BBC Learnings · Section 20

Should we cycle more

Cycling is a popular activity in Britain. Yes. This year, sales of bicycles,

Level: B1 · 100 sentences

Transcript

  1. Cycling is a popular activity in Britain.
  2. Yes. This year, sales of bicycles,
  3. or bikes as they're usually called, are up in Britain.
  4. Many people choose cycling because it's
  5. good for their health and the environment.
  6. And electric bikes are making cycling
  7. accessible to more people, including older people.
  8. In this episode, we'll visit two countries
  9. one with a long history of cycling
  10. and another where it's just getting started.
  11. And as usual, we'll be learning some useful new words and phrases.
  12. But first, Neil, I have a question about a country
  13. that's world famous for its bikes the Netherlands,
  14. also often referred to as Holland.
  15. The Netherlands cycle network spreads over 95,000 miles
  16. and there are more bikes in the country than its 18 million citizens.
  17. So, roughly speaking, how many bikes are there in the Netherlands?
  18. Is it a 20 million, b 24 million or c 34 million?
  19. Well, I'm going to say c 34 million.
  20. Ah well, we'll reveal the correct answer later in the programme.
  21. Staying in the Netherlands, let's hear
  22. from Meredith Glaeser, CEO of Amsterdam's Urban Cycling Institution.
  23. Here, Meredith tells BBC World Service programme
  24. The Enquiry more about Dutch people's love of cycling.
  25. The bicycle is deeply ingrained into Dutch culture,
  26. but the rise of cycling started
  27. in the industrial era when bicycle manufacturing took off.
  28. And it went from a toy for rich people
  29. to an everyday tool for transportation.
  30. And this was a really important milestone for cycling in the Netherlands.
  31. Cycling is deeply ingrained into Dutch culture.
  32. Deeply ingrained are two words that go together commonly
  33. and it means something that's firmly established within a person
  34. or culture and unlikely to change.
  35. During the 1890s, bike manufacturing took off in the Netherlands.
  36. Take-off is a phrasal verb meaning to suddenly become popular or successful.
  37. Certain brands became symbols of a new, comfortable style of bike.
  38. New factories made bikes cheaper to buy.
  39. This was a milestone for cycling in the Netherlands.
  40. A milestone is an important event in someone's life
  41. or in the development of something.
  42. Our second destination is better known for cars than bicycles.
  43. The United Arab Emirates, or UAE.
  44. UAE is hoping cycling could be a greener way for visitors
  45. to explore tourist attractions in cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
  46. Transport consultant Martin Tillman, who lives in the Gulf region,
  47. explained more to BBC World Service programme The Inquiry.
  48. We also have quality of life and livability.
  49. All the cities in the Gulf are very competitive.
  50. And they would love to be ranked
  51. very high in those global rankings.
  52. And cycling is seen as part of that quality of life solution.
  53. Gulf cities like Dubai want a reputation
  54. as places with a good quality of life.
  55. The phrase quality of life refers to someone's level of enjoyment,
  56. comfort and health when living in a particular place.
  57. It's a measure of a person's overall wellbeing.
  58. Gulf cities are also interested in livability the degree
  59. to which somewhere is a pleasant place to live.
  60. Cycling is good for mental as well as physical health,
  61. and Dubai's town planners are hoping
  62. the 600 kilometres of cycle tracks already built
  63. will make the city more attractive to live in.
  64. Of course, there are big differences between the Netherlands and UAE.
  65. The temperature for one, which in Dubai regularly hits 45 degrees Celsius.
  66. Martin told BBC World Service's The Inquiry
  67. that Dubai is studying countries like the Netherlands,
  68. not to copy them, but to discover what works.
  69. It's certainly not a copy and paste
  70. of what is good in Holland or Denmark,
  71. but the key is that we're looking for the principles.
  72. Cycling in UAE isn't a copy and paste of cycling in Holland.
  73. Martin uses the phrase a copy and paste
  74. to mean an exact copy of something
  75. which is moved and put somewhere else.
  76. Dubai can't simply copy the Netherlands and a range of measures,
  77. including water stations and shaded rest areas,
  78. have been created for cycling in the heat.
  79. Cycling isn't the perfect solution for everyone, everywhere,
  80. but in some places it can be a popular and green alternative.
  81. Yes, just look at the Netherlands
  82. and that reminds me of your question, Bekka.
  83. Ah yes, I asked you roughly
  84. how many bikes are there in the Netherlands?
  85. I said 34 million. Was I right?
  86. There are certainly a lot of bikes in the Netherlands.
  87. However, there are only roughly 24 million bikes.
  88. Only? That's still quite a lot.
  89. Right. Let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt,
  90. starting with deeply ingrained a combination
  91. of words meaning well-established and unlikely to change.
  92. If something takes off, it suddenly becomes popular or successful.
  93. A milestone is an important event
  94. in the development of something or someone.
  95. Quality of life describes a person's wellbeing
  96. in terms of their level of enjoyment, comfort and health.
  97. The noun livability means the degree
  98. to which a place is pleasant to live in.
  99. And finally, a copy and paste is an exact copy of something
  100. which is then moved and put somewhere else.