Advantages of Public Transport Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Test Practise

Reading Time 14 minutes/Updated on 21-10-2024

The IELTS reading section tests the candidate’s reading comprehension. The examination includes a passage with questions based on it. The candidate’s ability to understand and remember certain details from the passage is assessed in the test. The IELTS reading section topic – Advantages of Public Transport reading answers – is a helpful resource for students to practise and prepare for the reading section in the IELTS test.

Continue reading this blog to know the questions and answers to the IELTS reading section topic – Advantages of Public Transport.

Advantages of Public Transport IELTS Reading Passage

Before you check out the Advantages of Public Transport reading answers, take a moment to read the following passage.

Advantages of Public Transport Reading Passage

Public transport is more efficient than cars. A new study conducted by Murdoch University’s Institute for Science and Technology Policy (ISTP) for the World Bank has demonstrated this. The study compared the percentage of wealth poured into transport by 37 cities around the world. It also included the public and private costs of building, maintaining, and using a transport system.

The study says that Perth, a Western Australian city with minimal public transport, spends 17% of its wealth on transport costs. On the other hand, few European and Asian cities spend as little as 5%. ISTP Director and Professor Peter Newman said that these more efficient cities were able to make up the difference by attracting industry and jobs or creating a better place to live.

According to Professor Newman, in comparison, the larger Australian city of Melbourne is a rather unusual city. He explains it as 2 cities: ‘A European city surrounded by a car-dependent one.’ Melbourne’s large tram network has lowered car use in the inner city. As in most other Australian cities, the outer suburbs have the same car-based structure. The increase in demand for accommodation in suburban Melbourne proposes a change in many people’s choices as to where they live.

Newman says this is a new, broader way of considering public transport issues. In the past, the case for public transport has been made based on environmental and social justice considerations rather than economics. However, Newman believes that the study shows ‘the auto-dependent city model is inefficient and insufficient in economic and environmental terms.’

Even though bicycle use was not included in the study, Newman noted that the two most ‘bicycle friendly’ cities – Amsterdam and Copenhagen – were very efficient, even though their public transport systems were ‘not special but reasonable.’

The supporters of road networks reject the models of cities with good public transport by arguing that such systems would not work in that particular city. One objection is climate. Some people mentioned that they couldn’t properly use public transport due to its extreme weather. Newman rejected this and said that public transport has been successful in both Toronto and Singapore. In fact, he has checked the use of cars against climate and found a ‘zero correlation.’

Road lobbies are on stronger ground when it comes to other physical features. For example, Newman says that a city as hilly as Auckland would find it hard to develop a really good rail network. He does note, however, that despite being hilly cities, both Hong Kong and Zurich have made a success of their heavy and light rail systems.

‘The more democratic the process, the more public transportation is preferred,’ Newman argues. He considers Portland, Oregon, a good example. Federal money was granted to build a new road a few years ago. However, local pressure groups instead wanted a referendum on whether to spend the funds on light rail. The rail idea was successful, and the railroad performed admirably. The following years, more rail systems were built, drastically altering the city’s landscape. Portland has a similar population density to Perth, according to Newman.

In the United Kingdom, people have avoided situations that forced them to spend more than half an hour travelling to work for at least six centuries. Trains and automobiles allowed people to live farther apart without having to travel longer distances. However, public infrastructure has not kept up with urbanisation, resulting in severe traffic congestion and much longer commute times.

There is a widespread belief that people who have more wealth are encouraged to live farther out where cars are the only useful transport. The example of European cities refutes that. They are richer than their American counterparts but do not have the same level of car use. Car use has actually fallen in Stockholm in recent years as the city has become larger and wealthier. This notion is made much more forcefully in a new study. Automobile use is higher in developing Asian cities like Jakarta and Bangkok than in wealthier Asian cities like Tokyo and Singapore. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank prohibited the construction of public transportation in later-developing cities, forcing residents to rely on vehicles, resulting in huge traffic jams.

The Urban Village report, which used Melbourne as an example, Newman believes is one of the greatest studies on how cities constructed for cars may be transformed to rail use. It was discovered that forcing everyone into the city centre was not the most effective strategy. Instead, the proposal recommended the creation of urban villages at hundreds of sites, mostly around railway stations.

As people were no longer forced into cities, it was once assumed that improvements in telecommunications would lead to more dispersal in the population. The ISTP team’s research, however, reveals that the population and job density of cities increased or stayed constant in the 1980s after decades of decline. The explanation for this is that it is valuable to place people working in related fields together. Our future world will mostly depend on the creativity of humans, and that flourishes where people come together face-to-face.’

Also read: Learn Tips To Improve Your English Language Skills

Advantages of Public Transport IELTS Reading Questions

Using the above passage, answer the following questions:

Advantages of Public Transport Reading Questions 1-5

Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

Public transport is more ________ than cars.
Murdoch University’s (ISTP) conducted the study for the ________.
In ________ 17% of its wealth is spent on transport costs.
On the other hand, few ________ and Asian cities spent as little as 5%.
Peter Newman is the Director of ________ and a Professor.

Advantages of Public Transport Reading Questions 6-9

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?

Write YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

6. As the demand for accommodation inside suburban Melbourne increases, it changes many people’s choices as to where they live.
7. Population and job density of cities decreased or stayed constant in the 1980s after decades of decline.
8. Forcing everyone into the city centre is not an effective strategy.
9. In Auckland, it would be hard to develop a really good rail network.

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Advantages of Public Transport Reading Questions 10-14

Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

10. Melbourne’s large ________ network has lowered car use in the inner city.
11. The case for public transport has been made in the past on the basis of environmental and social justice considerations rather than ________.
12. Amsterdam and _______ were very efficient, even though their public transport systems were ‘not special but reasonable.’
13. The supporters of ___________ reject the models of cities with good public transport by arguing that such systems would not work in that particular city.
14. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank prohibited the construction of public transportation in later-developing cities, forcing residents to rely on ________, resulting in huge traffic jams.

Also read: Study in UK Without IELTS in 2024

Advantages of Public Transport Reading Answers with Explanation

The Advantages of Public transport reading answers to the above questions are given below with proper explanations.

Advantages of Public Transport Reading Answers 1-5

Below are the advantages of public transport IELTS reading answers for questions 1-5.

Sr. No.	Answer	Explanation
1.	efficient	Public transport is more efficient than cars
2.	World Bank	The World Bank commissioned a recent study by Murdoch University’s Institute for Science and Technology Policy (ISTP), which provided evidence supporting this claim.
3.	Perth	According to the research, Perth lacks a well-developed public transportation system. Consequently, its residents are forced to allocate a significant portion of their income, 17%, towards transportation expenses.
4.	European	Few European and Asian cities spent as little as 5%.
5.	ISTP	Peter Newman, the ISTP Director and Professor, stated that cities with more efficient transportation systems could invest the money saved in other areas. This extra money could be used to draw in businesses and employment opportunities or to improve the quality of life for residents.
6.	Yes	The growing preference for housing within Melbourne’s suburbs suggests that a significant number of individuals are reconsidering their residential location decisions.

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Advantages of Public Transport Reading Answers 6-9

Below are the advantages of public transport IELTS reading answers for questions 6-9.

Sr. No.	Answer	Explanation
6.	Yes	Many people are rethinking where they want to reside, as evidenced by the rising demand for housing in Melbourne’s suburban areas.
7.	No	After a long period of decrease, the ISTP team’s findings show that during the 1980s, cities either experienced growth or maintained stability in terms of the concentration of residents and employment opportunities.
8.	Yes	The most efficient approach was not to force everyone to the central part of the city.
9.	Yes	Newman points out that Auckland’s hilly terrain makes constructing an efficient and comprehensive rail system challenging.

Advantages of Public Transport Reading Answers 10-14

Below are the advantages of public transport IELTS reading answers for questions 10-14..

Sr. No.	Answer	Explanation
10.	tram	The extensive tram system in Melbourne has contributed to a reduction in car usage within the city centre.
11.	economics	In the past, arguments favouring public transportation were typically founded on environmental and social equity concerns rather than economic factors.
12.	Copenhagen	Newman observed that Amsterdam and Copenhagen, the two cities most accommodating to cyclists, demonstrated high levels of efficiency despite their public transportation networks being described as “not exceptional, but adequate,” even though the research did not consider bicycle usage.
13.	road networks	Those who support extensive road networks often dismiss the successful examples of cities with efficient public transportation systems, claiming that such models would not be feasible.
14.	vehicles	The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank’s ban on public transport in later-developing cities left residents to rely on vehicles, causing massive traffic congestion.

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Conclusion

This blog, “Advantages of Public Transport Reading Answers,” aims to help students prepare for the IELTS examination. These practice questions help students understand the type of questions asked in the IELTS so that they can prepare and then develop effective strategies.

Author: Stanley Lazarus Chelli

Stanley is our seasoned writer known for his deep knowledge of the ed-tech industry. He delivers insightful and impactful content that resonates with readers. Beyond his exceptional writing abilities, he is a die-hard petrolhead with a profound love for the automotive industry. Additionally, Stanley is a soon-to-be professional keyboardist.