雅思口语话题整理：Traffic Jam

　　Describe a time when you were caught in a traffic jam.

　　You should say:

　　when it happened

　　where it happened

　　how you passed the time while waiting

　　and explain how you felt when you were in that traffic jam.

　　我遇到了塞车! I was tied up/held up in traffic.

　　早晚上下班时间，大都市freeway的车速比一般道路还要慢，无数车辆拥上来，造成bumper-to-bumper traffic（车的保险杆相互碰撞的交通状况），这时的车速叫snail-paced traffic（蜗牛步行的交通）；或者干脆slows to a halt（动弹不得）.这种塞车现象可以叫做traffic jam或traffic congestion；更严重的交通状况称为gridlock（严重塞车，僵局）

　　素材库 Where&When it happened?

　　I was caught in a traffic jam and showed up late to a movie.

　　I was stuck in a traffic jam on the way home from work. I listened to my favorite singer's album almost two whole times.

　　One day I was tied up in a traffic jam on my way to an appointment in City Center. I got increasingly frustrated sitting there as my mind started replaying all the mistakes I made last week.

　　The Longest time I got stuck in traffic was about a year ago. I am living in Beijing and the traffic jams are quite very normal for people living around. So one hour to two three hour traffic jams are quite average but i was stuck in a traffic jam once from 9 pm till 4am. I slept in the car on the main road.

　　This is something I really hate. To get stuck in a heavy traffic. When I was still employed, I got stuck in a heavy traffic for several times. The usual 1 and a half hour's trip to the office took me almost 4 hours and it was really traumatic.

　　It was a Sunday, but I was caught in a traffic jam. I was in the heart of the district of HaiDian. Rather than lose my cool and curse myself for having been at the wrong place at the wrong time, I was in a good mood and was a bit more reflective than usual.

　　I was caught in a traffic jam, believe it or not, the almost 20 minutes I was caught in a traffic jam really, really did disappoint me, it really did. Not that I wanted to stay inside that bus for the rest of my life.

　　素材库 how you passed the time while waiting?

　　I like waiting, even in traffic jams. It gives me a chance to listen the wonderful variety of radio programming available. Watching other drivers in the jam and wondering what their cell phone conversations are about is also entertaining. Come to think of it, waiting is sometimes better than not waiting.

　　During traffic, I usually talk on the cellphone, text message, play with my dog, eat a burger with fries, block my dog from my burger, do some palm reading.

　　I usually roll down the windows, turn my music up, bob my head side to side, and belt out. At least I'm entertaining to the other poor folks stuck in the jam with me.

　　I listen to the radio, make phone calls to my girlfriend or clients or family. If it's stopped, I do news paper word puzzles.

　　I usually channel surf the radio, comparing different traffic reports. When I get bored with that, I check out the drivers next to me and imagine what their life story is all about!

　　I dream about the day I can leave this place, move to a city where I can buy a house for what it's truly worth and where traffic doesn't dictate your ability to get anywhere at anytime in a decent amount of time.

　　I usually check out all the other drivers in their cars to see how they match up with the kind of car they drive. Maybe silly, but you can't very well do much else that's legal.

　　素材库 how you felt when you were in that traffic jam?

　　I have never been happy in a traffic jam; it's a pain in the neck. I want to jump out of the car and walk along the tops of all the other vehicles. If I'm in a Taxi, I will worry about the taxi fare.

　　I had a full tank of gas one time in traffic, and I was by myself, no kids, and I just sat there and relaxed and listened to my music. When there's nothing else you can do, there's the phone. It was actually nice! It doesn't bother me in the least, unless I'm trying to meet a deadline where other people are dependent upon me......

　　I hate them if I am busy. But love them if I have time. Especially if I have a friend in the car because that's a classic time to sing loudly.

　　I don't see much point in losing my cool over a traffic jam. I sigh, pick some music that I like out of the CD collection and either try to figure a way around the jam or wait it out.

　　I hate traffic jam. It seems like it is taking longer very day to get to work and to go home. It is just getting worse. A year ago it took me 35 minutes to get to work and now it takes me 50 minutes to 1 hour to get to work. It is driving me nuts. I guess it is due to the construction everywhere and the city population is growing rapidly. I have seen some aggressively drivers were speeding and illegally driving the wrong way trying to get to work on time. One driver cut in front of me without turning the signal on. I was close to an accident

　　I absolutely HATE when this happens! O.K. that said, generally I first turn up the music and pray for something really good to listen to, then as I crawl along toward the next exit I think of where I am, where I'm going and whether it's worth it to get off there. I often take the alternate route. So I learned to be patient by listening to the radio, or call someone on the cell phone. Sometimes I don't turn on the radio at all and go deep in thoughts or pray.

　　Part 3

　　1. When do traffic jams usually happen?

　　Watch out for traffic jams - especially in the middle of the city (around Siam Square) and around peak hours (morning and evening rush hour traffic). You can be jammed up really tight and everything will come down to a crawl if not a complete stand still.

　　Try not to take taxi during peak hour and on weekend night. You will easily be trapped for 1 hour inside a cab.

　　2. What are the causes of traffic jams?

　　rush hour, slow moving trucks, construction on the roads, cars with trailers, crash incidents, many pedestrians walking across a street after some sort of large meeting, bad weather, traffic lights malfunctioning, bike gangs, some sort of celebration taking place on a major road involving many vehicles and prohibiting vehicles not included in the celebration to get through, bad road planning, crime scene area prohibiting cars and pedestrians to pass by, many others.

　　what cause traffic jams everybody leaving at the same time and heading the same direction

　　Lots and lots of cars. Lot and lots of people who sit in the traffic jams and never learn that they are a major cause and insist on taking the same jammed roads at the same damned time. Poorly designed roads allow people to do stupid things in traffic that cause accidents. Stupid people who do stupid things in traffic regardless of the road design.

　　3. Do you think the problem of traffic congestion will be eased in the future or will it become worse?

　　population is increasing, children are growing up to teenagers and teenagers are growing up to adults, they get older they drive. People are relying on cars too much, this problem will become more and more serious.

　　4. What would you suggest as possible solutions to the problem of congested traffic?

　　1. reeducate all drivers, especially PUV drivers. strictly disapprove licenses of those who will fail exams.

　　2. make PUV drivers salaried employees, not paid based on the number of passengers.

　　3. instill road courtesy.

　　4. government should have an efficient flood control program.

　　5. computerize traffic lights.

　　6. instill discipline for both drivers and traffic enforcers.

　　7. improve road conditions.

　　1. Widen roads, build more skyways.

　　2. Build more overpass/underpass for pedestrians

　　3. Restrict buses, jeepneys and tricycles from highways or main roads.

　　4. Strictly enforce traffic rules and regulations

　　5. Mandatory driving tests to all driver's license applicants

　　6. Traffic policemen should know how to drive before they are eligible to direct traffic.

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