时间:2018-12-08 作者:英语课 分类:2015年VOA慢速英语(九)月


英语课

AS IT IS 2015-10-01 Vietnam Hopes Subways Will Ease Traffic 越南寄望地铁可以缓解交通拥堵


Vietnam is developing quickly with skyscrapers 1 and supermarkets. But the country still lacks one kind of public transportation that many countries of the world have: a subway system.


After many years of delays and debates, Vietnam now seems committed to a subway. Construction on the underground train systems is taking place in Hanoi in the north, and Ho Chi Minh City in the south.


Vu Thi Hang Hanh is deputy 2 head of the architecture department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture. She says, "Because we are a developing country, we want to achieve what we think the developing world should have."


Ms. Hanh is a consultant 3 for the city government. She works on urban design around the subway stations. She says Vietnamese consider it a high-technology sign of progress. The Southeast Asian nation reached middle-income status in 2009. Per capita yearly income, a common measure of a nations earning power, is now almost equal to $2,000.


Will motorbike riders use a subway system?


Vietnam's commuters are known for their dependence 4 on motorbikes. They make up 80 percent of vehicles in Ho Chi Minh City. However, a recent university conference was asked to find out if that could be changed.


Motorbikes are popular because they are cleaner and cheaper than cars, and they take up less space. People can easily do many tasks quickly, like getting groceries in the market or a phone card from a street vendor 5.


People who support subways argue that planners should offer parking to combine private and public transportation.


Some estimates say public transportation moves only 10 percent of commuters in Ho Chi Minh City. That could change with a subway. The project is receiving money from governments and other investors 6 in Japan, Germany, Spain and the Asian Development Bank.


Transportation officials hope that a subway system will reduce congestion 7, pollution and traffic deaths. The World Health Organization says "road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for those aged 8 15 to 29." It is estimated that there are 30 million motorbikes on Vietnam's roads.


Pollution is another major concern for Vietnam. The country is industrializing, and that could create more gas emissions 9. Those gasses warm the atmosphere and worsen climate change.


Vietnam could suffer more than other countries from the effects of rising temperatures because it is low lying and coastal 10.


Nguyen Van Nam is with the Hanoi University of Transport and Communications. He believes Vietnam has three to five years before traffic and gridlock becomes truly severe.


He said the economy needs efficient roads so workers do not waste time in long commutes 11. A subway is only part of the goal of better, cleaner transportation. Other suggestions include expanding bus service, making motorbikes run cleaner, increasing parking fees and supporting bicycling and electric motorbikes.


Words in This Story


consultant – n. a person who gives professional advice or services to companies for a fee


vendor – n. a person who sells things, especially in the street


congestion – n. A state of being too full or crowded with something such as traffic or people


emissions – n. act of producing or sending something out (such as energy or gas)


commuters – n. people who travel from one place to another regularly, such as to their place of work


gridlock – n. when the streets are so full that vehicles cannot move



1 skyscrapers
n.摩天大楼
  • A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
  • On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。
2 deputy
n.代理人,代表,副职;adj.代理的,副的
  • John will act as a deputy for me during my absence.我离开期间,约翰将代理我的职务。
  • She is the deputy headmistress of the school.她是那所学校的代理校长。
3 consultant
n.顾问;会诊医师,专科医生
  • He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
  • Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来,加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。
4 dependence
n.依靠,依赖;信任,信赖;隶属
  • Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
  • He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。
5 vendor
n.卖主;小贩
  • She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
  • He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。
6 investors
n.投资者,出资者( investor的名词复数 )
  • a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
  • a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会
7 congestion
n.阻塞,消化不良
  • The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
  • Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。
8 aged
adj.年老的,陈年的
  • He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了,也老点了。
  • He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老,然而记忆力还好。
9 emissions
排放物( emission的名词复数 ); 散发物(尤指气体)
  • Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
  • Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。
10 coastal
adj.海岸的,沿海的,沿岸的
  • The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
  • This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
11 commutes
上下班路程( commute的名词复数 )
  • She commutes from Oxford to London every day. 她每天上下班往返于牛津与伦敦之间。
  • Barbara lives in Oxford and commutes. 芭芭拉住在牛津,通勤往来。
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