Pedal Power(b)|两轮当道

Bike to Work Day, Bike to Work Week, and Bike Month may be national initiatives, but the organizing of actual events is very much a local effort. Community groups and individual companies hold a variety of activities to promote cycling during that time. Here's a brief look at some of the things that different cities in America do.

San Francisco sets up energizer stations with food and water to provide refreshment to cyclists during their morning and evening commutes. Also, cyclists can get reflective leg bands. In Chicago, it's car versus bus versus bicycle in a race in which participants vie to see which form of transportation is the quickest during the morning rush hour. Drivers, bus passengers, and cyclists start and end their journeys at the same locations. However, they can take any route they want to get to their destinations. According to the LAB's website, the bicyclists always win. In some cities, such as Salem, Oregon and Olympia, Washington, businesses compete to see which company can have the highest percentage of its staff cycle to work every day during National Bike to Work Week.

Unlike some events, such as Earth Day and World AIDS Day, Bike to Work Day, Bike to Work Week, and Bike Month are not international events. Yet, many places, including Taiwan, have held some type of Bike Day or Bike Week. For any community group or company interested in promoting cycling by holding a Bike to Work Day or Bike to Work Week, the LAB offers a comprehensive step-by-step guide on their website.

1.  According to the article, how many Americans ride a bike to work each day?

(A) Five percent.

(B) Nearly half of them.

(C) Less than one percent.

(D) A quarter of the whole population.

2.  Which of the following statements is NOT true?

(A) Bike to Work Week is an international event.

(B) Bike to Work Week is held during Bike Month.

(C) Bike Month started more than half a century ago.

(D) Bike to Work Day is held on a Friday.

3.  Which city showed that cycling to work saves time?

(A) Olympia, Washington.

(B) San Francisco.

(C) Salem, Oregon.

(D) Chicago.

4.  What is the main idea of the article?

(A) The benefits of cycling.

(B) An event that promotes a healthy way to get to school or work.

(C) How to organize a Bike Week in major cities around the world.

(D) How cities all over the world work together to promote cycling.

骑脚踏车上班日、骑脚踏车上班周和脚踏车月或许是（美国）全国性的活动，但实际活动的策划却大多来自地方上的努力。小区团体和各家公司都在那段期间举办各式各样的活动来推广骑脚踏车。以下让我们来看看在美国不同城市所推广的活动剪影。

旧金山设立了备有食物和水的补给站，让早上和傍晚通勤的骑士能振奋精神。骑士也可以获得反光的绑腿。在芝加哥，有汽车、公交车和脚踏车同场竞技的比赛，参与者要彼此竞争，看看哪种交通运输工具在早上的尖峰时间速度最快。驾驶人、公交车乘客和单车骑士从同一起点出发，朝共同的终点迈进。不过他们可以选择任何一条想走的路线前往目的地。根据 LAB 的网站显示，骑脚踏车的人永远是赢家。在某些城市，如奥勒冈州的赛伦和华盛顿州的奥林匹亚，公司行号在骑脚踏车上班周期间，彼此竞赛哪家公司每天骑脚踏车上班的员工比例最高。

不像地球日和世界爱滋日等其他活动，骑脚踏车上班日、骑脚踏车上班周和脚踏车月并不是国际性的活动。然而，许多国家，包括台湾，都曾举办过类似骑脚踏车上班日和骑脚踏车上班周的活动。对于任何想藉由举办骑脚踏车上班日或骑脚踏车上班周来推广骑脚踏车的团体和公司，LAB在其网站上提供了完善的步骤指南。

答案：1. (C)2. (A)3. (D)4. (B)

Bike to Work 在台湾不是新名词，早就有微笑单车上路、竹科单车推广社等社团与行动推动骑单车上班，也引介 Bike to Work 的观念。然而由政府主办的『台湾自行车日』，却仍停留在单车休闲日的规模与层级，而无法配合政府的节能减碳政策。

欧美所谓的 Bike Day，是 Bike to Work Day，推广的是单车通勤，周末的无车单车休闲（Car free）只是相关的花絮活动而已。（数据源：NGO对抗暖化行动信息网）