Predictably, the world's growing population has increased the demands for many resources. The most prominent of these are the roads that span a city. With so many people across the globe, it is no surprise that roads are frequented by more and more drivers. Therefore, this rise in use can cause many problems. Among these problems is the high level of traffic congestion.
Many times, cities grow too fast and cannot accommodate the large number of drivers. As a result, during peak times, roads can be gridlocked for hours or even days. Traffic jams can cause further difficulty when car accidents happen and construction work occurs. These can make traffic come to a standstill because they can block multiple lanes, limiting the flow of traffic. Furthermore, these issues can cause the cars to run out of gas while waiting to move.
This is especially a problem in China where the population has grown so much that traffic jams are an ordinary occurrence. Of China's 1.3 billion people, there are 199 million drivers. In addition, the country has developed into the leading buyer of cars in the world. The Chinese buy over 13 million vehicles each year. These cars range from motorcycles to small-sized passenger vehicles.
On China's National Expressway 110, traffic jams can last over a month because of construction or road work. The expressway does not have the capacity for a large quantity of cars. In addition, minor accidents and stalled cars contribute to the lengthy delay. In August of 2010, one traffic jam leading into Beijing spanned 60 miles and lasted for days. To solve this problem, 400 police were sent out to conduct traffic. Because of the traffic jam, many vendors made a profit by selling overpriced food.
2
How does the author support his or her argument about the severity of traffic congestion in China?
A.
by giving a solution to the traffic jams that occur every day
B.
by listing the reasons why traffic jams happen on the road
C.
by relaying information about vendors who profit from traffic
D.
by providing an example of a traffic jam on one of its roadways