When new towns are planned, it is more important to develop public parks and sports facilities than shopping centers for people to spend their free time in. Do you agree or disagree?

 在规划新城镇时，开发公共公园和体育设施比购物中心更为重要，因为人们可以在购物中心闲暇。你同意还是不同意？

Modern shopping malls are available everywhere in the cities of today. These shopping centers make local resident’s lives easier. However, in many towns there is a dearth of public parks and sports facilities. I am of the opinion when designing and building new towns, planning officials should give more consideration to the provision of public parks and sports facilities, than ubiquitous malls.

Firstly, in todays busy world it’s easy to become stressed out living in the urban jungle. People need places to hang out, meet friends and just chill. Public parks are ideal places for workers to relax during a busy working day. Having lunch or dozing in the sunshine can provide relief from having a lot on your plate in the workplace. Secondly, the provision of more sports facilities is also crucial for the wellbeing of the population. As work becomes more sedentary and people suffer from obesity, the provision of gyms and other facilities like swimming pools becomes a no-brainer.

Consequently, with the rapid development of e-commerce and working from home we might see a radical change away from city centers full of shopping malls. Planners need to factor in the increased leisure time many people are enjoying nowadays. This suggests that the provision of public parks and sports facilities will take on a greater importance over and above shopping malls.

In conclusion, I agree that providing more access to public parks and sports facilities is an essential element when designing a new town. These will significantly impact on the modern citizens’ lifestyle and create good PR for the cities in question.

By Dr Rob Burton

Vocabulary

dearth: (noun) - a scarcity or lack of something. "there is a dearth of evidence"

ubiquitous: (adjective) - present, appearing, or found everywhere. "his ubiquitous influence was felt by all the family"

stressed out: (idiom) - Experiencing a lot of mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension. “Now, don't get stressed out, but the boss has some things he wants you to change in the project.”

urban jungle: (noun) - city life, especially the unpleasant parts of it: Traffic noise, pollution, huge concrete buildings - how can people survive in the urban jungle?

hang out: (idiom)

1. to spend time in a place habitually. “Is this where you guys hang out all the time?”

2. to spend time aimlessly; to waste time. “Bill: What are you doing this afternoon? Tom: Oh, I'll just hang out.”

dozing: (verb) - to have a short period of sleep, esp. during the day: My cat was dozing in front of the fireplace.

have a lot on your plate: (idiom) - to have a lot of responsibilities “I have a lot on my plate since my supervisor quit last week.”

sedentary: (adjective) - to spend much time seated; somewhat inactive. "we all walk a certain amount every day even if we are sedentary"

no-brainer: (idiom+noun) - an easy question that takes no thinking to answer; a simple problem that requires no intellect to solve; a dilemma that requires no pondering to resolve. “His proposal of marriage was a no-brainer. She turned him down flat on the spot.”

factor in: (idiom) To incorporate or involve something in something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "factor" and "in." “Before you accept this job offer, you need to factor in how long the commute is.”

over and above: (idiom) More than; beyond; in addition to. “They demanded $2,000 over and above the initial asking price because they knew demand was so high.” “Peanut butter is a wholesome food, but it will put you over and above your daily calorie limits in no time.”

PR: (abbreviation) – Public Relations.

范文解析：

这是一篇典型的社会生活类的观点型大作文，这种类型的大作文要求考生对于某一个观点发表支持或者反对意见。此篇范文中，采用了一边倒的结构。一边倒结构是指，完全同意或者完全不同意某一观点。比如，从篇文章中，对于城市中是建设公园和运动设施更重要还是建设商场更重要的话题展开讨论，作者全篇文章都表达了：公园和运动设施对于居民的重要性。一边倒结构中，开头段交代背景引出争议，其次表达自己的观点；主体段分段叙述同意理由，其中作者运用序数词，使文章逻辑层次更加清晰明了，正确的使用序数词是大作文考试中的得分点之一；结尾段作者重申自己的观点并且总结上文。整篇文章条理清晰用词多样化，充分展现了作者的词汇的运用能力，其中，范文中标记了一些重点词汇可供各位同学学习借鉴。范文中所呈现的写作结构在启德2018雅思标准化教材的强化段第六课有详细地介绍。社会生活类文章的写作技巧也会在标准化教材中有详细地讲解，如果大家想学习更多关于雅思写作的内容，欢迎大家来启德上课。