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The TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse, meaning high-speed train) is France's high-speed rail service.

It started in the 1970s. Originally, it was powered by gas turbines. But in 1973, the TGV was changed into electric trains. The TGV service first started between Paris and Lyon in 1981. Later, the network connected other cities in France with Paris.

A TGV test train set the world record for the fastest conventional wheeled train on 3 April 2007. It reached the speed of 574.8 km/h (357.2 m/h) on the test run. But the regular TGV trains operate at the highest speed of 320 km/h (200 m/h). It is the present world record of speed of a conventional commercial train.

The Bullet Train is the network of high-speed train service in Japan. It started operation in 1964 on a limited route. But at present, most major cities of Japan come under the network.

The Bullet Train runs at a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 m/h). It plans to increase speeds up to 320 km/h (200 mph). In 2003, Japan set the world record for unconventional magnetic trainsets. In a test run, the speed was 581 km/h (361 mph). But it is not yet in regular commercial operation.

The High-speed Rail service in China started operation on April 18, 2007. Currently China has started building a high-speed passenger rail network. It will be similar to French TGV or Japanese Bullet Trains. The usual top speed of China's conventional quick trains is 300 km/h (186 mph).

Recently China has set the world record of a speed of 487.3 km/h (303 mph). In 2011, this record was set by an unconventional magnetic trainset called the "Harmony Express". This is the highest speed of an unconventional magnetic trainset in regular commercial operation.

• (2)

  Answer the following questions from your reading of the above text.

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• (a) How is China's high-speed passenger rail network?

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• (b) When was the TGV changed into electric trains?

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• (c) What is the name of France High-speed Rail service?

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• (d) Are there any similarity among the TGV, the Bullet Train and the High Speed Rail? If yes, Specity.

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• (e) What is the usual top speed of China's conventional quick trains?

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• (f) What is China's High-speed Rail service like?

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• (g) When did the Bullet Train start operation in Japan?

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• (h) Which cities of Japan have been brought under the Bullet Train network?

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• (i) When did Japan introduce magnetic train?

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• (j) What speed does the Bullet Train run at?

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• (3)

  Fill in each gap with a suitable word based on the information of the text.

  TGV, the high-speed (a) _______ service of France, started in the 1970s. In 1973 it changed from gas turbines to electric trains. It has connected Paris with other cities of France with the (b)_______  of 574.8Km / h in 2007. The Bullet train is used in the major (c) ______ of Japan in which the maximum speed is 300 km/h. In 2003. Japan set the world (d) ______ for unconventional magnetic train set of the speed of 581 km/h. In 2011 China set the world record of high speed of 487.3 km/h by an unconventional magnetic train set (e) ________ "Harmony Express."

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• (4)

  Write the synonym or antonym of the following words as directed.

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• (a) expand (synonym)

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• (b) conventional (antonym)

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• (c) turbine (synonym)

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• (d) operate (antonym)

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• (e) recently (synonym)

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