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曾几何时，“sleeper train（卧铺列车）” 是人们长途出行的热门选择。乘坐卧铺列车不仅能节省一晚住宿费用，还能在睡梦中舒适地抵达目的地。但随着 “budget airline（廉价航空公司）” 的兴起，许多人开始转而选择速度更快、价格更低的航空出行。如今，随着越来越多的人倾向于选择更环保的出行方式，卧铺列车在欧洲正重新受到欢迎。除了环保因素外，卧铺列车的支持者们还指出，铁路旅行本身也拥有飞机难以替代的独特魅力和体验。

词汇：transport 交通

1 The Sun has set, and you're headed to a train station in Stockholm with your overnight bag. You board the sleeper train, change into your comfortable clothes, enjoy the scenery through the window for a while before laying your head down to rest. Snoring from the other passengers in your shared cabin delays your bedtime, but the gentle motion and white noise eventually send you to sleep. The next morning, just over 12 hours later, you wake up in Germany's second largest city, Hamburg. "It still sounds like a long time, but you go to sleep, and it's such a nice atmosphere on the train," says Julia Senninger, a fan of sleeper trains.

2 Before budget airlines made flights across Europe so quick and cheap, sleeper trains were a popular way to cover large distances without wasting daylight or paying for a place to stay. After a period of decline, sleeper trains in Europe are making a comeback.Belgian-Dutch company European Sleeper launched the Brussels to Milan route in September 2026 and has announced a new route connecting Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden, scheduled to open in 2028. Other train companies Trenitalia and Nightjet have also announced plans for new international routes. Companies are rushing to meet high demand.

3 The rise in popularity is partly due to changing attitudes and increased awareness surrounding climate change. The carbon footprint of an electric-powered train is just a fraction of a flight. But there's more to it. Sleeper train fan Julia Senninger says trains are simply more fun. You meet more people and can have interesting conversations. Cat Jones, founder of the flight-free travel agency Byway, says, "The point of travel is the experience rather than just the arrival." So, people are buying into the idea that the journey to your destination is also part of the trip. Besides the convenience of starting and ending your journey in a city centre, there's also a sense of romance and adventure when you imagine whizzing through unknown landscapes and foreign villages while you sleep.

4 In Europe, the sleeper train comeback does not come without challenges. Competing with budget airlines, some sleeper train routes have disappeared, even while new ones have launched. Problems with infrastructure, cost and availability mean that the high demand for a more sustainable travel option is not currently being met.

测验与练习

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 _______
Paragraph 2 _______
Paragraph 3 _______
Paragraph 4 _______

a. The sleeper train's second rise
b. A sleeper train scene
c. Sleeper trains outside Europe
d. Why people like sleeper trains
e. Not a perfect solution
f. The downfall of budget airlines

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. What's mentioned as something that might keep you awake on a sleeper train?
a. snoring
b. white noise
c. train motion

2. European Sleeper opened a route connecting Belgium and Sweden in 2026.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

3. Sleeper trains are more environmentally friendly than airplanes.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

4. Which word best summarises Julia Senninger and Cat Jones feelings about train travel?
a. efficient
b. enjoyable
c. cheap

5. The UK is investing much more into sleeper train travel than Italy.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

There is a 1) _______ for sleeper trains in Europe due to an increased awareness of climate change. People also enjoy the 2) _______ of beginning and ending a journey in the middle of the city. One difficulty train companies have is that they are competing with 3) _______ on cost and efficiency. But fans of sleeper trains argue that it's not just about the 4) _______, it's about enjoying the 5) _______.

carbon footprint
destination
high demand
convenience
board
budget airlines
journey

（答案见词汇表后）

词汇表

board 登上（交通工具）
snoring 打鼾，鼾声
white noise 白噪音
budget airline 廉价航空公司，低成本航空公司
make a comeback 卷土重来，重新流行
high demand 旺盛的需求
carbon footprint 碳足迹
there is more to it 事情并没有这么简单，事实不止如此
buy into something 认同；接受；相信某个观点、想法或说法
journey 旅途，旅程
destination 目的地
trip 旅行
convenience 便利
whizz 飞驰而过，“嗖” 地掠过
infrastructure 基础设施

答案

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 b) A sleeper train scene
Paragraph 2 a) The sleeper train's second rise
Paragraph 3 d) Why people like sleeper trains
Paragraph 4 e) Not a perfect solution

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. a.Snoring from the other passengers in your shared booth delays your bedtime, but the gentle motion and white noise eventually send you to sleep.

2. b.False. Belgian-Dutch company European Sleeper launched the Brussels to Milan route in September 2026 and has announced a new route connecting Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden, scheduled to open in 2028.

3. a. True. The carbon footprint of an electric-powered train is just a fraction of a flight.

4. b. Sleeper train fan Julia Senninger says trains are simply morefun. Cat Jones says, "The point of travel is the experience rather than just the arrival."

5. c. Not given. Train travel in the UK is not mentioned.

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

There is a high demand for sleeper trains in Europe due to an increased awareness of climate change. People also enjoy the convenience of beginning and ending a journey in the middle of the city. One difficulty train companies have is that they are competing with budget airlines on cost and efficiency. But fans of sleeper trains argue that it's not just about the destination, it's about enjoying the journey.