雅思10 Test1 European transport system

What have been the trends and what are the

prospects for European transport systems?

A It is

difficult to conceive of

vigorous economic

growth

without

an efficient transport system.

Although modern information technologies can

reduce

the demand for physical transport by

facilitating

teleworking and teleservices, the

requirement for transport continues to increase. There

are two key factors behind this trend. For passenger

transport, the determining factor is the spectacular

growth in car use. The number of cars on European

Union (EU) roads

saw an increase of three million

cars each year from 1990 to 2010

, and in the next

decade the EU will see a

further substantial increase

in its fleet.

(Facts: The

rapid growth

of car transport even with deve. Of tech)

B As far as goods transport is concerned, growth

is

due

to a large extent to changes in the European

economy and its system of production. In the last 20

years, as

internal frontiers have been abolished

, the

EU has moved from a

'stock' economy to a 'flow'

economy. This phenomenon has been emphasised by

the

relocation

of soma industries, particularly those

which are

labour intensive, to reduce production

costs

, even though the production site

is hundreds

or even thousands of kilometres away from

the final

assembly plant or away from users.

(Facts:

Changes

affecting the

distances goods may be transferred

)

C The strong economic growth expected in countries

which are

candidates for entry to the EU

will also

increase transport flows

,

in particular road haulage

traffic

. In 1998, some of these countries already

exported more than twice their 1990 volumes and

imported more than five times their 1990 volumes.

And although many candidate countries inherited a

transport system which encourages rail, the

distribution between modes has tipped sharply in

favour of road transport since the 1990s. Between

1990 and 1998, road haulage increased by 19. 4%,

while during the same period rail haulage

decreased by 43. 5%, although- and this could benefit

the enlarged EU- it is still on average at a much

higher level than in existing member states.

(Facts: Transport trends in

countries awaiting EU admission

)

D However a new

imperative

-sustainable

development-offers an opportunity for adapting

the EU's common transport policy.

This objective

,

agreed by the Gothenburg European Council, has to

be achieved by integrating environmental

considerations into Community policies, and

shifting the balance between modes of transport lies

ideally be in place in 30 years' time, that is by 2040.

(Example: A fresh and important long- term

goal

of rebalance)

E In 1998, energy consumption in the transport sector

was to blame for 28% of

emissions of CO2

the

leading greenhouse gas. According to the latest

estimates, if nothing is done to reverse the traffic

growth trend. C02 emissions from transport can be

expected to increase by around 50% to 1, 113 billion

tonnes by 2020, compared with the 739 billion

tonnes recorded in 1990. once again,

road transport is

the main culprit

since it alone accounts for 84% of

the C02 emissions attributable to transport. Using

alternative fuels and improving energy efficiency is

thus both an ecological necessity and a

technological challenge.

(Facts and Data: The

environment cost

of road transport)