谢振礼 剑桥11 雅思范文: 铁路公路
Cambridge English 11
IELTS Writing Task 2 谢振礼 写作讲义 评改作文
Cambridge 4-13 total 40 essays ielts360toefl@hotmail.com
Topic:
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic:
Governments should spend money on railways rather than roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Essay:
Considering a limited fiscal budget, people are often divided among people who either support governments to invest in railways or in roadways. As two modes of land transportation, there are some circumstances in which roadways are more suitable while there are other circumstances in which railways are more suitable. When deciding which one of the two modes should be given priority, governments need to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of each.
To begin with, some people urge governments to focus their expenditures on railways instead of roadways, in the sense that money spent on construction of railways will be well spent. When circumstances fit, railways can offer the best value for money, as compared with other modes of transportation. Chief among other advantages that railways can deliver is safety in terms of accidents and breakdowns. Another notable advantage is that, being the best performing land transport mode, railways can be used to move heavy and bulky goods at low rate over long distances. In addition, railways are less susceptible to the problems of traffic congestion, unlike roads which usually have those problems. Last but not least, railways are more environment-friendly than roadways.
That said, other people want governments to spend money on roadways rather than railways. Firstly, the government investment required in construction of roadways is much less compared to railways. Secondly, roads can be constructed easily in hilly terrains, mountainous areas, and undulating topography. Thirdly, road transport is more appropriate and economical in transportation of few persons and relatively small amount of goods over short distances. Fourthly, roadways act as a feeder to other modes of transport, as they provide a link between railway stations, air and sea ports. Due mainly to these reasons, governments’ spending will continue to favor roads over rails.
As a conclusion, it is up to governments to decide whether more money should be spent on railways or roadways. Invariably, the decision is related to the demand of people in different circumstances. With enough funding, governments can spend money on both modes of land transportation.
