“Everybody in this city wants a car, and I’m no different. A car brings with it the freedom to travel”, said a friend of mine while reading a car magazine. I might not agree with him, but he was probably speaking for a fast growing number of middle-class Chinese. While it is true that all the waiting, walking, being part of a crowd are somewhat unpleasant, there are many problems which can develop when our lives depend too much on this invention.
First of all, in terms of polluting the environment, driving a car is one of the worst things a person can do. Beijing now finds itself at the top of the list of the most polluted capital cities in the world with Mexico City in the second place. Research also shows that by 2010 around 90% of total pollutants in Shanghai will have come from cars. These pollutants are extremely dangerous to our health. They can damage(损害) the lungs, cause cancers(癌症) and damage the brain.
Apart from environmental problems, depending too much on cars also creates social problems such as traffic jams(阻塞), road accidents, and noise pollution. The jeeps that proudly drive through the narrow hutongs in Beijing as if they are in a race often make me angry, and to make it worse, these drivers seldom respect the people who ride bicycles.
Of course we cannot forget the advantages that cars bring us when we need to travel far and to save time, but I often find it faster to cycle from one place to another within the city of Beijing, especially with the growing traffic jams.
Since people travel further and more often than before, cars will certainly be important in the future. At the same time, however, let us work hard to make sure that this invention brings us a more convenient(方便的)lifestyle rather than trouble and illnesses.