剑桥雅思12: 谢振礼范文 高速铁路
IELTS Writing Task 2
Cambridge IELTS 12
Topic:
In a number of countries, some people think that it is necessary to spend large sums of money on constructing new railway lines for very fast trains between cities. Others believe that the money should be spent on improving existing public transportation.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.
Essay:
Is it more necessary to spend huge sums of money to build high-speed rail (HSR) than to improve existing public transportation? In truth, both options are needed, although in different ways. However, there remains some debate as to whether constructing new railway lines will be a transit solution or a fiscal disaster.
On the one hand, advocates claim that funding the high-speed rail project is speeding up transit solutions in the right direction. That is to say, spending money on the project will be worth it because money spent in connecting cities is investing in the future. Such plan is designed to cut journey time between cities, ease overcrowding in existing public transportation, decrease traffic congestion, and to boost regional businesses. Additionally, a great number of jobs will be created. What is more, the project is a major step toward solving climate change by reducing oil consumption and emissions. Successful HSR performances in some countries, including Japan and Germany, may be considered as evidence enough to support the option to build new rails for very fast trains.
On the other hand, skeptics argue that the bullet-train scheme is largely a “vanity” project. At stake is cost of billions and billions of dollars. For that matter, questions are being asked. Is it not more necessary in cash-strapped times to spend that money in less ambitious, but more effective, projects such as improving existing public transportation? If fast rail travel is to become a realistic alternative, must it not be affordable too? To what extent will HSR draw passengers out of cars and planes? These questions can be summarized as an option that the project should be delayed to avoid a fiscal disaster.
In conclusion, money being the issue, whether it is better to carry out the HSP project or to improve existing public transportation is a matter of opinions. Both options are necessary, if there will be enough funding. Otherwise, neither is the case because of no-money-no-talk.
