Electric Bikes Clean Up

In Taipei, scooters are both popular and ubiquitous. They offer quick, cheap transportation and easy parking. However, they are also responsible for air and noise pollution. Is there any alternative to these two problems? The answer may be the electric bicycle. On Xiamen Island in China, the government has banned scooters but allows people to purchase electric bicycles. These machines carry people around silently and do not emit any exhaust. According to China’s environmental protection standards, Xiamen’s air is classed as first rate. Is every one happy? No, they are not. Both the Xiamen traffic department and local residents agree that the growing number of electric bicycles is causing more accidents. Banning them seems unlikely. Instead, better driver education and stricter enforcement of existing laws are necessary. This should help this quiet and clean alternative to the scooter continue to transport people around Xiamen.

電動自行車大幅減低城市污染

摩托車在台北地區是非常熱門且普遍的交通工具,它讓民眾可以快速地到達目的地、花費不高又易於找到停車位。然而,摩托車也帶來了空氣及噪音污染。我們是否可以使用其他的交通工具,以避免這些污染呢?騎乘電動自行車或許是最佳的替代方案。中國廈門地區的政府單位明文禁止民眾騎乘摩托車,卻允許大家購買電動自行車。電動自行車在行進中安靜無聲且不會排放廢氣,根據中國環境保護法規評估的結果,廈門的空氣品質名列優等,民眾是否因此而感到滿意呢?答案是:「不滿意」。廈門的交通主管機關及當地居民認為日漸增加的電動自行車也造成更多的車禍,若要禁止民眾騎乘電動自行車似乎不可行,而提供更完善的駕駛教育並嚴格執法卻是必要的,如此一來,這個無噪音又可減低污染的摩托車替代品即可持續地為廈門民眾提供服務。

字彙

  • ubiquitous 普及的
  • alternative 替代品;可供選擇的事物
  • banned 禁止
  • purchase 購買
  • emit exhaust 排放廢氣
  • first rate 優等;一流的
  • stricter enforcement 嚴格執法
  • existing laws 現行法律

解讀

The writer uses two questions to keep you interested. ‘Is there any alternative to these two problems?’ and, ‘Is every one happy?’. These questions are called rhetorical questions. You do not have to answer them, because the writer will.

作者在本文中使用了兩個問句「Is there any alternative to these two problems?」以及「Is every one happy?」來引起讀者閱讀的興趣,這些問句稱為修辭疑問句,具有加強語氣的作用,你並不需要回答這些問句,因為作者將在文中自行回答。

文句練習

  1. Convenience stores are _______________ in Taipei.
  2. Despite the _______________________ which say every one riding a scooter should wear a helmet, some riders don’t.
  3. Once the Gangshan extension to the Kaohsiung MRT is completed, commuters will have an ___________________ to buses and taxis.
  4. Bringing weapons into Taiwan is ___________________.
  5. Since July 1992, motor scooters have not been allowed to ______________________ above strict levels, set by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) of Taiwan.
  6. To __________________ the best fruit in Taiwan, some people say you must go to Taidong.
  7. ________________________ of the law which says all employees should be paid overtime would raise many salaries.
  8. From the top floor of Taipei 101, you can get ________________ views of the city.

文句練習解答

  1. ubiquitous
  2. existing laws
  3. alternative
  4. banned
  5. emit exhaust
  6. purchase
  7. Stricter enforcement
  8. first rate

(資料來源:British Council 英國文化協會)


本文引用自 英文資訊交流網 http://blog.cybertranslator.idv.tw/

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