2017年1月21日的雅思大作文考试，话题还是交通拥堵问题，类似话题1月12日刚刚出过，而且也跟我们的生活息息相关，理应不难，但是这道题要答好不见得是件简单的事情。

雅思考试A类大作文真题回忆

The best way for governments to solve traffic congestion is to provide free public transportation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

题目中有个government，很多同学自然就想到跟政府题有关的思路；而谈到政府该不该投资某个项目或者该不该让某项目免费的题目时，我一般都会给同学们介绍一个比较通用的思路：应该投资的理由主要是这种投资能带来的好处；不该投资的一个重要理由则是政府在其他方面也许有更迫切需要花钱的地方。

可具体到这道题来讲，完全照搬一般政府题的思路不见得行得通。题目已经明确了提供免费公交的目的是解决交通拥堵问题，如果你说提供免费交通会导致其他项目资金短缺其实并没有构成对题目观点的不同意，是属于偏题的观点；所以这里需要再次强调一下我已经好几次在文章中和课堂上跟大家强调过的：老师课上讲过的类似观点不要生搬硬套。

上写作课时老师不可避免会设法教大家一些"通用观点""百搭观点"。教这些观点的目的并不是让大家看到类似话题的时候去硬套，而是希望能够给想观点有困难的同学提供一些思考方向，不至于太盲目。在应对雅思写作的过程中，同学们永远不能指望有捷径可以让你"一招吃遍天下"。切记切记！

回到1月21日的考题。该题目还有一个最高级best，应对这类题最通用的思路是：

1）认可题目中（可以是理论上 theoretically，表面上seemingly）除了best以外的逻辑（这也是通常所说的让步段）；在这道题中则是免费交通可以一定程度缓解交通拥堵问题；

2）（实际上in reality）题目的逻辑并不通，不能达到想要的效果

3）有其他的办法同样有效

以上三个思路，任取两个思路即可轻松完成本次考题的合理逻辑。

具体到这道题来说，我的观点是一边倒的，即"免费公交对缓解交通拥堵并无什么卵用"。首先，免费对于日常开车的人来说并没有太大的吸引力，因为开车的费用本身就比公交出行贵很多；其次，24小时免费有什么必要？缓解交通只需要在高峰期时减少私家车出行即可；最后，提出其他的一些可行的可以解决交通拥堵问题的手段。

In order to alleviate traffic congestion in big cities, some people propose that free public transportation for 24 hours a day, 7days a week should be provided. However, I believe that this is not an effective approach to ameliorate the situation, not to mention the best one.

Free public transportation is unlikely to attract more private car users to take a bus or subway to get around in the city. Since gasoline and parking charges are far higher than the cost of any form of public transportation, most people choose to drive a car not for saving money but for efficiency and/or comfort. So this 'free' policy provides little incentive for them to give up their usual traveling habits. Furthermore, offering free public transport outside rush hours is unnecessary. In late nights and early mornings, even if some residents do travel by car, the comparatively small number will not put severe pressure on traffic.

Therefore, while the non-stop free public transportation might be good news to individuals regularly commuting by public transports and those who are financially disadvantaged, it does little to making the traffic less congested and may therefore be a misuse of public money. If this money, however, could be used to improve the current public transport, for example, by adding more bus stops, constructing more metro lines and providing more frequent shifts, private car drivers will be more willing to leave their cars at home, because they feel that travelling by bus or subway can be equally convenient and comfortable.

Apart from improving public transportation, there are a range of other measures that can effectively reduce the number of vehicles on streets. For example, the parking charges in downtown areas and price of gasoline can be raised so that driving into city centers will be unaffordable to most people. To deal with the problem in the long run, measures should also be taken to encourage more companies and businesses to shift their affairs to rural regions. This can significantly lighten the traffic load in big cities by drawing a great number of commuters away from the congested urban areas.

In conclusion, while continuous free public transportation may seem attractive to some city residents, it alone contributes little to easing the traffic pressure.