Question
Bringing the Trains Back
Physical Science Studies: Wave Interactions
For more than a century, Mexico used trains. They moved goods and passengers. But in 1999, the country quit using passenger trains. Existing lines were used to move freight. Only a few trains for tourists kept running.
In 2013, the Mexican government said that it would bring back rail travel. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto talked about his plans. He wants to invest in air, rail, road, and port projects. They will be done over the next five years. He explained that it would help improve Mexico's economy. It would also make the country more modern.
"Nobody can doubt that better [transportation systems help] economic growth and social well-being," Peña Nieto said.
In announcing the plan, Peña Nieto noted the goal of bringing back passenger trains in Mexico. The country was planning to build about 360 miles (583 kilometers) of high-speed rail links. This would include links between Mexico City and the cities of Toluca and Queretaro. The government thinks that 100,000 people will ride the trains every day by 2016.
Another rail line may cross the Yucatan Peninsula. The plan is to connect Cancun with the Yucatán capital of Mérida. The train will have air conditioning. It will carry up to 400 passengers. It will go up to 110 miles (177 kilometers) an hour.
There are other planned projects. They include the modernization or building of four airports and seven seaports. There will also be about 3,350 miles (5,410 kilometers) of new highways. The government also plans to speed up freight trains.
Mexico hopes that the trains will improve transportation difficulties. Still, not everyone likes the plan. These people say that high-speed trains might not work in Mexico. Most existing rail lines there cross streets. These would become very dangerous with high-speed trains. Mexico also has mountains.
"Mexico really doesn't have the [flat land] for high-speed trains," said Jorge Fernández Acosta. He teaches about city design and transportation.
But Mexico will need to deal with more than mountains. Peña Nieto will have to fix the bad reputation that the old state-run trains got. Service was poor. Trains often stopped for hours. Air conditioning broke down. In addition, trains moved very slowly. Sometimes, it took days to get anywhere. High-speed trains will also cost more. Will passengers pay higher ticket prices?
Tsung-Chung Kao is a professor at the University of Illinois. He was hopeful. He said that many countries have overcome these challenges.
"Every country that builds a first high-speed line, builds a second," Kao said.
Information for this story came from AP.
Question 1
1 / 8
There is a large, empty rectangle. Above the rectangle, it says Main Idea of the Article. Under the rectangle, there are three smaller boxes with arrows pointing up to the rectangle. Each small box includes a fact from the Article. The first box on the left says Mexico plans to bring back rail travel. The box in the middle says Mexican leaders plan to invest in air and port projects.The box on the right says The Mexican government plans to build miles of new highways.
Based on the article, which fits best in the empty box above?
Mexican leaders plan to speed up the country's freight trains.
Mexican leaders want to make the country more modern.
Mexican leaders will spend money on some road projects.
Mexican leaders talked about their plans to connect some cities.
Physical Science Studies: Wave Interactions
For more than a century, Mexico used trains. They moved goods and passengers. But in 1999, the country quit using passenger trains. Existing lines were used to move freight. Only a few trains for tourists kept running.
In 2013, the Mexican government said that it would bring back rail travel. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto talked about his plans. He wants to invest in air, rail, road, and port projects. They will be done over the next five years. He explained that it would help improve Mexico's economy. It would also make the country more modern.
"Nobody can doubt that better [transportation systems help] economic growth and social well-being," Peña Nieto said.
In announcing the plan, Peña Nieto noted the goal of bringing back passenger trains in Mexico. The country was planning to build about 360 miles (583 kilometers) of high-speed rail links. This would include links between Mexico City and the cities of Toluca and Queretaro. The government thinks that 100,000 people will ride the trains every day by 2016.
Another rail line may cross the Yucatan Peninsula. The plan is to connect Cancun with the Yucatán capital of Mérida. The train will have air conditioning. It will carry up to 400 passengers. It will go up to 110 miles (177 kilometers) an hour.
There are other planned projects. They include the modernization or building of four airports and seven seaports. There will also be about 3,350 miles (5,410 kilometers) of new highways. The government also plans to speed up freight trains.
Mexico hopes that the trains will improve transportation difficulties. Still, not everyone likes the plan. These people say that high-speed trains might not work in Mexico. Most existing rail lines there cross streets. These would become very dangerous with high-speed trains. Mexico also has mountains.
"Mexico really doesn't have the [flat land] for high-speed trains," said Jorge Fernández Acosta. He teaches about city design and transportation.
But Mexico will need to deal with more than mountains. Peña Nieto will have to fix the bad reputation that the old state-run trains got. Service was poor. Trains often stopped for hours. Air conditioning broke down. In addition, trains moved very slowly. Sometimes, it took days to get anywhere. High-speed trains will also cost more. Will passengers pay higher ticket prices?
Tsung-Chung Kao is a professor at the University of Illinois. He was hopeful. He said that many countries have overcome these challenges.
"Every country that builds a first high-speed line, builds a second," Kao said.
Information for this story came from AP.
Question 1
1 / 8
There is a large, empty rectangle. Above the rectangle, it says Main Idea of the Article. Under the rectangle, there are three smaller boxes with arrows pointing up to the rectangle. Each small box includes a fact from the Article. The first box on the left says Mexico plans to bring back rail travel. The box in the middle says Mexican leaders plan to invest in air and port projects.The box on the right says The Mexican government plans to build miles of new highways.
Based on the article, which fits best in the empty box above?
Mexican leaders plan to speed up the country's freight trains.
Mexican leaders want to make the country more modern.
Mexican leaders will spend money on some road projects.
Mexican leaders talked about their plans to connect some cities.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Based on the article, the statement that fits best in the empty box above is:
**Mexican leaders want to make the country more modern.**
This option encapsulates the overarching theme of the article regarding the government's plans for improving transportation and modernizing the country's infrastructure, which includes bringing back rail travel and investing in various transportation projects.
**Mexican leaders want to make the country more modern.**
This option encapsulates the overarching theme of the article regarding the government's plans for improving transportation and modernizing the country's infrastructure, which includes bringing back rail travel and investing in various transportation projects.