TMJC_2025_H1 General Paper_P2_Insert

1 Tampines Meridian Junior College 2025 JC2 Preliminary Examination H1 General Paper This Insert consists of 3 printed pages. Passage 1. An author critiques car dependency and advocates public transport. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cars are everywhere. The proliferation of private vehicles has created fundamental problems that threaten our collective future: it accelerates environmental degradation, p erpetuates social inequality by privileging those who can afford personal transport , and transforms our cities into concrete jungles designed for cars rather than humans. These interconnected challenges demand urgent reconsideration of our transport priorities. Previous generations built communities around reliable public transport, where trams and trains created natural gathering points that fostered daily interaction an d a strong sense of belonging. These systems were environmentally sustainable, producing fewer emissions and preserving quiet green spaces within urban areas. Mobility was affordable, ensuring access for all regardless of economic status. In contrast, today’s urban environments are shaped by car dependency – sprawling, fragmented, and often isolat ing. Roads and traffic dominate, replacing parks and social spaces with concrete and noise. Mobility now depends largely on private vehicle ownership, dividing society between those with freedom to move and those confined to unreliable alternatives. As a result, our cities have become victims of tyranny on wheels, where car needs override human requirements. Urban planners allocate vast swathes of precious land to parking spaces and multi-lane highways, creating dead zones that repel pedestrian activity. This car- centric design philosophy prioritises speed over liveability, transforming once- vibrant neighbourhoods into mere pathways. The human cost extends beyond inconvenience – it fundamentally reshapes urban experience. What most fail to even comprehend is that there is a staggering inefficiency of private transport systems. Comprehensive urban studies reveal that private cars remain unused for 95% of their operational lifetime , yet continue consuming valuable city spaces that could accommodate housing or green areas for thousands of residents. This fundamental wastefulness exposes how societies have prioritised individual ownership over rational resource allocation, creating a system where expensive assets contribute nothing to mobility for the vast majority of their existence. The environmental problem created by private vehicle dependency grows more alarming annually. Urban areas suffocate under exhaust fumes, with residents breathing toxic cocktails of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. Private cars generate approximately 70% of transport-related carbon emissions in developed nations , resulting in devastating consequences