2. Bus Service Elimination Planned
Author
admin
Reading (45 seconds)
Bus Service Elimination Planned
The university has decided to discontinue its free bus service for students. The reason given for this decision is that few students ride the buses and the buses are expensive to operate. Currently, the buses run from the center of campus past university buildings and through some of the neighborhoods surrounding the campus. The money saved by eliminating the bus service will be used to expand the overcrowded student parking lots.
Listening
Preparation time: 30 seconds
speaking time: 1 minute
Texts
Man: I don’t like the university’s plan.
Woman: Really? I’ve ridden those buses, and sometimes there were only a few people on the bus. It did seem like kind of a waste.
Man: I see your point. But I think the problem is the route’s out-of-date. It only goes through the neighborhoods that’ve gotten too expensive for students to live in. It’s ridiculous that they haven’t already changed the route – you know, so it goes where most of campus students live now. I bet if they did that, they’d get plenty of students riding those buses.
Woman: Well, at least they are adding more parking. It’s gotten really tough to find a space.
Man: That’s the other part I don’t like, actually. Cutting back the bus service and adding parking’s just gonna encourage more students to drive on campus. And that’ll just add to the noise around campus and create more traffic…and that’ll increase the need for more parking spaces.
Woman: Yeah, I guess I can see your point. Maybe it would be better if more students used the buses instead of driving.
Man: Right. And the university should make it easier to do that, not harder.
(Explanation)
Reading part summary
The claim in the announcement: The university has made the decision to terminate its free bus service for students.
The first reason: Since few students utilize the buses, and operating them is costly, the university has decided to discontinue its free bus service for students.
The second reason: The funds saved from discontinuing the bus service will be redirected towards expanding the overcrowded student parking lots.
Listening part summary
The male student’s opposition: The man disagrees with the university’s announcement.
The first reason: The main reason many students do not use the bus is because of its route. The route passes through neighborhoods where few students live due to the high cost of rent. If the university adjusts the bus route to include areas where many students live, it is likely that more students would choose to ride the bus.
The second reason: Adding more parking lots could exacerbate the problem rather than solve it, as students may be inclined to bring more cars to campus under the impression that ample parking space is available. As a result, the campus could experience increased noise and traffic congestion.
Sample answer
The reading passage delineates an announcement regarding the discontinuation of the university’s complimentary bus service for students.
In the ensuing discussion, the man offers a dissenting perspective on this decision.
His primary rationale centers on the inadequacy of the current bus route, which traverses neighborhoods where few students reside due to exorbitant rental costs. He advocates for a revision of the route to encompass areas with a higher student population, positing that such a modification would incentivize greater utilization of the bus service.
Additionally, he articulates concerns regarding the proposed alternative of expanding parking facilities. He contends that this approach would exacerbate rather than alleviate existing issues, as it would encourage more students to commute via private vehicles. The resultant increase in vehicular traffic and noise levels would only serve to compound the campus’s congestion problems.
Bus Service Elimination Planned
The university has decided to discontinue its free bus service for students. The reason given for this decision is that few students ride the buses and the buses are expensive to operate. Currently, the buses run from the center of campus past university buildings and through some of the neighborhoods surrounding the campus. The money saved by eliminating the bus service will be used to expand the overcrowded student parking lots.
Listening
Preparation time: 30 seconds
speaking time: 1 minute
Texts
Man: I don’t like the university’s plan.
Woman: Really? I’ve ridden those buses, and sometimes there were only a few people on the bus. It did seem like kind of a waste.
Man: I see your point. But I think the problem is the route’s out-of-date. It only goes through the neighborhoods that’ve gotten too expensive for students to live in. It’s ridiculous that they haven’t already changed the route – you know, so it goes where most of campus students live now. I bet if they did that, they’d get plenty of students riding those buses.
Woman: Well, at least they are adding more parking. It’s gotten really tough to find a space.
Man: That’s the other part I don’t like, actually. Cutting back the bus service and adding parking’s just gonna encourage more students to drive on campus. And that’ll just add to the noise around campus and create more traffic…and that’ll increase the need for more parking spaces.
Woman: Yeah, I guess I can see your point. Maybe it would be better if more students used the buses instead of driving.
Man: Right. And the university should make it easier to do that, not harder.
(Explanation)
Reading part summary
The claim in the announcement: The university has made the decision to terminate its free bus service for students.
The first reason: Since few students utilize the buses, and operating them is costly, the university has decided to discontinue its free bus service for students.
The second reason: The funds saved from discontinuing the bus service will be redirected towards expanding the overcrowded student parking lots.
Listening part summary
The male student’s opposition: The man disagrees with the university’s announcement.
The first reason: The main reason many students do not use the bus is because of its route. The route passes through neighborhoods where few students live due to the high cost of rent. If the university adjusts the bus route to include areas where many students live, it is likely that more students would choose to ride the bus.
The second reason: Adding more parking lots could exacerbate the problem rather than solve it, as students may be inclined to bring more cars to campus under the impression that ample parking space is available. As a result, the campus could experience increased noise and traffic congestion.
Sample answer
The reading passage delineates an announcement regarding the discontinuation of the university’s complimentary bus service for students.
In the ensuing discussion, the man offers a dissenting perspective on this decision.
His primary rationale centers on the inadequacy of the current bus route, which traverses neighborhoods where few students reside due to exorbitant rental costs. He advocates for a revision of the route to encompass areas with a higher student population, positing that such a modification would incentivize greater utilization of the bus service.
Additionally, he articulates concerns regarding the proposed alternative of expanding parking facilities. He contends that this approach would exacerbate rather than alleviate existing issues, as it would encourage more students to commute via private vehicles. The resultant increase in vehicular traffic and noise levels would only serve to compound the campus’s congestion problems.