19. Highways or public transportation, which should be given preferential
financing?
Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments
spend more money on improving public transportation (buses, trains, subways)? Why? Use specific
reasons and details to develop your essay.
『分析』
Edited by Lost Lawyer
资金运用的基本原则a higher input-output ratio is desirable。参见：[11]分析。
政府也需要盈利
高速公路，是有盈利的。并且有利于促进经济繁荣，进一步增加税收。
公共交通，是政府开销。但是市政府的职责。
结合我国情况选择立场。比如：可以认为目前要大力发展高速公路，而其收入可以用来开发公共交通。
『范文』
As China continues along the road of economic development, new demands are being put on the
transportation infrastructure of the country. This is particularly evident in the cities, where daily traffic jams are
unavoidable facts of life. Faced with a mounting traffic crisis, I believe the government should focus on
improving public transportation instead of improving roads and highways. Public transportation is cheaper, better
for the environment, and a better long-term solution for meeting the transportation demands of the future.
The traffic crisis in large cities is mainly due to the increase in the number of private cars on the road. If 30
people each drive their own private cars to work in the morning, polluting emissions from these 30 cars pollute the
air. Having 30 extra cars on the road not only means more traffic, it also means that all cars on the road will run
their engines longer to produce more pollution while they idle in traffic jams. On the contrary, if those same 30
people take the bus to work, there would be less traffic, and even less pollution. More bus and subway lines would
also save much space now wasted on parking lots, which makes sense from both environmental and city-planning
perspectives.
Investment in public transportation also makes sense for the customer. The most expensive public
transportation in the city costs about 5 yuan. Two trips across the city every day for a whole year would still be less
than a fifth of the cost of a new car, not to mention the inevitable expenditure of maintaining a good performance of
the car. Taking into account the considerable upkeep expenses of a car, gas, insurance, and repairs, owning a car is
much less economic and convenient than is taking the bus or the subway.
While some people would argue that investing money on highways is imperative for holistic benefits of our
country, I personally believe the need for solving current traffic disasters that are prevalent in most such major
cities as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou is more urgent. The problem has already become the biggest headache
of local governments and their residents, and would cost even more if not handled promptly.
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