2019年11月18日 星期一

Amsterdam: The Bike Capital of the World 漫遊腳踏車之都


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2019/11/19 第439期 訂閱/退訂看歷史報份直接訂閱
   
 

Amsterdam: The Bike Capital of the World  漫遊腳踏車之都
by Brian Foden


    

  In many ways, the capital city of the Netherlands is a cyclist’s heaven. Amsterdam __1__ a large network of cycle paths, part of a system of 22,000 miles that stretch throughout the country. More than half—nearly 65%, in fact—of the city’s __2__ cycles each day. Amazingly, almost 40% of all trips in Amsterdam are made by bicycles. In contrast, that number is a mere 2% in London. However, Amsterdam wasn’t always so __3__.
  Prior to the 1950s and ‘60s, bikes were a common form of __4__ and easily outnumbered cars in Amsterdam and other cities in Holland. But after World War II, the Netherlands began to __5__ and people increasingly wanted to own automobiles since they could afford them. Therefore, bike usage __6__ because people began to favor driving over cycling from place to place. This led to a dramatic increase in the number of road deaths. In 1971, for example, 3,300 people, including 400 children, were killed in car accidents. The deaths prompted __7__ from groups such as Stop de Kindermoord, which translates into “stop the child murder.” After many demonstrations, the government made changes to make the roads safer for cyclists, and numerous bike paths were eventually __8__.
  Today, with an estimated 880,000 bikes on its streets, Amsterdam is known as the bicycle capital of the world. An Amsterdam-based organization called BYCS helps to __9__ cycling not only in the Netherlands but also all over the world. One of its successful programs is called the Bicycle Mayor program, which began in 2016. Bicycle Mayors are __10__ individuals who advocate for cycling around the world. There is even a Junior Bicycle Mayor program—the first member was a nine-year-old girl from Amsterdam named Lotta Crok.
(A) protests (B) prosper (C) boasts (D) population (E) enthusiastic
(F) bike-friendly (G) decreased (H) promote (I) constructed (J) transportation.

capital n. 首都
cyclist n. 騎腳踏車的人
 cycle n. 腳踏車 & vi. 騎腳踏車
 cycling n. 騎腳踏車

(A) protest n. & vi. & vt. 抗議
protest against...  抗議/反對……
• The mayor’s speech resulted in angry protests.
該市長的演說引起憤怒的抗議。
• The villagers protested against the construction of a nuclear power plant in their neighborhood.
村民們反對在他們住處附近興建核電廠。

(B) prosper vi. & vt.(使)繁榮,興旺
• The company began to prosper after the new manager took charge.
新的經理接手後,公司的生意蒸蒸日上。

(C) boast vt.(建築物或地方)以(擁有)……而自豪 & vi.(人)自誇 & n. 誇耀
boast of / about...  自誇/誇耀……
= brag of / about...
• New York City boasts a thriving tourist industry.
紐約市以繁榮的觀光業自豪。
• Kyle boasted of his boxing skills to everyone.
凱爾向大家吹牛,說他的拳擊技巧有多厲害。
• It was Henry’s proud boast that he didn’t take any days off last year.
讓亨利很自豪的是,他去年沒有請過任何一天假。

(D) population n. 人口(集合名詞)
• A quarter of the population voted for that presidential candidate.
有四分之一的人投票給那名總統候選人。

(E) enthusiastic a. 熱心的,熱衷的
• Chuck Feeney is considered an enthusiastic philanthropist.
查克.費尼被視為一名熱心的慈善家。
*philanthropist n. 慈善家

(F) bike-friendly a. 對腳踏車友善的
• Copenhagen is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world.
哥本哈根是世界上對腳踏車最友善的城市之一。

(G) decrease vi. & vt. 減少
• The number of visitors to that city has decreased by 30% over the past two years.
在過去兩年,那座城市的遊客人數減少了三成。
• You should decrease the amount of fats you consume.
你應該減少脂肪的攝取量。

(H) promote vt. 推廣,提倡;推銷
• The website was set up to promote the need for more environmental protection.
該網站架設的目的是要提倡加強環境保護的必要性。

(I) construct vt. 建造
• The workers tore down the old building and constructed a parking garage.
這些工人拆毀舊大樓來蓋一座停車場。

(J) transportation n. 交通(工具)
• To conserve energy, people should try to take public transportation as much as possible.
為了節省能源,人們應該盡可能搭乘大眾交通工具。

1. Amsterdam boasts a large network of cycle paths, part of a system of 22,000 miles that stretch throughout the country.
理由
a. 空格前有名詞 Amsterdam(阿姆斯特丹)作主詞,而空格後有名詞詞組 a large network of cycle paths(大型的腳踏車路網)作受詞,故知空格應置入第三人稱單數及物動詞。
b. 選項中有 (A) protests、(C) boasts、(G) decreased 及 (I) constructed 符合條件,根據語意,阿姆斯特丹「以擁有」大型的腳踏車路網而「自豪」,可知答案應選 (C)。

2. More than half—nearly 65%, in fact—of the city’s population cycles each day.
理由
a. 空格前有所有格 the city’s(該市的),而空格後有第三人稱單數動詞 cycles(騎腳踏車),故知空格應置入單數名詞。
b. 選項中有 (D) population 及 (J) transportation 符合條件,根據語意,該市超過半數(事實上將近 65%)的「人口」每天都會騎腳踏車,可知答案應選 (D)。

3. However, Amsterdam wasn’t always so bike-friendly.
理由
a. 空格前有否定 be 動詞 wasn’t 及副詞 always(總是)及 so(如此地),故知空格應置入形容詞以被 so 修飾。
b. 選項中有 (E) enthusiastic 及 (F) bike-friendly 符合條件,根據語意,阿姆斯特丹過去「對腳踏車」並不總是如此「友善」,可知答案應選 (F)。

4. Prior to the 1950s and ‘60s, bikes were a common form of transportation and easily outnumbered cars in Amsterdam and other cities in Holland.
理由
a. 空格前有介詞 of,而空格後有對等連接詞 and,故知空格應置入名詞。
b. 選項中尚有 (A) protests 及 (J) transportation 符合條件,根據語意,在 1950 及 1960 年代以前,腳踏車在阿姆斯特丹及荷蘭其他城市是很常見的「交通工具」,可知答案應選 (J)。

5. But after World War II, the Netherlands began to prosper and people increasingly wanted to own automobiles since they could afford them.
理由
a. 空格前有引導不定詞片語的 to,而空格後有對等連接詞 and,故知空格應置入原形不及物動詞。
b. 選項中僅有 (B) prosper 符合條件,置入後表荷蘭在二戰後開始「興盛起來」,人們也因為能負擔得起而越來越想擁有汽車,可知答案應選 (B)。
6. Therefore, bike usage decreased because people began to favor driving over cycling from place to place.
理由
a. 空格前有名詞詞組 bike usage(腳踏車的使用量),而空格後有副詞連接詞 because(因為)引導的副詞子句,且由該副詞子句的動詞 began(開始)得知,空格應置入過去式不及物動詞。
b. 選項中僅有 (G) decreased 符合條件,置入後表由於人們開始偏好開車甚於騎腳踏車來往返各地,腳踏車的使用量便因此「下滑」,可知答案應選 (G)。

7. The deaths prompted protests from groups such as Stop de Kindermoord, which translates into “stop the child murder.”
理由
a. 空格前有及物動詞 prompted(引發),而空格後有介詞 from,故知空格應置入名詞。
b. 選項中僅剩 (A) protests 符合條件,置入後表這些道路死亡事件引發如 Stop de Kindermoord 等團體的「抗議活動」,可知答案應選 (A)。

8. After many demonstrations, the government made changes to make the roads safer for cyclists, and numerous bike paths were eventually constructed.
理由
a. 空格前有 be 動詞 were 及副詞 eventually(最後),故知空格應置入形容詞或分詞。
b. 選項中尚有 (E) enthusiastic 及 (I) constructed 符合條件,根據語意,經過許多示威後,政府做了一些改變讓單車族的道路更加安全,最後也「建造了」許多腳踏車道,可知答案應選 (I)。

9. An Amsterdam-based organization called BYCS helps to promote cycling not only in the Netherlands but also all over the world.
理由
a. 空格前有引導不定詞片語的 to,而空格後有名詞 cycling(騎腳踏車),故知空格應置入原形及物動詞。
b. 選項中僅剩 (H) promote 符合條件,置入後表 BYCS 不僅在荷蘭、也在全世界協助「推廣」騎腳踏車,可知答案應選 (H)。

10. Bicycle Mayors are enthusiastic individuals who advocate for cycling around the world.
理由
a. 空格前有 be 動詞 are,而空格後有名詞 individuals(個人),故知空格應置入形容詞或分詞以修飾 individuals。
b. 選項中僅剩 (E) enthusiastic 符合條件,置入後表自行車市長是在世界各地推廣騎腳踏車的「熱心」人士,可知答案應選 (E)。

1. in / by contrast  相較之下
contrast n. 反差;對比
• Ray is shy and reserved. In contrast, his brother Josh is active and sociable.
小雷害羞又內向。相比之下,他弟弟喬許既活潑又愛交際。

2. a mere + 數字  僅僅若干……
mere a. 僅僅的
• The team won the game by a mere two points.
那支球隊僅以兩分之差險勝這場比賽。

3. prior to...  在……之前,先於……
• Beth told Harry her big secret prior to her death.
貝絲在臨終前把她的重大祕密告訴哈利。

4. favor A over B  喜歡 A 勝過(喜歡)B
• Gloria favors comedies over dramas.
葛羅莉亞喜歡喜劇片勝過劇情片。

5. translate into / to...  意同/相當於……
• Hang Son Doong, which translates into “mountain river cave,” is the largest known cave passage in the world.
Hang Son Doong ── 意同於「山水洞」 ── 是世界上已知最大的洞穴走廊。

6. an estimated + 數字  估計有若干……
estimate vt. 估計
• An estimated 200 people were killed in the air crash.
這次空難估計有兩百人喪生。

7. be known as...  以……為人所知/著稱
• Bruce Lee was known as a martial arts master.
李小龍以武術大師的身分著稱。

1. outnumber vt.(數量上)勝過
• New Zealand is a country where the sheep population outnumbers the human population.
紐西蘭是一個羊群數目多於人口數的國家。

2. usage n. 使用(量)
• If we want to be economical, we have to cut down on our usage of water and electricity.
想要節約的話,我們得先減少水電的用量。

3. dramatic a. 急遽的;引人注意的;戲劇性的;震撼的
• We’ve noticed dramatic changes in Peter’s behavior.
我們注意到彼得的行為有了巨大的改變。

4. prompt vt. 引起;促使;激勵
prompt sb to V  促使/激勵某人(做)……
• The recent study prompted thousands of people to stop using the drug.
最近這項研究促使數千人停止使用該藥物。

5. demonstration n. 示威活動;示範
• The farmers launched a demonstration in protest against the new policy.
農民發動示威以抗議該項新政策。

6. numerous a. 許多的,很多的
• James thought of numerous ways to solve the problem, but none of them would actually work.
詹姆士想出很多方法要解決這個問題,但實際上沒有一個行得通。

7. eventually adv. 最後,終於
• Phoebe couldn’t stand her husband’s bad temper, and eventually she divorced him.
菲比受不了先生的壞脾氣,最後跟他離婚了。

8. advocate vi. & vt. 提倡,倡導
• The former congresswoman advocated for tighter gun laws.
這名前國會女議員提倡更嚴格的槍枝法案。
• The political leader advocated peaceful coexistence during the Cold War.
這名政治領袖在冷戰時期提倡和平共存。
*coexistence n. 共存,共處

漫遊腳踏車之都
  

  荷蘭的首都在許多方面是單車族的天堂。阿姆斯特丹以擁有大型的腳踏車路網而自豪,其為橫跨該國兩萬兩千英里路網系統的一部分。該市超過半數(事實上將近 65%)的人口每天都會騎腳踏車。令人驚訝的是,在阿姆斯特丹的所有出遊走動,有將近四成都依靠腳踏車。相較之下,倫敦的比例僅有 2%。不過,阿姆斯特丹過去對腳踏車並不總是如此友善。
  在 1950 及 1960 年代以前,腳踏車在阿姆斯特丹及荷蘭其他城市是很常見的交通工具,數量絕對比汽車還來得多。但在二戰後,荷蘭開始興盛起來,人們也因為能負擔得起而越來越想擁有汽車。由於人們開始偏好開車甚於騎腳踏車來往返各地,腳踏車的使用量便因此下滑。這導致道路死亡的人數急遽增加。例如在 1971 年,有三千三百人(包含四百名兒童)死於車禍。這些死亡事件引發如 Stop de Kindermoord(譯為「停止謀殺兒童」)等團體的抗議活動。經過許多示威後,政府做了一些改變讓單車族的道路更加安全,最後也建造了許多腳踏車道。
  如今,估計街上有八十八萬輛腳踏車的阿姆斯特丹以世界單車之都而為人所知。一個位於阿姆斯特丹、稱作 BYCS 的組織不僅在荷蘭、也在全世界協助推廣騎腳踏車。該組織其中一個成功計畫是 2016 年開始的自行車市長計畫。自行車市長是在世界各地推廣騎腳踏車的熱心人士。甚至還有小小自行車市長計畫 ── 該計畫的首位成員是一位來自阿姆斯特丹的九歲女孩羅塔.克勞克。
答案:
1. C 2. D 3. F 4. J 5. B 6. G 7. A 8. I 9. H 10. E

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