Englishman

Reading I
track
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Listen to people discussing
2

Cycling Cities
this topic in a mini-video at
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Cycling Cities

The best cities in the world for cycling.

I
Pre-reading
Answers on page 45

1 s traffic a
Create a definition of a cycle-friendly city. Use the words big problem
from below. where you live?
traffic Increased cycling
pollution may be the answer.
education Just take a look at
bike lanes these cycle-friendly
cycle paths cities from around
roads the world.
bike parks
workers Cycling is the
cyclists solution to many
problems. More
2 Reading I cyclists mean less
Which cities do you think are the most cycle-friendly in noise, less traffic,
the world? Choose from the list below. Then, read the less pollution and a healthier population. But where are the
article to check your ideas. best places to live and cycle? A new report lists the best cities
Los Angeles Bikes are for cyclists.
beautiful!
Barcelona
London Top of the list is Amsterdam (in the Netherlands) – also known
Bristol as the bike capital of the world. An incredible 40% of all traffic
Dallas movements are by bicycle. There’s an extensive network of safe,
Cambridge fast and comfortable bicycle routes. Plus, there’s an anti-theft-
Copenhagen prevention programme with underground sheds for bikes.
Birmingham
Berlin Copenhagen is known as “the city of bikes”. It’s a city
where 32% of workers cycle to work because it’s fast GLOSSARY
3 Reading II and easy. Berlin is another European city that’s great for cycling n
riding on a bicycle
Read the article again and write the name of a city (choose cycling. The city has about 80 kilometres of bike lanes, cycle-friendly adj
from the cities in Reading I) next to each sentence. and 50 kilometres of pavement paths. Cycling accounts ifsafe a city is “cycle-friendly”, it is good /
/ easy for cycling
1. The city has about 80 kilometres of bike lanes. for 12% of total street traffic. pollution n
2. Cyclists are considered at every stage of when there is “pollution”, the air is
dirty and contaminated
any new developments. Barcelona has been praised for its municipal cycle to list vb
if a report “lists” several things, it
3. Forty percent of all traffic movements are service “Bicing”. This was introduced in March 2007. It’s mentions these things one after
by bicycle. a bicycle service that allows users to take bicycles from another
extensive adj
4. There are 3,250 parking spaces for bikes. any of the 100 stations spread around the city. Later, that covers a big area
underground adj
they can leave them at any other bike station inside the that is under the ground (below the
4 Language focus “There is/are” urban area of the city. The city has created a “green ring” surface of the earth)
a shed n
Look at this extract from the article, “There’s also that surrounds the metropolitan area of Barcelona with a building, shelter or covered area
good cycle parking.” The speaker has used “There is” a bike path. There are currently 3,250 parking spaces for storing things
a bike lane n
to talk about the existence of something. Complete the for bikes at street level. Barcelona City Council is also a special road for cyclists to cycle on
following sentences with “There is” or “There are”. constructing a new underground car park for bicycles. - often next to an existing road
a pavement path n
1. a good a part of the pavement (the place
next to a road where people walk)
supermarket near here. The UK has its cycle-friendly cities too. Bristol is currently where cyclists can cycle
2. two parks in the city. at the top of the list. It’s the birthplace of “Sustrans” – the to praise vb
to say good things about someone/
3. some nice cycle-route charity which was formed 30 years ago. One something
restaurants along the river. of their projects was converting an old rail line between to surround vb
if A “surrounds” B, A is/goes around B
4. a bank at the end Bristol and Bath into a bike route. Other bike-friendly a bike path n
a special road for bicycles
of this street. cities in the UK include Cambridge and York. Cambridge a rail line n
is an old city but has still managed to build good cycle a route that trains travel along
infrastructure n
5 Discussion infrastructure, and cyclists are considered at every stage the basic facilities of a city such as
1. Is your city cycle-friendly? In what way? of any new developments. There’s also good cycle parking, transport, communications, power
supplies, buildings, etc.
2. When do you use a bicycle? park-and-ride schemes and excellent public transport. a park-and-ride scheme n
a system that allows drivers to leave
3. Would you like to cycle more? Why? Why their cars in car parks outside the
not? How does your city compare to these? city, and to take a bus into the city

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