Traffic Jams--No End in Sight

1 Traffic congestion (拥堵) affects people throughout the world. Traffic jams cause smog in dozens of cities across both the developed and developing world. In the U. S., commuters (通勤人员) spend an average of a full working week each year sitting in traffic jams, according to the Texas Transportation Institute. While alternative ways of getting around are available,most people still choose their cars because they are looking for convenience, comfort and privacy.

2 The most promising technique for reducing city traffic is called congestion pricing, whereby cities charge a toll to enter certain parts of town at certain times of day. In theory, if the toll is high enough, some drivers will cancel their trips or go by bus or train. And in practice it seems to work: Singapore, London and Stockholm have reduced traffic and pollution in city centres thanks to congestion pricing.

3 Another way to reduce rush-hour traffic is for employers to implement flextime, which lets employees travel to and from work at off-peak traffic times to avoid the rush hour. Those who have to travel during busy times can do their part by sharing cars. Employers can also allow more staffto telecommute (work from home) so as to keep more cars offthe road altogether.

4 Some urban planners still believe that the best way to ease traffic congestion is to build more roads, especially roads that can take drivers around or over crowded "city streets. But such techniques do not really keep cars offthe road; they only accommodate more of them.

Other, more forward-thinking, planners know that more and more drivers and cars are taking to the roads every day, and they are unwilling to encourage more private automobiles when public transport is so much better both for people and the environment. For this reason, the American government has decided to spend some $7 billion on helping to increase capacity on public-transport systems and upgrade them with more efficient technologies. But environmentalists complain that such funding is tiny compared with the$50 billion being spent on roads and bridges.

23. Paragraph 1 __________

24. Paragraph 2__________

25. Paragraph 3 ___________

26. Paragraph 4 __________

A. Paying to get in

B. Changing work practice

C. Not doing enough

D. A solution which is no solution

E. Closing city centres to traffic

F. A global problem

27. Most American drivers think it convenient to __________.

28. If charged high enough, some drivers may __________to enter certain parts of town.

29. Building more roads is not an effective way to __________.

30. The U. S. government has planned to __________updating public-transport systems.

A. reduce traffic jams

B. drive around

C. go by bus

D. spend more money

E. travel regularly

F. encourage more private cars