Italy’s new high-speed train line
Listen to the story (American accent)
Italy is building a new high-speed train line in the southern part of the country. They want to connect the cities of Naples and Bari. Naples is on the west coast of Italy, and Bari is on the east coast.
Currently, the train trip between these cities takes about four hours. The new high-speed line will make the trip much shorter, only two hours long. This new track will be about 90 miles (145 kilometers) long.
The project will be paid for with money from the Italian government and the European Union (EU). The EU money is to help areas recover from COVID-19. The total cost of the project will be a little over 6 billion euros.
Italy's main train company, Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), will operate the new line. Several construction companies are working together to build it. They plan to finish the project by the year 2028.
The current line is slow and only one track. The new line will be two tracks and faster. All the train stations on the line will be updated. A new station will also be built in the Irpinia area.
For a long time, northern Italy has had many more train lines than the south. Many young people have moved away from the south to find jobs.
Leaders hope this new train line will help the economy in the south. They think it will create jobs and make it easier for people to live in smaller towns and travel to cities for work.
One group studying the project believes it will create over 60,000 jobs while it's being built.
Vocabulary25 words
- High-speed
- very fast
- Line
- a path for a train to travel on; the direction a train goes; route
- Coast
- the land along the edge of the sea or an ocean; where land meets water
- Currently
- happening right now; At the present time
- Trip
- journey; going from one place to another place
- (Train) track
- a path that trains run on, usually made of steel and wood or cement
- Government
- the group of people who have the authority to make and enforce laws and manage a country or region; the people/group that manage and operate a country
- Leading
- the most important or best
- The European Union (EU)
- 27 countries in Europe that work closely together
- Area
- A place or part of a place; piece of land, or country; a particular part of a place; somewhere
- Recover
- to return or come back to normal; rally; rebound; to get back something you lost
- COVID-19
- Coronavirus; a sickness/illness that spread around the world and made many people sick
- Cost
- The amount of money needed to buy or do something; price
- Billion
- 1,000,000,000 = one-billion
- Euro
- €; The currency of the European Union
- Operate
- to manage; run; use; to control or use a machine; conduct
- Several
- some; more than 2, but not many
- Construction
- the action of building something; creation; the process of making a building
- Plan
- want; aim; to intend to do something
- Update
- To make something new or better; a point or feature that has been improved or made newer
- Leader
- someone who is in charge of a group, organization or country; a boss or manager; a person who guides, directs, or commands a group
- Hope
- something good that you want to happen in the future; a confident feeling about what will happen in the future; wish
- Economy
- the system according to which the money, industry, businesses and trade of a country/region are organized; the flow of money between people, businesses and government; All the money and jobs in a country
- Group
- two or more people/companies that work together for a reason
- Believe
- to think; to imagine; to have the opinion of; assume; suppose
Quiz
Answer key
1. Between Naples and Bari 2. It will help the economy and create jobs. 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Italy is _____ a new high-speed train line in the southern part of the _____ . They want to connect the cities of Naples and Bari. Naples is on the _____ coast of Italy, and Bari is on the west coast.
Currently, the _____ trip between these cities takes about four _____ . The new high-speed line will make the trip much shorter, _____ two hours long. This new track will be about 90 miles (_____ kilometers) long.
The project will be paid for with _____ from the Italian government and the European Union (EU). The _____ money is to help areas recover from COVID-19. The total _____ of the project will be a little over 6 billion _____ .
Italy's main train _____ , Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), will _____ the new line. Several construction companies are working together to build it. They _____ to finish the project by the year _____ .
The current line is slow and _____ one track. The new line will be two tracks and faster. All the train _____ on the line will be updated. A new station will _____ be built in the Irpinia area.
For a long time, _____ Italy has had many more train lines than the south. Many _____ people have moved away from the south to find jobs.
_____ hope this new train line will help the economy in the south. They _____ it will create jobs and make it easier for people to live in _____ towns and travel to cities for work.
One group studying the _____ believes it will create over 60,000 jobs while it's _____ built.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think having fast train lines is important for a country?
- Do you think the new train line will really help stop young people from leaving southern Italy? Why or why not?
- Besides building train lines, what are other ways a government could help an area's economy grow?
- Have you ever traveled on a high-speed train? What was it like?
- If a fast train made it easier to travel, would you prefer to live in a smaller town and travel to a big city for work, or live directly in the big city? Why?
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