ETG logo

This is one of many lessons available to subscribers to the Library of Instant Lessons. By printing this lesson you are agreeing to the terms of use. For information about teaching Instant Lessons, please click here. Or just print and teach! You can also email this lesson to a friend.


Upper-Intermediate Instant Lesson™

On Your Bike

Pre-Reading Activities

A: Make A Decision
Form groups of three. Read the problem below.

A community group wants to support parents of young children in the community. It begins offering a free music session once a week in which children and their parents can sing and dance and then have coffee together. However, they find that the parents are often late for the session. They do not control the behavior of their children and the musical instruments, donated by the community group, are stolen or damaged by the children. The community group has to decide whether or not to continue the session. What could they do to improve things?  Do you think they should make parents pay for the session?  If you do, should it be a large amount or a small amount?

Reading Activities

A: Looking For The Main Idea
Look through the article and decide as quickly as possibly which of the statements below summarizes the main idea of the article:
1. London has introduced a scheme to encourage people to use bikes and taxis.
2. Cities introducing bike schemes have difficulties with theft.
3. It is hoped a rental bike scheme will decrease traffic problems in London.

Hire scheme aims to get Londoners on bikes

Thu Jul 29, LONDON (Reuters) - A fleet of 6,000 bicycles for hire will hit the streets of central London on Friday when the city's mayor Boris Johnson launches a scheme intended to fuel a cycling revolution in the congested capital.

The initiative, which follows similar projects in cities including Paris and Montreal, aims to ease overcrowding on London's commuter network, with 400 bicycle "docking stations" from Notting Hill in the west to the Tower of London in the east.

"The new system could transform the way Londoners as well as tourists navigate the city," said a spokesman for Transport for London (TFL), the capital's main travel authority.

Nicknamed "Boris's Bikes" after cycle-mad Mayor Boris Johnson, the system is free for the first half hour, although the rate rises steeply if the cycles are used for longer periods, with a maximum daily charge of 50 pounds ($78).

London has tried to learn lessons from Paris and Montreal, making changes to prevent vandalism and theft, problems which plagued the French and Canadian systems to begin with, the spokesman said.

Initially, many of Paris's hire bikes or "Vélibs" were thrown in the River Seine or discovered for sale in markets in Africa, he said.

At a hefty 23 kg (51 lb), the London bike's weight will discourage thieves as well as cutting out the wobbles for less confident cyclists, he added.

STURDY AND SAFE
A Reuters journalist who tested out one of the blue and silver bikes in the busy traffic around Trafalgar Square found it sturdy and safe but felt its design sacrificed speed for stability.

Cycling has become fashionable in Britain in recent years, helped by the British Olympic cycling team which won eight gold medals at the 2008 Games.

An estimated 500,000 bike journeys are made each day in the capital. Mayor Johnson cycled around the velodrome this week to mark the two-year countdown to the London Olympics.

The cycle hire scheme is just one in a series of moves by Johnson to make the winding, traffic-choked streets of the capital more bike-friendly. Motorists have to pay a daily congestion charge if they drive into the city center.

Two new bright blue "cycle superhighways" were unveiled this week, providing cyclists with extra road space and better visibility at traffic lights. Cyclists often have to jostle for space alongside London's red buses and black taxis and shouting matches between riders and drivers are common.

"If these plans work out and there are more bikes on the road and fewer cars, London will be a better place," London cab driver Peter Makin told Reuters.

British services giant Serco secured a 140 million-pound ($220 million) six-year contract with TFL to set up the bike hire scheme, 25 million of which was recouped with sponsorship from British banking giant Barclays.

Article © 2010 Thomson Reuters Limited. Lesson © 2010 www.english-to-go.com




B: Complete The Table
Use today's article to complete this table of information.
Number of bikes: -
Nickname for scheme: -
When scheme was started: -
Number of stations: -
Charges: ______ for first 30 minutes, with maximum daily charge of _______ pounds
Cost of scheme over six years: _______ million pounds


C: Reading For Specific Information
Fill the gaps in these descriptions of different people or businesses in today's article.
Name Occupation Why mentioned in the article
Boris Johnson _________ _______________________________________________
TFL  _________ _______________________________________________
_________ Taxi Cab driver _______________________________________________
_________ Bank _______________________________________________
      

D: Interpreting Information
The diagram below summarizes problems, solutions and expected results outlined in today's article. Complete the gaps in the diagram.
   

E: Language
Read these rules for using the definite article 'the' and zero articles (when you don't use the).
Then complete the gaps in these sentences with the. If you think a gap doesn't need 'the', write" - " in the gap.
Definite Articles.
. with country names that have Republic, States in them etc: the Republic of Ireland,
. when the name includes "of" or "Kingdom": the University of Canberra
. with rivers, oceans, lakes and seas: the Murray River, the Tasman Sea
Zero Articles.
. with continents and countries: Australia, South Africa, India
. with states, cities and towns: Ohio, New York, Dublin, Shanghai, Rochester
. with names: Uncle Michael, Mr Darcy, President Obama, Ms. Winter, Dr. Smith

1. In cities like _____ London or  _____ Paris, the scheme is being trialled.
2. 6,000 bikes are now available for hire on the streets of _____ city of  _____ London.
3. Many of the bikes in _____ Paris were initially thrown in _____ Seine or subsequently found for sale in _____ Africa.
4. Cyclists often have to jostle for space next to _____ London's taxi cabs and buses.
5. _____ Mayor of _____ London rode a bike to promote the start of the program.
6. _____ Peter Makin, a London cab driver, thinks the scheme is a good idea.

Post-Reading Activities
You may do one or more of these.

A: Discussion
You have decided to put the London idea into action in the area you live. How will you stop people stealing the bikes or wrecking them? How will you market the idea?

B: An Interview
Work in pairs.
Student A: You are the Mayor of London. You are going to be interviewed by an international newspaper about the scheme. Before you meet with the reporter, think about what you want to say.
Student B: You are a reporter for an international newspaper. You are going to interview the Mayor of London about the scheme. Before you meet with the reporter, think about what you want to find out.

C: A Short Essay
"People don't value anything that they can get for free. Free food, a free class, a bike. People don't value these things unless they have to pay for them. If you want someone to value something, they have to pay for it in some way."

With a partner, discuss what this statement means. Then write a short essay saying whether you agree or disagree with this statement.

TEACHERS' NOTES AND ANSWER KEY
Reading Activities

A: Looking For The Main Idea -  Answers
The best answer is 3.

B: Complete The Table - Answers
Number of bikes: 6,000
Nickname for scheme: Boris's Bikes
When scheme was started: July 2010
Number of stations: 400
Charges: free for first 30 minutes, with maximum daily charge of 50 pounds
Cost of scheme over six years: 140 million pounds

C: Reading For Specific Information - Sample Answers
Boris Johnson   Mayor of London  Loves biking and has set up cycle hire scheme in London as response to traffic congestion
TFL                  London's travel authority   Has set up cycle hire scheme
Peter Makin  Taxi Cab driver  Believes the new scheme is positive for London
Barclays        Bank          Gave some sponsorship to the scheme

D: Interpreting Information - Sample Answers
Too much traffic on streets in London --> Set up 400 bike stations with free bikes for people to use --> Fewer cars, less traffic congestion
People in other cities with free bike scheme damage or steal    
the bikes		 --> Make bikes heavier --> Bikes are harder to steal
Lack of space on roads causes biking accidents --> Set up blue cycle highways providing cyclists with more space --> Fewer bicycle accidents

E: Language  - Answers
1. In cities like London or Paris, the scheme is being trialled.
2. 6,000 bikes are now available for hire on the streets of the city of London.
3. Many of the bikes in Paris were initially thrown in the Seine or subsequently found for sale in Africa.
4. Cyclists often have to jostle for space next to London's taxi cabs and buses.
5. The Mayor of London rode a bike to promote the start of the program.
6. Peter Makin, a London cab driver, thinks the scheme is a good idea.

100912BIKEtransf

© 1997-2011. English To Go Limited. All rights reserved. English-To-Go, english-to-go.com, Instant Lessons, Weekly Warmer, Anna Grammar and Max Vocab are the registered trade marks of English To Go Limited. Other trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners and are used with permission.

email: editor@english-to-go.com