【趣谈英语】持续了十天的交通堵塞-A Traffic Jam That Lasted Ten Days

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

 

traffic jam: the loss of vehicle flow on a roadway

congestion¹: heavy traffic that prevents vehicles from moving quickly

rely on: to require help from others

haul: to carry a heavy load

expressway: highway; roadway where vehicles are permitted to drive quickly for long distance driving

volume: a large amount of something

breakdown²: a vehicle failure

 

A Traffic Jam That Lasted Ten Days

One of the worst recorded traffic jams in history took place on a highway west of Beijing in August, 2010. The congestion lasted for over ten days, and involved at least 10,000 vehicles. Some drivers were trapped for days, and relied on cyclists and pedlars for food and water. The goods were sold at outrageous³ prices, creating a mini-economy for nearby residents. The congestion was caused by an extraordinary number of trucks on the road, including road construction vehicles and trucks hauling coal from Mongolia. Breakdowns⁴ added to the volume, turning the expressway into a massive parking lot.

 

1 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

2 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

3 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

4 breakdowns   

n.分解( breakdown的名词复数 )；衰竭；（车辆或机器的）损坏；统计分析

参考例句：

• Her old car was unreliable, so the trip was plagued by breakdowns. 她的旧车老不听使唤，一路上总是出故障。 来自辞典例句
• How do we prevent these continual breakdowns? 我们如何防止这些一再出现的故障？ 来自辞典例句