|
阅读理解
As public transportation goes, the system in Shanghai is fairly good．It is reliable, frequent, and cheap．The buses will take you to virtually④ any place in the city．Though the metro(地铁)is forever overcrowded, it will take you to the major hotspots in downtown cheaply．Even the taxi fare is cheap by North American standards．
What may trouble the city in the next decade is how to invest best on transportation infrastructure(设施)．With the city's population growing rapidly and the 2010 Expo approaching, the transportation system simply cannot handle the expected traffic in the downtown area．
Lessons from big cities such as Los Angeles taught us that blindly building more roads and high-ways would only exacerbate(使……恶化)traffic overcrowding．The expansion of the metro and a better bus system will go a long way to relieve the blocking．I think the biggest headache in the near future is that, as more and more people can afford it, there will be more privately-owned cars on the road．
Compared to Shanghai, it is a joy to drive in Canada．It is still a major headache to drive in major cities such as Toronto or Vancouver, but only in the downtown center and in rush hours．Since the population is so small in Canada(only 30 million), more people live in residential areas(suburban)away from the downtown area．Land is comparatively cheap so city tends to spread out to a large area．
The only convenient way to travel around is by car．Biking is a healthy and environment-friendly way to move around, but it is only possible if you live close to your work and in good weather．The subway system only exists in Toronto and it is very old．Buses can take you to major residential and commercial areas, but it does not run very frequently(at least not so in Vancouver)In the winter, waiting for a bus in rainy, freezing Vancouver weather is very unpleasant．
I do have a bone to pick with Shanghai traffic．Despite its wonderful transport infrastructure(基础), the people hardly ever follow the traffic rules．
| 