跨年夜的信義區交通管制（traffic controls）是無可避免的，今天我們就透過此次燈會的交通管制，來學習一些與多益交通情境相關的英文單字，擴充你的多益字庫吧！
1. Initiate 開始、起動
「開始實施、起動」的英文是initiate，是多益常考單字，通常後面接一個動作、過程或活動，比如initiate a discussion（開啟一個討論）、initiate a program（開始一個課程、活動）等。名詞為initiation，而多益常考的名詞initiative「主導、主張」也是由此字的「開啟」之意延伸而來的。
Photo courtesy of Taipei 101 / 照片：台北101提供
Traffic controls will be initiated on the first and last days of the Lantern Festival in Zhongzheng District, the days on which larger numbers of visitors are expected.
（交通管制將會在預計有眾多人潮的燈節首日、最後一日在中正區開始實施。）
2. Congestion 交通阻塞
說到交通阻塞，我們第一個想到的通常是traffic jam，但若會用congestion的話，你的語言層次就更往上躍進囉！congestion的動詞為congest，表示「充滿；擁擠」的意思，當我們想說「高速公路越來越塞了」，便可說「The freeway traffic is getting more congested.」
除了與traffic並用為traffic congestion之外，congestion也能單獨使用取代traffic jam一詞。來個題外話，congestion還能用來描述「鼻塞」的狀況，正式說法為nasal congestion，而一般口語的鼻塞說法則是stuffy nose，所以無論是車子或鼻子塞住，都能使用congestion！
A list of intersections is likely to experience traffic congestion during holidays has been published by the Taipei Police Department Traffic Division.
（台北市交通警察大隊公佈了在假期中容易發生交通阻塞的路段清單。）
3. Gridlock 交通阻塞；陷入僵局；交通停滯（無法動彈的交通阻塞）
除了congestion外，另一個能夠取代traffic jam的單字是gridlock，但與congestion相比，gridlock的壅塞程度更勝一籌。正如過年期間高速公路大塞車，好幾個小時都動彈不得的那般地步，便可用gridlock一字來敘述。
把此字拆開來看，grid本身就是「格子」，lock則是「鎖住」的意思，就像在看地圖時，能看到像格子般的地區區塊。若是全部都被鎖住，不就是交通動彈不得的意思嗎？很容易理解吧！除了上述介紹的名詞用法，此字也能當作動詞使用，如「The Civic Boulevard Expressway is gridlocked all afternoon.」（市民大道整個下午都在大塞車。）
The division has assigned traffic officers ahead of time to congestion-prone intersections to avoid gridlock.
（交通大隊先行發派交通警察至易壅塞路段以避免嚴重的交通堵塞。）
那麼看完了今天的多益交通情境單字，我們就用以下題目測試一下你的閱讀理解力吧！
1. Youth Parliament of Pakistan, a social organization, has initiated an awareness campaign on road safety __________ the motorcyclists and the drivers in Karachi.
(A) of
(B) about
(C) to
(D) for
2. Mr. Alfonzo missed his plane from New York City last night __________ a gridlock.
(A) because
(B) resulted in
(C) due to
(D) hence
3. The Bangkok Metropolitan Police have started a plan to help __________ congestion caused by an increasing number of cars during the first day of the school year.
(A) counter
(B) alleviate
(C) expedite
(D) decelerate
解析：
1. 正解為(D)。
題意為：一個名為「巴基斯坦青年國會」的社會組織，為了喀拉蚩港市的汽機車駕駛啟動了一項與道路安全有關的宣導活動。選項(A)為「某人（物）的」、(B)關於、(C)對於，因此僅(D)「為了某人(事)」為正確答案。
2. 正解為(C)。
題意為：艾馮索先生因昨晚在紐約市嚴重的交通阻塞錯過了他的班機。選項(A)是「因為」，由於原因「a gridlock」是名詞子句非完整句子，因此because必須加上of才能與後面的名詞子句連接，故不選。選項(B)導致、(D)因此，不符合句意，僅(C)「歸因於」為正確選項。
3. 正解為(B)。
題意為：曼谷市警察在開學當日實施了一項新計畫來減緩因車量增加造成的交通壅塞。選項(A)為反擊、(C)加快、(D)減速，因此僅(B)緩和符合此句句意。
SOURCE: https://www.toeic.com.tw/info/article/toeic-power/news/
文章由TOEIC Program Taiwan · Chun Shin提供：
www.facebook.com/ToeicProgramTaiwan
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