from an earlier conversation that you have relatives in the States, right? Any chance you’ll get to see them?
W: I’d like to, but they’re not in Chicago. My uncle moved to Los Angeles five years ago. I was thinking about going over to visit him, but I don’t have a lot of time. Maybe I could just hop on a bullet train from Chicago.
M: That’s not going to be possible.
W: Why not? It’s probably only a few hours’ ride.
M: America doesn’t have any bullet trains.
W: Really? You’re kidding me!
M: No, actually I’m quite serious. (1) The fastest train we have is called the Amtrak Acela Express. It runs at not much more than 130 kilometers an hour.
W: 130 kilometers an hour? That’s not a high-speed train.
M: Sometimes the Amtrak train can push speeds up to over 240 kilometers per hour, but most of the time it cruises at only around 130.
W: Wow! I thought America was more advanced than that.
M: Yeah, I know. (2-1) But America is a very large country, and for the last several decades flying has been cheap and easy.
W: So there’s been no incentive to build super fast trains.
M: Yeah, that’s right. (2-2) Also, Americans like to drive.
W: I’ve noticed in a lot of movies that Americans seem to enjoy road trips.
M: Yeah. Most of us get our first driver’s license when we are around 16 years old. (3)I used to drive about an hour and a half to work every day—that’s three hours’ round-trip—and I didn’t think it was a big deal.
W: So aside from New York, there really isn’t much public transport infrastructure in the US?
M: Many US cities have some kind of light rail or subway system, but they don’t really completely cover the city.
W: (4) I think high-speed trains are great! They are safe, fast, quiet and convenient. You can work on your laptop or read a book. It’s a good way to relax.
M: That’s true. Driving can be very stressful. Americans have been talking about building high-speed rail lines for years. But to be honest, I don’t know when or if it’s ever going to happen.
W: Well, I hope they start building them soon. (5) But in any case, I’m going to have to look into flights to Los Angeles now.
M: Yep. And you’re probably going to have to rent a car when you get there. Good luck and have a great trip!
W: Thanks Jay! See you in a couple of weeks.
1. What do we know about the Amtrak Acela Express?
2. Which is NOT the reason why there aren’t super fast trains in America?
3. What do we know about the man?
4. Which is INCORRECT about high-speed trains according to the woman?
5. How does the woman intend to go to Los Angeles?