完整版范文
    Question

    Your professor is teaching a class on urban planning. Write a post responding to the professor's question.
    In your response, you should do the following.
    - Express and support your opinion.
    - Make a contribution to the discussion in your own words.
    An effective response will contain at least 100 words.

    Doctor Achebe:
    Traffic congestion during rush hours is a significant issue in urban city centers. To mitigate this problem, governments have various solutions aimed at reducing the number of vehicles on the road. One proposed solution involves charging drivers a fee or tax for driving during peak traffic hours. Do you believe this could effectively alleviate traffic congestion? Why or why not?

    Andrew:
    I believe imposing fees for driving during peak hours might not be the best solution to ease traffic congestion. It could adversely affect businesses and create economic disadvantages for many individuals. Such charges might burden workers who rely on their cars for commuting, especially those with fixed schedules or limited transportation options.

    Claire:
    I think charging drivers a fee during peak traffic hours could be a great idea to ease the traffic congestion we face every day. It might encourage more drivers to opt for biking or carpooling, which could significantly benefit the environment and ease overall traffic. For instance, in cities where similar measures have been introduced, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of vehicles during rush hours.

    范文正文

    Both Andrew and Claire’s ideas are reasonable, and I think when determining how to reduce traffic congestion, the authorities should consider the specific situation of each city. In cities where public transportation network is inadequate, implementing a congestion fee is inappropriate, as Andrew pointed out, because it could create challenges for commuters.【定语从句+状语从句】 Conversely, in cities with a well-developed public transport system, charging a fee to alleviate traffic jams can be viewed as a favorable option. If a congestion fee makes driving private cars significantly more expensive than using the subway or bus, people will naturally opt for the latter, thereby reducing the number of cars on the road, and alleviating traffic issues.【状语从句+非谓语动词作状语】 One such example would be London, a city with sophisticated bus and underground network. Since 2003, to relieve its notorious traffic problems, the government has been levying a ?15-per-day “congestion charge” on private vehicles entering the city center. This leaves the streets mostly to taxis and buses, while the revenue generated is used to subsidize public transit, resulting in more departures and lower fares. Consequently, traffic in London flows more smoothly, demonstrating the effectiveness of using fees to reduce congestion.

    写作思路和特色

    本题出自2023年12月9日的托福学术讨论真题。教授问两个学生，在交通高峰时段对司机收费或征税是否能有效缓解交通拥堵？为什么？Andrew认为这不是缓解交通拥堵的方案。因为可能会给企业和许多普通人带来经济负担。而Claire认为这是一个很好的办法。因为这会鼓励更多人选择骑自行车或拼车，显著改善环境，缓解整体交通状况。在已经采取类似措施的城市，高峰时段的车辆数量明显减少。
    本文的结构是“总论点+解释观点1+解释观点2+举例+总结”。本文的总论点是认为两个学生说的都对。政府选择减少交通拥堵的方法时，应该考虑当地的具体情况。公共交通不发达的地区不适合对私家车收取交通拥堵费，因为正如Andrew所说，这会给普通人出行带来不便。但是对于公共交通已经很发达的城市，征收私家车的交通拥堵费就是可行的措施。如果开车比坐地铁、公交车贵得多，那人们就会选择公共交通，这会减少路面上的汽车数量，减少拥堵。例如，有着完善公共交通网络的伦敦就在交通最容易拥堵的时段，对进入市中心的私家车征收每天15镑的拥堵费。这些费用也反过来会被用于建设伦敦的公共交通，使得伦敦拥有更加发达的公共交通，价格低廉、车次也多。市民、游客大多数选择坐地铁、公交车出行，这个措施大大减少了伦敦交通拥堵的概率。
    本文的总论点和论述体现了批判性思维中的分情况讨论的思路，并对Claire提到的情况提供了现实生活中的例子。很多同学可能对“交通拥堵费”没有概念，但其实这项措施早已在世界上的一些城市实施，比如文中提到的伦敦，今天我们将在文末为大家介绍一下相关背景知识。通过今天这篇文章的学习，相信同学们以后面对与解决交通拥堵问题相关的作文时，都能有话可说。

    用词用语整理

    the authorities 当局
    这个词组可以用于替换government，表示政府。除此之外，还可以用policymaker, administration, municipality等词汇来表达类似的含义。
    需要注意的是，administration一般用于美式英语，指总统及其内阁，或他们延续的时间。比如，“the Obama administration”意为奥巴马政府；“the last Republican administration”，意为上届共和党政府。
    municipality意为“市政府”，与local council意思类似，但后者也可以指镇政府。
    关于政府、政权的词汇，还有一个regime，但它具有贬义，一般指非公正的方式选出的政权。
    inadequate adj. 不够好的，劣质的，不够格的
    在这里inadequate可以替换口语中的poor，用来表示“糟糕的”。
    inappropriate adj. 不合适的，不恰当的
    注意不可以用improper来表示这个意思，improper含有“违法的、违规的、不正当的”意思，与本文不同。
    implement v. 实施，贯彻
    其名词形式为implementation。
    create challenges 造成困难
    可以替换“bring about difficulties”，让表达更简洁地道。
    alleviate v. 减轻，缓解
    relieve v. 减轻，缓解
    这两个词意思接近，词性一样，都可以表达减轻痛苦、担忧，或情况和问题的缓解。
    notorious v. 臭名昭著的，声名狼藉的
    subsidize v. 给予......补贴，资助

    【定语从句+状语从句】
    In cities where public transportation network is inadequate, implementing a congestion fee is inappropriate, as Andrew pointed out, because it could create challenges for commuters.
    这句话的主句是Implementing a congestion fee is inappropriate. 意为“征收交通拥堵费是不合适的。”前面的where引导了一个定语从句，用于修饰cities。主句后给出了原因“会给通勤者带来困难”。

    【状语从句+非谓语动词作状语】
    If a congestion fee makes driving private cars significantly more expensive than using the subway or bus, people will naturally opt for the latter, thereby reducing the number of cars on the road, and alleviating traffic issues.
    本句的主句是people will naturally opt for the latter. 意为“人们会自然选择后者”。前面是一个条件状语从句，假设了“乘私家车出行比公共交通贵很多”的状况。主句后的副词thereby表示“从而”，引出选择公共交通之后的结果，就是“减少路上的汽车、缓解交通状况”。
    这篇文章提到了伦敦减少交通拥堵的方法，即收取一定数量的“交通拥堵费”（congestion charge）。自2003年以来，伦敦交通局就开始对高峰时间进入伦敦市中心的车辆收取“进城费”。每车每天15镑，一般通过线上官网支付。收费时间段是每周一至周五7点到18点；每周六、周日以及银行假日的12点到18点；圣诞节至元旦期间不收费。不过，居住在收费区域的人们会有费用折扣。出租车、9座以上的客车可以不交费。
    对于未按规定缴费的车主，英国政府也会收取相应的罚金。且时间长了，金额会随着滞纳时间按百分比增长，甚至有关部门会上门催缴。

    长沙新航道致力于培养中国学生英语语言运用能力为学生提供
    雅思、托福、留学规划
    A-Level、OSSD、KET/PET
    AP、IB、GRE、GMAT、SAT
    前程留学、欧亚多语种等培训服务
    语言免费测评/免费试听
    15675832462（微信同号）