题目解析

Some people think the best way to solve traffic congestions in cities is to provide free public transport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

 

思路分析:

一些人认为在城市中解决交通拥堵的最好方法是提供每天 24 小时,每周 7 天的免费公交,你是否同意?

 

本题属于社会类的正反讨论题,需要考生讨论提供全天免费公交这一措施给 社会带来的优点与缺点。本题需要注意的是优点分析时需要围绕解决交通拥堵问题展开讨论,而非单纯对于免费公交本身的好处进行分析。

 

观点 1:优点分析

1. 免费公交能够使很多人选择绿色出行方式,因为大多数人都会考虑出行成本

2. 免费公交会使一些人放弃购买私家车的计划,减少机动车拥有率

 

观点 2:缺点分析

1. 政府需要大量拨款去支持该项目,造成政府和纳税人的负担

2. 乘客人数暴涨,现有交通设施无法承受,容易引发事故

3. 促使很多本不必要的外出,浪费能源和交通资源

 

相关词汇:

traffic block 交通拥堵

relieve 减轻

fossil fuel 化石能源

private car 私家车

ownership 拥有率

utilization rate 使用率

passenger flow 客流

traffic paralysis 交通瘫痪

financial burden 财政负担

all-rounded 全面的

by-effects 副作用

car-purchasing tax 购车税

congestion fee 拥堵费

travelling cost 出行成本

 

参考范文：

Traffic congestion has become one of the most perturbing issues of modern society. A number of measures are being enacted to address such problem, someone claims that a whole day (24 hours) free public transportation system is a decent idea, while this is not the case.

 

There is no denying that this method, to a certain extent, could relieve the serious traffic pressure. Due to the soaring price of fossil fuel, the appearance of the free public transportation would enable most people to no longer prefer to drive their private cars considering the travelling cost. Additionally, if the urban public transportation system is convenient enough, the number of people who would like to purchase a private automobile will decrease significantly. Hence, this policy could effectively control the ownership and the utilization rate of automobile thereby alleviating the traffic block.

 

However, the image will be extremely different if people switch their perspective since this measure would bring a series of negative influence. The decreasing utilization rate of private cars means the increasing pressure of public transportation simultaneously. In the context of such situation, it is hard for the current facilities to bear the soaring passenger flow, it may cause not only the paralysis of the whole system, but also growing numbers of traffic accidents.

 

Moreover, to maintain the operation of public transportation system, government has to provide those related companies with more subsidies. For short-term development, it will bring government heavier financial burden, and what is worse, in the long run, the development of various other social areas including education, social welfare and technological research will be negatively affected since the funding allocated to these sectors will be cut, which will inevitably prevent the all-rounded social advancement.

 

In summary, even though this suggestion could enhance the traffic circumstances, while, considering its by-effects above, several other schemes might be regarded as better options comprising levying higher car-purchasing tax or congestion fee during rush hours. (312 Words)