Public transport should be funded by the government so that it can be free for the people who use it. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

解析&审题

 

2017年1月12日的雅思考题要求考生就“为了降低交通阻塞，政府提供免费公共交通是的办法”这个说法进行论证。也许有的考生写过这个题目，但本次考试与2017年1月12日的题目还是有不小的区别。虽然两者都在谈免费公共交通问题，但2017年的题目是明确要求与“交通阻塞”问题联系起来，考生应该回答“免费公共交通到底是不是解决交通阻塞的最有效办法”，而本题则没有这样的联系，因此考生可以在更广阔的范围论述“免费公共交通”的利与弊。

 

免费公共交通当然可以让乘客节约钱（这是最基础的物质方面），另外可能让很多人不再开自己的车，这就有可能改善交通状况和环境，同时减少道路维修方面的工作，这些都是好的地方，但坏处也是很容易想到的，比如：政府把钱投给了免费交通，就没钱投给教育、医疗等领域了（这是政府投资类话题可以经常使用的观点），此外，免费交通不一定能有效改善交通和环境问题，因为交通免费了，很多原本不打算出行的人也都出行了，其结果是造成更坏的交通问题。

 

以下是唐老师的高分范文，大家可认真阅读，看老师是如何把以上思路落实到具体文字表达的。

 

 

 

老师笔记

 

01

 

Public transit is a critical part of a modern country’s mass transportation network. Should it be free? It is easy to say that the government must do its best to support public transport, but it is difficult to make public transport completely free.

 

公共交通是现代国家大众运输网络的重要组成部分。它应该是免费的吗？政府必须尽力支持公共交通，这个说法没有问题，但要使公共交通完全自由是困难的。

 

解析

（1） 先提出话题（public transport），然后自问自答，提出自己的观点（政府应该全力支持公共交通，但全免费则很难）。

（2） critical 关键的；重要的

（3） mass 大众（的）

 

02

 

There are mainly three reasons why some people say that public transport should be made free. Firstly, free transport will benefit the regularcommuters, especially those whose financial condition does not allow them to spend a lot on transport. Secondly, it will encourage people out of their cars and will therefore help reduce the serious traffic jams and air pollution in the ever expanding cities. Finally, free public transport would actually save the government money spent in maintaining the roads because more people would use it instead of driving.

 

人们认为公共交通应该免费，主要有三个原因。首先，免费的交通将有利于每天上下班的乘客，尤其是那些经济条件不允许他们在运输花费大量的人。其次，它会鼓励人们离开他们的汽车，因此将有助于减少日益扩大的城市中的严重的交通拥堵和空气污染。最后，免费公共交通实际上可以节省政府花在维护道路上的钱，因为更多的人会使用公共交通，而不是自己开车。

解析

（1） 本段主要论述免费公共交通的三条理由：给人们节约钱；解决拥堵和污染问题；节约道路维护费用。

（2） commuter 每天乘车上下班的人

（3） the ever expanding cities 不断扩大的城市

（4） maintain 维护

 

 

 

03

 

However, the idea of free public transport does not work as healthily as we might have expected. In the first place, it will put a heavy burden on the government’s budget so that the government will have to cut down on its investment in such sectors as education, medical care, technological development, to mention just the three. Meanwhile, exactly how much the free public transport can help with the traffic and environment is alsodoubtful. When public transport goes free, many people who otherwise would stay at home may choose to go out by taking the free transport. This will greatly undo the benefits brought by the reduced number of private cars on road and may even paralyze the public transport system, especially during the rush hours. Beijing, for instance, found itself in great traffic trouble when the city announced to provide free metro service for its citizens during the Asian Games in 1990. Then in 2008 when Beijing was hosting the Olympic Games, the city never made the similar attempt.

 

然而，免费公共交通的想法并不像我们预期的那样健康运作。首先，它将给政府的预算带来沉重的负担，因此政府将不得不削减在教育、医疗、技术开发等部门的投资。同时，免费公共交通对交通和环境有多大帮助也是值得怀疑的。当公共交通免费的时候，许多本来会留在家里的人可能选择乘坐免费的交通工具出行。这将大大削弱路上私家车数量减少带来的好处，甚至可能使公共交通系统瘫痪，尤其是在交通高峰期。例如，北京在1990年亚运会期间宣布向市民提供免费地铁服务时，就陷入了严重的交通问题。在2008北京举办奥运会的时候，这个城市从未做出过类似的尝试。

 

解析

（1） 本段主要论述免费公共交通的两大坏处：首先给政府带来预算压力；其次，它不仅不能解决交通阻塞和环境问题，反而可能加剧这些问题。为了说明第二个观点，本范文使用了举例法：对比北京1990年亚运会和2008年奥运会的相关政策。

（2） healthily 健康地

（3） budget 预算

（4） cut down on… 削减……

（5） sector 领域

（6） doubtful 值得怀疑的

（7） undo 抵消

（8） paralyze 使瘫痪

 

04

 

In sum, free public transport is a good idea, but it is not always good in practice. For the sake of traffic and environment, the government, rather than providing funds for free public transport, should construct more roads and introduce stricter rules of car ownership and use.

 

总而言之，免费公共交通是个好主意，但在实践中并不总是好的。为了交通和环境，政府不应该为免费公共交通提供资金，而应该建设更多的道路，并引入更严格的汽车拥有和使用的规则。

 

解析

（1） 总结前面的主要观点，并提出建议。

（2） in practice 实践中

（3） for the sake of 为了

（4） construct 修建

（5） introduce 介绍，引进

（6） ownership 拥有权

 

7分范文

Public transit is a critical part of a modern country’s mass transportation network. Should it be free? It is easy to say that the government must do its best to support public transport, but it is difficult to make public transport completely free.

There are mainly three reasons why some people say that public transport should be made free. Firstly, free transport will benefit the regular commuters, especially those whose financial condition does not allow them to spend a lot on transport. Secondly, it will encourage people out of their cars and will therefore help reduce the serious traffic jams and air pollution in the ever expanding cities. Finally, free public transport would actually save the government money spent in maintaining the roads because more people would use it instead of driving.

However, the idea of free public transport does not work as healthily as we might have expected. In the first place, it will put a heavy burden on the government’s budget so that the government will have to cut down on its investment in such sectors as education, medical care, technological development, to mention just the three. Meanwhile, exactly how much the free public transport can help with the traffic and environment is also doubtful. When public transport goes free, many people who otherwise would stay at home may choose to go out by taking the free transport. This will greatly undo the benefits brought by the reduced number of private cars on road and may even paralyze the public transport system, especially during the rush hours. Beijing, for instance, found itself in great traffic trouble when the city announced to provide free metro service for its citizens during the Asian Games in 1990. Then in 2008 when Beijing was hosting the Olympic Games, the city never made the similar attempt.

In sum, free public transport is a good idea, but it is not always good in practice. For the sake of traffic and environment, the government, rather than providing funds for free public transport, should construct more roads and introduce stricter rules of car ownership and use.

（350 words）

 

建议背诵的句子

 

1．It is easy to say that the government must do its best to support public transport, but it is difficult to make public transport completely free.

政府必须尽力支持公共交通，这个说法没有问题，但要使公共交通完全自由是困难的。

 

2．Free transport will benefit the regular commuters, especially those whose financial condition does not allow them to spend a lot on transport.

免费的交通将有利于每天上下班的乘客，尤其是那些经济条件不允许他们在运输花费大量的人。

 

3. （free public transport）will put a heavy burden on the government’sbudget so that the government will have to cut down on its investment in such sectors as education, medical care, technological development, to mention just the three.

（免费公共交通）将给政府的预算带来沉重的负担，因此政府将不得不削减在教育、医疗、技术开发等部门的投资。

 

4．When public transport goes free, many people who otherwise would stay at home may choose to go out by taking the free transport. This will greatlyundo the benefits brought by the reduced number of private cars on road and may even paralyze the public transport system, especially during the rush hours.

当公共交通免费的时候，许多本来会留在家里的人可能选择乘坐免费的交通工具出行。这将大大削弱路上私家车数量减少带来的好处，甚至可能使公共交通系统瘫痪，尤其是在交通高峰期。

 

5．For the sake of traffic and environment, the government, rather than providing funds for free public transport, should construct more roads and introduce stricter rules of car ownership and use.

为了交通和环境，政府不应该为免费公共交通提供资金，而应该建设更多的道路，并引入更严格的汽车拥有和使用的规则。