Bicycling in Denmark
Vocabulary
| heel | mean (3) | way of life |
| pedal | overview | part of being |
| reward | novel (2) | generation |
| neutral | all kinds | recommendation |
| invest | emission | life-expectancy |
| retract | encourage | all-year round |
| lane | innovate | considerable |
| curve | commute | advantage |
| trial (2) | hazard | intersection |
| free | borrow | sustainable |
| roll (2) | executive |
Video
Transcript
He does it. She does it. They do it. They cycle. Everyone cycles.
Bicycling isn’t just a means of transport — It’s a way of life.
It’s Danish bicycle culture.
Danes learn to ride a bicycle at a young age. It’s part of being Danish.
School children are instructed at traffic schools. And several places offer bicycling courses for immigrants.
A cyclist wearing high heels . . . or a top executive commuting by pedal-power. This may be a novel sight to some visitors, but to the Danes, this is part of everyday life.
They ride their bicycles all year round — in all kinds of weather. And on holidays.
Every second Copenhagener who works or studies in the city, commutes by bicycle.
There are many good reasons to ride a bicycle: it’s cheap and it’s healthy. Riding your bike to work or school helps you get the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise.
And your reward is longer life expectancy.
Bicycling is also a climate-neural means of transport. And there are considerable advantages.
Cyclists in Copenhagen save the planet an annual 90,000 tons of CO2 emission.
People choose bicycling for different reasons. To most, it’s a practical alternative. It’s easier and often faster than taking the car.
The city invests in its bicycle culture and seeks innovative ways of making bicycling a safe and fast way to travel.
Bicycle lanes are curved and designed to protect cyclists from the car, a system known as Copenhagen lanes.
Retracted stop lines hold motorists back to give them a better overview, and cyclists are given an early green light.
A trial system has been introduced, where red lights warn lorry drivers at hazardous intersections of approaching cyclists.
It’s free to take your bicycle with you on city metropolitan trains, which makes it easier to leave the car at home.
If you don’t have a bicycle, you can borrow a free city bike in many larger Danish towns. The many bicyclists help make it safer and more sustainable.
And it attracts more tourism and businesses and helps keep the economy rolling.
For society, an active bicycle culture makes financial sense. It means healthier citizens and lower health-care costs. Encouraging bicycling means benefits for all.
Also for the coming generations.
Questions
Road, Street, Boulevard. In Denmark, is bicycling just a fad or hobby, or is it a part of everyday life?
Bridge, Overpass. Only children and poor people ride bicycles. Businessmen, professionals, and the rich only drive cars. Is this true or false? Do Danes use bicycles only for recreation?
Tunnel. Do Danes only ride bikes in summer, in warm sunny weather, and on weekends and holidays?
City Center, Downtown. Is bicycle riding good, bad, both, neither for people, society, and the environment? What are the advantages of riding a bicycle? What are the benefits of riding bicycles?
Plaza, City Square. The city of Copenhagen (the city government) has been promoting car ownership and driving. Is this right or wrong?
Municipality, Bureau, Ministry. Do people have to buy and own their own bicycles to ride a bike in Copenhagen?
Bakery, Cafe, Restaurant. If more people ride bicycles more often, there will be less business and profit. Is this correct or incorrect?
Shop, Store, Convenience Store. My friends and I have bicycles. Yes or no? Do you and your friends ride bikes? Can you ride a bicycle?
Marketplace, Open Market, Bazaar. Cycling is very popular in my city. Yes or no? Is your country similar to Denmark in terms of bicycle culture? Who rides bicycles?
Disco, Clubhouse, Nightlife. Have there been changes in the quantity of cars and bicycles in your city?
Supermarket, Department Store. Where I live, cars are a status symbol: if a person drives a luxury or sports car, he is considered to be successful, prosperous, and a winner. He is admired, respected, and has lots of friends (and all the women love him).
Meanwhile, people without cars are regarded as failures, losers, and nobodies. No one will be their friend (or want to marry them). Is this entirely true, mostly true, in the middle, yes and no, partially true, mostly untrue, or completely false?
Museum, Art Gallery. Would you like to see more bike lanes and more people riding bicycles more often? Would you like your city or nation to be like Copenhagen or Denmark?
Apartment Block, Apartment Building. Is the Danish model the way of the future? What might happen in the future?
