A、Car owners will be encouraged to show off their wealth. B、The gap between the rich and the poor will be bridged. C、Pollution a

The private motor vehicle has given us a freedom our ancestors could not dream about. We can travel swiftly, and usually safely, over the roads which have been built to accommodate our cars. People can display their wealth by driving a car which may cost as much as another person’s home.
     [19]Sadly the car has become a disadvantage as well as a boon. The car pollutes the atmosphere, may be involved in serious accidents, and by its very numbers blocks roads. How can we reduce its use? The car is only desirable if we can use it easily, so we might begin by reducing access to parking spaces in the cities and simultaneously increasing the quality and availability of public transport. Cars could be banned from certain parts of the city, thus forcing people to walk or to use public transport. The expense of buying and running a car can be raised. If the motorist is faced with a high purchase price, high road tax, high insurance premiums and substantial fines he or she may reconsider the purchase. A corresponding reduction in the price of public transport would help this financial argument against car ownership.
    Neither of these arguments will sway the super rich who can afford the status cars, but it would perhaps encourage them to look at other ways of demonstrating their wealth. However we do it, reducing the number of cars on the road will reduce the problems of pollution and the congestion which can bring cities to a standstill.
19. What does the speaker focus on?
20. What factor might hinder most people’s consideration of purchasing private cars?
21. What would be the result if the number of private cars is reduced?