Problems with Purchasing Cars
More and more people in developing countries are purchasing cars for the first time. What problems does this cause? What do you think are the possible solutions?
(1) It is a pressing problem that increased automobile purchases in developing countries are leading to a host of problems that governments will have to deal with in the future.(2) I believe that the biggest problems centre around traffic and governments can impose higher taxes and support public transport to minimise the impact.
一个紧迫的问题是，发展中国家增加的汽车购买量正在导致许多政府今后必须处理的问题。我认为，最大的问题围绕交通，政府可以征收更高的税费并支持公共交通以最大程度地减少影响。
(1)The rise of the automobile as a popular means of travel in developing countries inevitably leads to worsening road conditions. (2) This is because developing nations often have narrower roads and fewer lanes. (3) Once the growing middle class in previously impoverished countries begins to replace buses, motorbikes, and bicycles with cars, there is often a concurrent rise in the number of gridlocked roads. (4) For example, research from The Economist linked a 40% rise in traffic jams to a 15%rise in automobile purchases in 2017 in Vietnam.
在发展中国家，汽车作为一种普遍的旅行方式的兴起不可避免地导致道路状况的恶化。这是因为发展中国家通常道路较窄，车道较少。在以前贫穷的国家中不断壮大的中产阶级开始用汽车代替公共汽车，摩托车和自行车后，经常出现的堵车道路数量同时增加。例如，《经济学人》（The Economist）的研究将越南的交通拥堵增加40％与2017年的汽车购买增加15％相联系。
(1)To fully address this problem, there are two potential fixes that governments can apply. (2) Firstly, governments should enact higher taxes on all automobile purchases to deter buyers. (3) This has had a massive impact in cities like Singapore where purchasing a car is prohibitively expensive for most residents. (4) Another solution would be to invest further in public awareness campaigns of alternative modes of travel. (5) A standout example of this would be in Vietnam, where these campaigns coupled with reduced fares to make busing more affordable, have cut down drastically on the number of vehicles on the road.
为了完全解决此问题，政府可以应用两个潜在的解决方案。首先，政府应对所有购车者征收更高的税收，以阻止购买者。这对像新加坡这样的城市产生了巨大影响，在新加坡，大多数居民购买汽车的费用高得令人望而却步。另一个解决方案是进一步投资于其他旅行方式的公众意识运动。越南就是一个很好的例子，越南的这些运动加上降低票价以使公共汽车更便宜，从而大大减少了道路上的车辆数量。
(1)Inconclusion, traffic problems caused by cars are a serious issue that governments must work hard to combat. (2) If efforts are made to reduce automobiles on roads in favor of more efficient transport, they will see their initial investment returned many times over in improved, sustained economic growth.
总之，由汽车引起的交通问题是政府必须努力应对的一个严重问题。如果努力减少公路上的汽车以支持更高效的运输，他们将看到其最初的投资已多次返还给改善的，持续的经济增长。
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Sample Answer Vocabulary
What do the words in bold mean? If you’re not sure, don’t use a dictionary – try to figure out the meaning from the whole sentence then check your answers below!
It is a pressing problem that increased automobile purchases in developing countries are leading to a host of problems that governments will have to deal with in the future. I believe that the biggest problems centre around traffic and governments can impose higher taxes and support public transport to minimise the impact.
The rise of the automobile as a popular means of travel in developing countries inevitably leads to worsening road conditions. This is because developing nations often have narrower roads and fewer lanes. Once the growing middle class in previously impoverished countries begins to replace buses, motorbikes, and bicycles with cars, there is often a concurrent rise in the number of gridlocked roads. For example, research from The Economist linked a 40% rise in traffic jams to a 15% rise in automobile purchases in 2017 in Vietnam.
To fully address this problem, there are two potential fixes that governments can apply. Firstly, governments should enact higher taxes on all automobile purchases to deter buyers. This has had a massive impact in cities like Singapore where purchasing a car is prohibitively expensive for most residents. Another solution would be to invest further in public awareness campaigns of alternative modes of travel. A standout example of this would be in Vietnam, where these campaigns coupled with reduced fares to make busing more affordable, have cut down drastically on the number of vehicles on the road.
In conclusion, traffic problems caused by cars are a serious issue that governments must work hard to combat. If efforts are made to reduce automobiles on roads in favor of more efficienttransport they will see their initial investment returned many times over in improved, sustained economic growth.
Vocabulary & Phrases
pressing problem important problem 严峻的问题
developing countries 3rd world countries 发展中国家
host of problems lots of different problems 很多不同的问题
deal with try to resolve 解决
impose enact 强制推行，强制实施
minimise the impact lessen the effect 把影响降到最低
rise increase 增加
inevitably leads to will definitely cause 不可避免地导致
worsening road conditions more and more traffic 恶化道路状况
narrower roads roads without much space 窄路
fewer lanes narrow roads 窄路
growing middle class more people with disposable income 不断壮大的中产阶级
previously impoverished poor in the past 过去贫困的
concurrent related to caused by 由……引起
gridlocked full of traffic 堵塞
The Economist a magazine about economics 经济学杂志
linked caused by or related to 联系
To fully address this problem to fix this issue 要完全解决此问题
potential fixes possible solutions 可能的解决方式
deter disincentivize 阻止，打消
prohibitively expensive too expensive to buy 价格昂贵
invest further put more money into 进一步投资
public awareness campaigns information for the public with an important message 提高公众意识运动
alternative modes of travel different ways of travelling 不同的出行方式
standout example good example 杰出的例子
coupledwithcombinedwith与……成对/联合
reduced fares less expensive tickets 降低票价
affordable cheap 付得起的，不太贵的
cut down drastically reduce a lot 大大地减少
seriousissueimportanttopic严肃的问题
combat fight 与……战斗，反对
initial investment returned many times over get your money back and more 最初的投资得到多倍的回报
sustained long-term 可持续的，长期的
句子练习
1. 一个紧迫的问题是，发展中国家增加的汽车购买量正在导致许多政府今后必须处理的问题
2. 我认为，最大的问题围绕交通，政府可以征收更高的税费并支持公共交通以最大程度地减少影响。
3. 在发展中国家，汽车作为一种普遍的旅行方式的兴起不可避免地导致道路状况的恶化。
4. 首先，政府应对所有购车者征收更高的税收，以阻止购买者。
5. 另一个解决方案是进一步投资于其他旅行方式的公众意识运动。
6. 如果努力减少公路上的汽车以支持更高效的运输，他们将看到其最初的投资已多次返还给改善的，持续的经济增长。
