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January 11, 2017

Citiesandinfrastructure
AboutTopic8

Thecitiesandinfrastructuretopicincludestheorganisationofurbantransport,
communicationsandhousing,trendsincitylife,socialproblemsassociatedwithcitiessuchas
overcrowdingandpettycrime,thegrowthofcities,possiblefuturedevelopmentsincityliving,
andcomparisonsofurbanandrurallifestyles.

ThistopicisoftenusedforTask2Ideas>problem/solutionandIdeas>cause/effecttype
essays.ThereisalsosometimesaconnectiontoTopic9Countrysideandagriculture,soyou
mayneedtocombinevocabularyfromthetwotopics.

Topic8exampleTask
Transportdelaysandlongjourneytimesareawidespreadphenomenoninmanycities
today.Whatarethecausesofthisproblem,andhowcouldthesituationbeimproved?

ExplanationoftheTask
ThisisanIdeas>Mixed>Causes/solutionstypeessay.Itdoesnotaskforyouropinion,but
wantsyoutosuggestsomeideasaboutthecausesofaproblemsituationandalsosome
possiblesolutions.Youshouldintroducethetopic,describetwoorthreecauses,thentwoor
threesolutions,andthensummarise.

Task2sometimesmixesCause/effectandProblem/solutionTasksinthisway.Youshould
readtheTaskverycarefullytoseeifitisamixedtype.Thewordproblemdoesnotnecessarily
meanitisaProblem/solutionTask!

Band9modelessay

Transportisanessentialpartofurbanlife,andlengthyjourneysarefrustratingandexpensive
forthoseconcerned.Thereappeartobetwomaincausesofthis,andseveralpossiblesolutions,
aswewillexplainhere.

Perhapsthemaincauseisthelackofinvestmentorfundingforinfrastructureintheformof
highcapacitypublictransportandincreasedroadspaceforprivatevehicles.Thismeansthat
toomanyvehiclesusetheexistingnetwork,andcongestionisinevitable.Weseethisinmost
largecitiesglobally,suchasLondonorTokyo.Manyconurbationsalsolackfinancefor

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transporthubs,suchasintegratedroadandrailfacilitieswhichcouldconnectpublicand
privatetransport,thusreducingbottlenecks.Afurthercauseseemstobetheproblemof
overcrowdingincities,wherebypeoplemigratefromthehinterlandandsettleinurbanareas,
puttingstrainonamenities,housingandaboveallontransportcapacity.Thismeansthatan
alreadystretchedsystemisoftenpushedtoacriticalpoint,causingcancellationsand
breakdownsinthetechnologyused,especiallyinsituationsofurbansprawlsuchasinLatin
America.

Regardingpotentialsolutions,probablythemainremedywouldbetoencourageinvestmentin
betterinfrastructure,forexamplethroughsubsidiesorpublicprivatepartnershipsaswastried
successfullyinGermanyduringthe1990s.Thisenhancesthenetworkandfostersasenseof
civicpride,toeveryonesbenefit.Anothersolutionmaybetousetaxincentivestoallowmore
homeworking,sothatthereislessneedtocommutefromthesuburbstotheinnercityfor
work.Afinalresponsemightbethedevelopmentofmoreflexiblepatternsoftransport,suchas
communalcarpooling,whichwouldreducerelianceonexistingsystemsandvehicles.

Inconclusion,itseemsthatoutdatedinfrastructureandovercrowdingarethekeyfactors
behindourtransportfrustrations.Possiblesolutionswouldinvolvebetterfunding,andalso
innovationsinwaysofworkingandtravellingtoreducetheburdenonthesystem.
(311words)

ExplanationofthetopicvocabularyandexamplesinSpeaking

urban=adjectivemeaningaboutcities
Example=Urbancrimeisagreatconcernfortheauthoritiesinmostcountriestoday.

investmentorfunding=moneytopayforanactivity,eitherfromgovernmentorbusiness
Example=Myhometownsecuredinvestmentfromacharityforanewstadium,andfunding
fromalocalcompanyforsponsorship.

infrastructure=thephysicalandsystemorganisationofacity,areaorcountry,especially
intermsoftransportandcommunications
Example=TheUKrailwayinfrastructuredatesbacktothe1860sinmanyplaces.

highcapacity=abletohandlehighvolumesofgoodsorpeople
Example=Seacontainershipsarehighcapacityinternationalfreightproviders.

publictransport=transportsuchasbusesandtrainsfundedbythestate(asopposedto
privatetransportsuchascarsownedbyindividuals)
Example=Iusuallygettoworkbypublictransport,eventhoughitsverycrowded.

congestion=situationoftoomuchtraffic,causingdelays(thephrasetrafficjamisnot
generallyusedinAcademicEnglish)
Example=Ihavetoleavehomeveryearlyinthemornings,becauseofthecongestiononthe
waytomycollege.

conurbations=verylargecitieswhichhaveabsorbedothertowns
Example=SaoPaoloisahugeconurbationinBrazil,andisstillexpanding.

transporthubs=centreswheremanyroutesconverge
Example=HeathrowairportisthelargesttransporthubinEurope.
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facilitiesandamenities=placesprovidinganyservicetothepublic,eitherprivateorpublic
sector
Example=Myhomecityhasmanyamenitiessuchasswimmingpoolsandparks,andseveral
facilitiesforelderlypeoplesuchascarehomes.

abottleneck=aplacewherecongestionregularlyhappens
Example=Theconnectionfromamotorwaytoalocalroadisalwaysabigbottleneck.

overcrowding=asituationwheretoomanypeopletrytoliveinoneplace
Example=HongKonghasmanageditsovercrowdingproblemveryskilfully.

hinterland=theareaaroundacityaffectedbyitsdevelopment
Example=Iliveinthehinterlandofourcapitalcity,whereweregularlygoforshoppingandfor
workprojects.

tosettleinaplace=tomoveandlivetherepermanently,usuallywithworkandafamily
Example=IwasborninAsia,butmyparentssettledintheUSAwhenIwasveryyoung.

urbansprawl=thesituationwhereacityexpandsandbuildingsareconstructedwithout
controlorlaws
Example=UrbansprawlhasresultedintherapidexpansionofmanyAsiancities,withresulting
damagetotheenvironment.

publicprivatepartnerships=projectsfundedjointlybythegovernmentandbusiness,to
reducethecosttothetaxpayer
Example=Mycountryhasjustinstalledanewtunnelunderthecentralmountains,runbya
publicprivatepartnership.

civicpride=thepridefeltinthetown/citywhereyoulive,itspeopleandinfrastructure
Example=Asasymbolofcivicpride,webuiltanewparkzonewithsportsamenitiesand
educationalexhibitions.

taxincentives=reductionsintaxtoencouragepeopletodoorbuysomething
Example=Weshouldusetaxincentivestoencouragemorepeopletotryusingtheirownsolar
panelsathome.

homeworking=workinginyourhomeforallorpartoftheweek
Example=Homeworkingcanbequiteanisolatedwaytodoyourjob.

tocommute=totravelalongdistancetoworkeveryday
Example=Iliveinthesuburbsandcommutebytraintothecitycentre.

suburbs=theresidentialareasaroundacity
Example=Lifeinthesuburbscanberatherboring,tobehonest.

theinnercity=theolder,centralpartofacity
Example=Innercityhousingisoftenovercrowdedandnoisy.

communalcarpooling=avoluntarysystemforpeopletotravelinasharedcar,toreduce
fueluse
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Example=Itriedcarpooling,butitwasdifficulttoarrangethejourneyswiththreeotherpeople.

outdated=oldfashionedandnotrelevanttoday
Example=Ifindthatourpoliticalpartiesareveryoutdatedthesedays.

innovations=newideasorthings(whichareusuallyusefulorexciting)
Example=Mobilecomputingwasoneofthegreatinnovationsofthelasttenyears.

aburden=aweightorresponsibilitywhichisdifficulttocopewith
Example=Theburdenofincometaxismuchtoohighthesedaysfornormalpeople.

***

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