英语听力精选进阶版 6232

A Bike Hire Scheme Has Started in London 伦敦开始自行车出租计划

London has become a cycle friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme.

It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London.

So how does it work? First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock one of the bikes, which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go, for the length of time you use the bike.

Transport for London, which runs the scheme, are hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year.

The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion¹ in London and is expected to generate up to 40,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre.

London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London had been "filled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our streets and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses".

However, there have been a few glitches² since the scheme was launched last Friday. On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered.

Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few "teething problems" and have said they would waive³ the charges for the first day as a "gesture of goodwill⁴".

Some other people have criticised the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles.

Despite the comments, the green-thinking London Mayor still seems very positive about things, saying, "My crusade for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a gigantic pedal-powered push forwards."

Glossary 词汇表

cycle friendly zone 适合骑自行车的区 

encourage 鼓励 

sign up 注册，登记 

scheme 计划 

docking stations 停车点 

access fee 使用费 

pay as you go 随用随付费 

congestion 拥挤的交通 

generate up to 增加 

gleaming 闪亮的 

transform 改变 

commonplace 普通的、不再稀奇的 

glitches 小问题，小故障 

registered 记录 

teething problems （计划）初期的困难 

waive 免除 

gesture of goodwill 诚恳的意愿 

green-thinking 环保意识的 

crusade 改革运动 

pedal-powered 脚踏动力的

1 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

2 glitches   

n.小过失，差错( glitch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Manufacturing glitches have limited the factory's output. 生产中的故障影响了该厂的产量。 来自辞典例句
• Another kind of period variation,\"Glitches,\" are seen in several pulsars. 在几个脉冲星中还看到了周期的另一种变化，即“自转突快”现象。 来自辞典例句

3 waive   

vt.放弃，不坚持(规定、要求、权力等)

参考例句：

• I'll record to our habitat office waive our claim immediately.我立即写信给咱们的总公司提出放弃索赔。
• In view of the unusual circumstances,they agree to waive their requirement.鉴于特殊情况，他们同意放弃他们的要求。

4 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。