阅读理解
My parents have always said that they never felt comfortable traveling by train when they were my age. It's always a mystery to me when they talk about the crowded and noisy train compartments*, wheels clicking on the rails, and the boring and tiring journeys.
However, train travel is quite a different experience today, especially after high--speed rail was widely put into service in China. Nothing can match train journeys for the comfort and speed. Few things could be more impressive than China's high--speed rail system, especially the speed at which it developed—and is still developing. Such speed is known as "China speed".
China speed means a lot to the country. The past 30 years have witnessed China's rapid development in various areas, like the economy and technology. We've seen dozens of tall buildings appear almost overnight, with roads and highways connecting every comer. And mobile payments and online shopping are playing increasingly important roles in everyone's life. China speed has changed our country and impressed the world. But as we enjoy the benefits of China speed, the problems it brings us can't be ignored, such as the air pollution or traffic problems. As a high price is being paid, maybe we should think about what China speed will bring us in the next 30 years. We need to know that our future depends on the choices we make today, so it is our duty to give China speed a new definition. If you pay close attention to the word "speed", you might notice that each letter stands for something interesting: Society, Progress, Economy, Environment and Development. Our society's progress depends largely on the balance among our economy, the environment, and the development of our future. That is what we need to keep in mind as China continues to speed ahead.
