Learn English with an ESL lesson from American English File

Check the words you already know. Marca las palabras que ya conoces. Marque as palavras que você já conhece. 이미 아는 단어에 체크하세요. Позначте слова, які ви вже знаєте.

• ☐ ☐ ☐ hire v. - rent, pay to use
• ☐ ☐ ☐ nicknamed v. - given a special name (a nickname)
• ☐ ☐ ☐ a mayor n. - the government leader of a city
• ☐ ☐ ☐ a scheme n. - a system, a program
• ☐ ☐ ☐ has proved popular exp. - has become popular
• ☐ ☐ ☐ G.P.S. n. - Global Positioning System, technology that allows you to identify your location
• ☐ ☐ ☐ cash cards n. - plastic cards used to pay for things
• ☐ ☐ ☐ secure adj. - safe

n. - noun,    v. - verb,    phv. - phrasal verb,    adj. - adjective,    exp. - expression

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1. Around ______ people borrow bikes from the station every week.
   3000
   13 000
   30 000
   
   
2. Boris Johnson ______ the Boris Bikes scheme.
   created
   didn't create
   
   
3. It ______ free to join the Boris Bike scheme.
   is
   isn't
   
   
4. You can borrow a bike for free ______ after you join the scheme.
   for 30 minutes
   once per day
   anytime
   
   
5. The bike sharing scheme has been popular with ______ and ______.
   visitors
   cyclists
   Londoners
   commuters
   
   
6. The first bike sharing schemes started ______ 100 years ago.
   about
   more than
   less than
   
   
7. New technology has made bike sharing schemes ______.
   more expensive
   more efficient
   faster
   safer
   
   
8. There are bike sharing schemes in ______ 100 cities.
   about
   more than
   less than
   
   
9. The largest bike sharing scheme is in ______.
   China
   Spain
   France
   Canada
   
   

Score:

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Directions: Choose the best tense for each verb.

• About 3000 people --- hire hired have hired bikes from here every week.
• Londoners --- nickname nicknamed have nicknamed these bikes Boris Bikes after Boris Johnson, the mayor of London when the scheme --- starts started has started .
• The bike sharing scheme --- proves proved has proved popular both with commuters and visitors to the city.
• Of course, London --- isn't wasn't hasn't been the only city with a bike sharing scheme, and it --- isn't wasn't hasn't been a new idea.
• There --- are were have been schemes around since the 1960s.
• With new technology, local authorities --- are were have been able to make the schemes more secure and much easier to use.
• There --- are were have been now bike sharing schemes in over 165 cities around the world.
• Some of the most successful schemes --- are were have been the Vélib' in Paris and Bixi in Montreal.
• But the biggest scheme --- is was has been in Hangzhou, which --- has had has had more than 60 000 bicycles.

Score:

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Directions: Write sentences about the video clip using the words given. You can change the word form or add words, but you cannot change the word order.
Use a present time frame (tense).
( ) = optional   [ ] = necessary

Instrucciones: Escriba oraciones sobre el videoclip usando las palabras dadas. Puede cambiar la forma de la palabra o agregar palabras, pero no puede cambiar el orden de las palabras. Usa el tiempo presente.
( ) = opcional   [ ] = necesario

Instruções: Escreva frases sobre o videoclipe usando as palavras dadas. Você pode alterar a forma da palavra ou adicionar palavras, mas não pode alterar a ordem das palavras. Use o tempo presente.
( ) = opcional   [ ] = necessário

지시 : 주어진 단어를 사용하여 비디오 클립에 대한 문장을 씁니다. 어형을 변경하거나 단어를 추가할 수 있지만 어순은 변경할 수 없습니다. 현재 시제를 사용합니다.
( ) = 선택 사항   [ ] = 필수 사항

Інструкції: Напишіть речення про відеокліп, використовуючи подані слова. Ви можете змінювати форму слова або додавати слова, але не можете змінювати порядок слів.
Використовуйте теперішній час.
( ) = необов'язково   [ ] = обов'язково

Boris / Bike / be / name / after / Boris / Johnson / who / mayor / London / when / scheme / start

Boris Bikes are named after Boris Johnson, who was the mayor of London when the scheme started.

after / you / pay / small / fee / join / you / can / borrow / bike / up / to / 30 / minute / free

After you pay a small fee to join, you can borrow a bike for up to 30 minutes for free.

bike / share / scheme / become / popular / both / commuter / and / tourist

The bike sharing scheme has become popular [both with / with both] commuters and tourists.

there / be / bike / share / scheme / around / since / 1960s

There have been bike sharing schemes around since the 1960s.

new / technology / make / scheme / far / secure / and / much / easy / use

New technology has made the schemes far more secure and much easier to use.

there / now / bike / share / scheme / over / 165 / city / around / world

There are now bike sharing schemes in over 165 cities around the world.

big / scheme / world / Hangzhou / which / more / 60 000 / bicycle

The biggest scheme in the world is in Hangzhou, which has more than 60 000 bicycles.

Directions: Play the audio clip and try to repeat what you hear. Click "Show" to see the text.

Instrucciones: Reproduce el clip de audio e intenta repetir lo que escuchas. Haga clic en "Show" para ver el texto.

Instruções: Reproduza o clipe de áudio e tente repetir o que você ouve. Clique em "Show" para ver o texto.

지시 사항 : 오디오 클립을 재생하고 들리는 내용을 반복해 보십시오. 텍스트를 보려면 "Show" 를 클릭하십시오.

Інструкції: Увімкніть аудіокліп і спробуйте повторити те, що чуєте. Натисніть "Show", щоб побачити текст.

Londoners nicknamed these bikes Boris Bikes after Boris Johnson, the mayor of London when the scheme started.

You have to pay a small fee to join the scheme.

But then you can borrow a bike for up to 30 minutes for free.

The bike sharing scheme has proved popular both with commuters and visitors to the city.

Of course, London isn't the only city with a bike sharing scheme, and it isn't a new idea.

There have been schemes around since the 1960s.

But with new technology like G.P.S, cash cards, and smartphones, local authorities have been able to make the schemes more secure and much easier to use.

There are now bike sharing schemes in over 165 cities around the world.

But the biggest scheme is in Hangzhou, China, which has more than 60 000 bicycles.

1. What are Boris Bikes? How did they get their name?
2. Have you ever used a bike sharing scheme? If so, where? How was your experience? Can you describe the process for joining the scheme and then hiring (renting) a bike? How much did it cost?
3. In your opinion, how have advancements in technology like GPS and smartphones improved bike sharing schemes?
4. Would you prefer to use a bike sharing scheme or public transportation for short journeys? Why?
5. What are some of the problems with bike sharing schemes?
6. These days, scooters have become very popular for commuting as well. Which do you prefer for commuting, bikes or scooters? Why?
7. Compare scooters and bikes (and buses?) in terms of convenience, speed, effort, cost, safety, and environmental impact.