Bicycles Take Over Paris: A New Cycling City

Title

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Learn how Paris is changing from a city of cars to a city of bicycles in this easy A2 English reading text.

Parts

• Part_number: 1
  Text:

  For a long time, the busy streets of Paris were full of noisy cars. Traffic was loud, and the air was often very dirty from pollution. But today, the beautiful French capital is changing fast. Bicycles are completely taking over! In the past few years, Paris has worked hard to build hundreds of kilometers of brand new bike paths. Now, the city proudly has over 1,000 kilometers of safe routes for cyclists. Many of these paths are completely separated from cars with physical barriers, so people feel very safe riding there. The energetic mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, wanted to make the city "100% cyclable." This means everyone should be able to ride a bike anywhere safely without fear of traffic.

  Vocabulary_explanations

  Full of: Holding a lot of something; completely filled.

  Dirty: Not clean; often because of pollution.

  Taking over: Becoming the most common or powerful thing.

  Brand new: Completely new; built very recently.

  Routes: Ways or paths to get from one place to another.

  Separated: Kept apart from other things so they do not touch.

  Barriers: Physical objects that block the way and keep things apart.

  Mayor: The official leader of a city government.

  Cyclable: Safe and easy for riding a bicycle.

  Fear: A bad feeling you have when you are afraid or scared.
  Questions:

  • Question: What is completely taking over the streets of Paris?
    Options:

    • A) Noisy cars
    • B) Bicycles
    • C) Big buses
    Answer: B) Bicycles
  • Question: Paris now has more than 1,000 kilometers of safe routes for cyclists.
    Options:

    • True
    • False
    Answer: True
  • Question: What does the mayor want to do?
    Options:

    • A) Make the city "100% cyclable."
    • B) Build more roads for noisy cars.
    • C) Stop people from riding bikes.
    Answer: A) Make the city "100% cyclable."
• Part_number: 2
  Text:

  Why are so many people riding bikes in Paris now? It is simply faster, much cheaper, and far better for the environment. During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the city created many temporary bike lanes to help people travel safely outside. These colorful new lanes were incredibly popular with the residents, so the city decided to make them permanent. Also, the government changed the rules for drivers. The speed limit for cars is now only 30 kilometers per hour in most parts of the city. This simple change makes the narrow streets much safer for both cyclists and pedestrians. Now, you can see people of all ages riding bikes to work, school, and the local grocery store every single day. It is a totally new way of life.

  Vocabulary_explanations

  Environment: The natural world, including the air, water, and land.

  Temporary: Lasting only for a short time; not forever.

  Lanes: Parts of a road meant for a single line of traffic.

  Permanent: Lasting forever or for a very long time.

  Government: The group of people who make the rules and laws for a city or country.

  Speed limit: The fastest speed that you are legally allowed to drive a car.

  Narrow: Having a small distance from one side to the other; not wide.

  Pedestrians: People who are walking on the street or sidewalk.

  Grocery store: A shop where you buy food and things for your house.

  Way of life: The normal habits and behaviors of a person or group.
  Questions:

  • Question: Why did the city create temporary bike lanes?
    Options:

    • A) Because the streets were too wide.
    • B) To help people travel safely during the pandemic.
    • C) To make the city look more colorful.
    Answer: B) To help people travel safely during the pandemic.
  • Question: The temporary bike lanes were removed and are gone today.
    Options:

    • True
    • False
    Answer: False
  • Question: What is the new speed limit for cars in most parts of Paris?
    Options:

    • A) 30 kilometers per hour
    • B) 50 kilometers per hour
    • C) 100 kilometers per hour
    Answer: A) 30 kilometers per hour
• Part_number: 3
  Text:

  If you travel to visit Paris on a holiday, you definitely do not need to bring your own bicycle from home. Paris has a very famous and convenient public bike-sharing system called Vélib'. You can find bright green and blue Vélib' stations almost everywhere all over the city. You simply rent a bike using a smart phone app, ride it quickly to your destination, and then return it to another station near your stop. Riding a bicycle is a truly wonderful and healthy way to see famous tourist places like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum. The city government is still working very hard to build more cycling paths out in the suburbs, but the heart of central Paris is already a wonderful paradise for daily cyclists.

  Vocabulary_explanations

  Holiday: A time when you do not have to work or go to school; a vacation.

  Convenient: Easy to use and helpful for what you need to do.

  Bike-sharing: A service where people can borrow bicycles for a short time.

  Stations: Specific places where you can pick up or drop off a public bike.

  Rent: To pay money to use something for a short time.

  Destination: The exact place you are traveling to.

  Tourist: A person who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure.

  Suburbs: The residential areas built around the outside edges of a city.

  Heart: The center or most important part of a place.

  Paradise: A perfect, wonderful, or very happy place.
  Questions:

  • Question: What is the name of the public bike-sharing system in Paris?
    Options:

    • A) Paris Ride
    • B) Eiffel Bike
    • C) Vélib'
    Answer: C) Vélib'
  • Question: You must bring your own bicycle if you want to ride in Paris.
    Options:

    • True
    • False
    Answer: False
  • Question: Where is the city still working hard to build more cycling paths?
    Options:

    • A) In the suburbs
    • B) Next to the Eiffel Tower
    • C) In the heart of central Paris
    Answer: A) In the suburbs

  Critical Thinking

  Title: Think and Discuss

  Instructions:

  • Do you think your hometown could ever become a '100% cyclable' city like Paris? Why or why not?

  • What are two advantages and two disadvantages of using a bicycle instead of a car in a large, busy city?

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