阅读题分享（2024.10强基联盟高三10月）——穿越时光的铁轨：探秘英国蒸汽遗产铁路的魅力与挑战

阅读题分享（2024.10强基联盟10月）——穿越时光的铁轨：探秘英国蒸汽遗产铁路的魅力与挑战

选自25届浙江强基联盟10月联考试题：浙江强基联盟2024年10月高三联考英语试题

2025届浙江强基联盟10月联考

C

There are functioning steam railways in other countries: tourists in France can go for a ride in Brittany; so can visitors travelling to the Dandenong Ranges in Australia, But no other country has a heritage railway sector anywhere near as energetic as the UK's, where more than 170 services cross around 600 miles of track and call at 460 stations.

Just a few years after the first of these railways opened at Talyllyn in north Wales, in 1951, a fictional Welsh steam engine became the main character in the children's television serial Ivor the Engine. On lines originally built for slate quarries（石板采石场）, north Wales still has the biggest group of steam railways, but they exist in all four nations of the UK, typically operating seasonal timetables in tourist areas. These railways are living museums with stations decorated in period style. Some staff wear costumes too.

Up to 95% of the 18, 5m journeys on heritage railways each year are taken by domestic tourists. They owe their popularity to a combination of nostalgia（怀旧）, enjoyment of the countryside and enthusiasm for the old engines.

Railways are expensive to run, and the first steam preservation enthusiasts recognised that they would need volunteers to make their dream of a revival come true. This reliance on volunteers is partly due to cuts in budgets from local authorities and other funders. But heritage railways are a good example of what can be achieved by a combined paid and voluntary workforce. As well as the economic contribution that the railways make to rural areas, there is evidence that volunteering can have beneficial effects on people as well.

The railways will need to respond, like the rest of the society, to environmental policies. The destructive impact of greenhouse gases is an obvious challenge to a sector that trades on an image of coal-powered transport. Electric railway engines are being used for maintenance, to bring emissions down, and some railways are active in wildlife conservation. There will need to be further adaptation down the line. That the railways don't stand still has always been part of their appeal especially on rainy days in the summer holidays.

28. How are the UK's steam railways different from other countries'?

A. They are active across the countries. B. They serve as tourist attractions.

C. They are mainly powered by steam. D. They use small amounts of energy.

29. Why does the author mention Ivor the Engine?

A. To spread knowledge of the classic serial.

B. To introduce the origin of steam engines.

C. To show the popularity of steam railways.

D. To share a childhood memory of travelling.

30. What can we infer from paragraph 4?

A. Volunteers help to keep heritage railways alive.

B. Economic growth depends on individual efforts.

C. People can't afford to travel by heritage railway.

D. Local officials don't use old means of transport.

31. What is the author's attitude towards heritage railways?

A. Indifferent. B. Doubtful.         C. Appreciative.         D. Negative.

【文章导读】这篇文章介绍了英国蒸汽遗产铁路的独特魅力以及其与其他国家的不同之处。文章描述了英国遗产铁路的广泛覆盖、旅游吸引力，以及它们作为“活的博物馆”的独特特色。同时，强调了志愿者对铁路复兴的重要作用，以及遗产铁路在经济和社会方面的贡献，还探讨了其面临的环保挑战及其应对措施。

28 细节理解。根据第一段“tourists in France can go for a ride in Brittany; so can visitors travelling to the Dandenong Ranges in Australia, But no other country has a heritage railway sector anywhere near as energetic as the UK's, where more than 170 services cross around 600 miles of track and call at 460 stations”（法国的游客可以在布列塔尼乘坐蒸汽火车，澳大利亚的游客也可以在丹顿农山脉乘坐，但没有其他国家的遗产铁路部门像英国那么充满活力，英国的遗产铁路有超过170条线路，覆盖大约600英里的轨道，停靠460个车站。）可知，英国的蒸汽铁路比其他国家的更加活跃，故选 A。

29 细节理解。根据第二段“Just a few years after the first of these railways opened at Talyllyn in north Wales, in 1951, a fictional Welsh steam engine became the main character in the children's television serial Ivor the Engine”（1951年在北威尔士的Talyllyn开通第一条蒸汽铁路后不久，一个虚构的威尔士蒸汽机车成为了儿童电视连续剧《Ivor the Engine》的主角。）可知，提到《Ivor the Engine》是为了说明蒸汽铁路在英国的受欢迎程度，故选 C。

30 推理判断。根据第四段“the first steam preservation enthusiasts recognised that they would need volunteers to make their dream of a revival come true”（最早的蒸汽保存爱好者意识到他们需要志愿者来实现复兴梦想）可知，志愿者在维护遗产铁路方面发挥了重要作用。故选 A。

31 态度判断。根据全文内容，尤其是第四段“heritage railways are a good example of what can be achieved by a combined paid and voluntary workforce. As well as the economic contribution that the railways make to rural areas, there is evidence that volunteering can have beneficial effects on people as well.”（遗产铁路是结合付费和志愿者工作所能取得成就的一个很好的例子。除了铁路对农村地区的经济贡献外，还有证据表明志愿服务对人们也有益。）可以看出，作者对遗产铁路持赞赏态度，故选 C。