Bicycles for rent could become as common as newspaper stands and mail boxes on prefix = st1 /Germany's street corners if a scheme launched by Deutsche Bahn is successful. The German rail operator has launched a bicycle-hire scheme designed for simple one-way trips. "It's a new concept,"said Andreas Knie, head of the project. Users must first register with Call-A-Bike at a cost of 15 euros(US$14.7). With a simple phone call, they can hire one of the many bikes parked outside stations, at a cost of 3 to 5 cents per minute. At the end of their journey, they ring a computer and tell it where the bike is parked. The bikes are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No one will be breaking speed records with Call-A-Bike bicycles. They weigh in at 25 kilograms, at least double the weight of a normal bicycle, though they do have eight gears . "They are pretty heavy, but we don't want people taking them on the train or into the subway," Knie said. They are also designed with parts that do not fit a normal bicycle. Even the screws are irregular and the bike looks so odd that thieves would stand out. Vandalism and theft have led to the downfall of previous schemes which date back toAmsterdam's 1966"White Bike"scheme. In that short-lived experiment, anti-establishment groups painted bikes white and left them around the Dutch capital. However, many were taken permanently and repainted, while the police took away others on the basis that ownerless bikes were street rubbish. Copenhagen, Vienna and Helsinki also have free bike schemes, in which users deposit a coin in Copenhagen's case 20 crowns(US$2.50)--to free a bike from a rack. "The advantage these schemes have is ease of use. But because they're so cheap, people tend to hold on to the bikes and then there are none on the streets,"the person in charge said. Oslo is also planning a bike-hire system where users will pay a symbolic fee of 50 Norwegian crowns(US$6.50)for unlimited use in the city for a year. Users will buy an electronic... What can be learned about Amsterdam's 1966"White Bike"scheme? A) The bicycles were twice as heavy as a normal bicycle. B) A heavy rain stopped the scheme from being carried out. C) Some bicycles were damaged or stolen and the scheme failed. D) The police ended the scheme for traffic safety
C
(Question)
EDGEWOOD-Every morning at Dixie Heights High school,customers pour into a special experiment:the district's first coffee shop run mostly by students with special learning needs. Well before classes start,students and teachers order Lattes,Cappuccinos and Hot Chocolates.Then,during the first period,teachers call in orders on their room phones,and students make deliveries.By closing time at 9:20a.m.,the shop usually sells 90drinks."Whoever made the chi tea,Ms.Schatzman says it was good,"Christy McKinley,a second year student,announced recently,after hanging up with the teacher. The shop is called the Dixie PIT,which stands for Power in Transition.Although some of the students are not disabled,many are,and the PIT helps them prepare for life after high school.They learn not only how to run a coffee shop but also how to deal with their affairs.They keep a timecard and receive paychecks,which they keep in check registers. Special-education teachers Kim Chevalier and Sue Casey introduced the Dixie PIT from a similar program at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia.Not that it was easy.Chevalier's first problem to overcome was product-related.Should schools be selling coffee?What about sugar content?Kenton County Food Service Director Ginger Gray helped.She made sure all the drinks,which use non-fat milk,fell within nutrition guidelines. The coffee shop is mostly run by . A) all the students B) all the teachers C) students with special learning needs D) some special-education teachers
(Answer)
C
Ques: It's still there, the Vietnamese school where my brother and I used to go. Even with a new coat of paint and the high wire fence, the school I knew ten years ago remains the same. Every day at 5 p.m., instead of flying kites with our friends, my brother and I had to go to Vietnamese school. No amount of kicking, screaming, or arguing could stop my mother, who was determined to have us learn the language of our culture. She held us by the collar and walked with us the seven long, hilly blocks from our home to school, leaving our tearful faces before the front of the school. We all sat in little chairs in a big empty room, which had a slight smell of old clothes that had been stored for a long time. I hated that smell. There was a stage far to the right, with an American flag on one side and the flag of the Republic of Vietnam on the other side. Although the school mainly taught language ---- speaking, reading, dictation ---- the lessons always began with an exercise in politeness. With the entrance of the teacher, the best student would tap a bell and everyone would get up, and say in Vietnamese, "How are you, teacher?" The language always made me embarrassed. More often than not, I had tried to separate myself from the loud voice that followed me whenever I went to the American supermarket outside our area. The voice belonged to my grandmother, a small old woman who could shout louder than anyone on the street. Her Vietnamese was quick, it was loud, and it was not beautiful. In our area, the comings and goings of hundreds of Vietnamese on their daily tasks sounded crazy. I did not want to be thought of as being mad, as talking stupid. When I spoke English, people nodded at me, smiled and encouraged me. Even Vietnamese people would laugh and say that I'd do well in life. My brother was even stricter than I about speaking English. He was especially cruel towards my mother, scolding her for her poor English. Bits of Vietnamese were often mixed in her conversation. After two years of struggle, I finally divorced... What can be learned from the passage? A) The author's brother liked learning Vietnamese. B) The author's mother taught him English at home. C) The author's mother put her sons in a language school in Vietnam. D) The author didn't like learning Vietnamese when he was young.
Ans: D
Tennis lessons This event takes place every Wednesday from May 9 to July 17. These lessons are open to all from complete beginners to seasoned pros . Playing tennis is a great way of getting fit. Contact The Bridge to find the time for your age group. Cost:[?]4.8 adults, [?]3.30 under 16 per class Contact: Laura Reynolds Tel: 020 8778 7158 Street dance classes This event takes place every Wednesday from February 27 to December 25. The classes are set up for 3 to 6-year-olds. They provide an environment where each child can become confident in his or her efforts and successes. Our school believes "If You Aim High,You Will Succeed". Cost: PS4 per student Contact: Hayley Rea Email: info@aimhighacademy.co.uk Children's workshops in clay This event takes place every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from April 15 to July I. The workshops are suitable for children aged five years and above . The children will be shown different methods of making many things in clay. Cost: PS75 for 10 lessons Contact: Shirley Stewart Email: shirli stewart@yahoo.com Caterpillar music This event takes place every Tuesday and Friday from. October 18 to December 31. The classes are set up for 0 to 4-year-olds. We use puppets , actions, songs, instruments and games to entertain and introduce a love of music to your little one. The classes last 40 minutes and each week we have a different theme. Cost: PS6 per class Contact: Angela Capriati Tel: 020 8698 8439 If a couple and their 10-year-old boy want to take 5 tennis classes, they should pay_. A) PS12.9 B) PS64.5 C) PS38.7 D) PS77.4
B