Longest and deepest tunnel – level 2
Switzerland and much of Europe are celebrating the official opening of the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel. The 56-kilometer Gotthard Base Tunnel connects northern and southern Europe as deep as 2.3 kilometers below the surface.
Some journeys which used to take people days are now possible in as little as 17 minutes. When full service begins in December, travelers will see the time that it takes for them to get from Zurich to Milan cut by nearly 3 hours.
During the 17 years of construction, engineers had to dig through 73 different kinds of rock. People praised the 12-billion-dollar project for finishing on time and within budget. Sadly, nine workers lost their lives while working on this tunnel.
Difficult words: used to (something that happened regularly in the past, but doesn’t anymore), praise (to say good things about something), budget (the amount of money needed or available for something).