Topic: Travel and transport
1. How easy is it to travel around your country?
2. Which method of travel do you consider the safest? Why?
3. Has travel become safer in recent years than that was in the past?
4. What are the pros and cons of low-cost air travel?
5. How do you think people will travel in the future?
6. Should the government in a country focus more on rail transports or road transports? Why?
Sample Answer:
Q. 1: How easy is it to travel around your country?
Answer: We have a good number of public transportations including bullet trains, modern buses and aeroplanes and I would say someone can travel in my country very easily. Major cities in my country have airports and it makes commuters’ life hassle-free. Since we have eight-lane highways and they are maintained periodically, someone can drive his/her own car to commute from one area to another smoothly. Besides, metro rails are convenient for city-dwellers to commute to and from their offices and citizens can take long-route trains to visit other districts and they are comparatively cheaper.
Q. 2: Which method of travel do you consider the safest? Why?
Answer: Despite some common misconceptions, I believe airways are the safest means of transportation. We have frequent national and international flights and the service is really excellent. Aviation accidents are deadly and claim the lives of many, and such accidents often make headlines which gives an impression that air travel is nocuous. However, if we compare air causalities with that of road accidents, we can easily learn that air travel is the safest. Flying is the most secure way to get around in my country as flights are well-organised and the air traffic is controlled more efficiently by trained professionals.
Q. 3: Has travel become safer in recent years than that was in the past?
Answer: Some people would say that accidents and casualties are higher in modern time than in the past. But I believe that travelling in recent years has significantly improved and offers more convenience to commuters. We see more accidents these days because they all are being reported in the news unlike the past when we could hear about only major accidents. In recent days, we have more strict traffic rules, acute safety measures including biometric checking, and modern transportations which are built considering safety in mind. Rigid airport rules make terrorist attacks almost impossible.
A typical train station in my country has more than 15 train schedules and they carry thousands of passengers each day. Such a station used to have only three to four trains a day. If we consider the number of vehicles and commuters with that of the past, we would get a real picture of road safety, which I believe has advanced in recent days.
Q. 4: What are the pros and cons of low-cost air travel?
Answer: The major benefit of cheap air travel is that many people can afford to visit more places around the world and thus foster the tourism industry. More frequent travels by ordinary people make them tolerable to other cultures and it maintains global peace.
Among the demerits, increasing flights are responsible for air pollution. Cheap air travel attracts more passengers and thus they indirectly contribute to air pollution. Moreover, low-cost air tickets do not ensure desirable comfort and amenities which people often regret. Food and drinks in such a journey are unreasonably expensive and it often includes hidden fees and charges.
Q. 5: How do you think people will travel in the future?
Answer: That’s an interesting question and I will be both realistic and imaginative to answer this. I believe people will prefer to take aeroplanes and speedy trains in the near future to travel to long-distance and flights will be cheaper to attract more passengers. Cars would be our constant companion and we would rely on our automobiles more than ever to travel within the city.
After 30 or 40 years, our cars would be able to fly short-distance and even run on the river, much like a science-fiction vehicle. After 50 years or so, we will have flying cars that will take us to our offices and the software instead of human will drive those cars. After a century later, we will have personal pods of SkyTran carrier that would use the airways rather than moving on a road. After a few centuries later, who knows, we might even teleport straight to our destination from our home!
Q. 6: Should the government in a country focus more on rail transports or road transports? Why?
Answer: I believe the decision should be made based on the geological condition, existing infrastructure, population and economic condition of the country. For instance, if a country has mostly hilly tracks and rivers, developing rail tracks is both challenging and expensive. For such countries, connecting highways and road transports are more practical and cost-effective. Moreover, if the country does not have enough rail tracks already, it should focus on developing and enhancing roads rather than rails. Finally, countries with higher population should consider developing their railroads as it can carry a great number of people at a time. Whether to invest in road or rail transportation, thus, should be made based on a number of factors rather than a single one.
