常春藤生活英語：Pedaling to Health 踏向健康

One of the most famous bike makers in the world is Taiwan's own Giant. When Giant started in 1972 in Taichung, it only produced bikes for bigger companies like Schwinn. In 1986, Giant decided to compete in the high-end bikes business because the market was expanding quickly. Now, Giant has over 10,000 stores around the world and sells more than three million bikes every year.

People in Taiwan are finally living up to the name "Bicycle Kingdom." Lately, more and more cyclists have been seen on the streets. Friends or families often ride together in mountains or along rivers during the weekends.

Riding a bike is great exercise for everyone. The amount of calories that you burn depends on how hard you pedal and how much you weigh. For example, if a woman that weighs 50 kilograms rides for one hour at a relaxing pace, she would burn 500 calories. If she decided to race with her friends the whole time, she could double that number. The same thing applies to men. If an average man that weighs 70 kilograms rides casually for an hour, he would burn 450 calories. But if that same man decided to really push himself, he could lose up to 1,100 calories. To burn the same amount of calories through hiking, he would have to walk for three full hours without stopping.

世上最有名的自行車制造商之一便是臺灣自產的捷安特。1972年捷安特于臺中成立之初，僅為Schwinn等較大的公司制作腳踏車(編按：Schwinn 為美國的自行車制造商，1895年于芝加哥成立)。1986年，因為市場正急速擴大，捷安特便決定投入高級自行車業(yè)的競爭行列。如今捷安特在全球有超過一萬家店面，每年更賣出超過三百萬輛自行車。

臺灣的人民總算不負『單車王國』的盛名。最近在街上看到了越來越多的自行車騎士。周末常有好友或家人結伴騎乘在山中或河邊。

騎乘自行車對每個人來說都是很棒的運動。您燃燒的熱量有多少，端看您騎得有多賣力及您本身的體重有多重。舉例來說，如果一名體重五十公斤的女士以輕松的步調騎上一小時，她會消耗掉五百卡路里。若她決定這整段時間內都跟她的朋友比賽，她就能使燃燒的熱量加倍。同樣的結果也適用于男性。假如一名體重七十公斤的一般男性悠閑地騎上一小時，他會燃燒掉四百五十卡路里。但假使這名男子決定很賣力騎車，他能消耗多達一千一百卡路里。要以健行來燃燒等量的熱量，他就必須一口氣走上三個小時。

Building Your Vocabulary

1.double　vt. 使加倍

The bakery doubled the price of its donuts.

那家面包坊把店里甜甜圈的售價提高了一倍。

2.casually　adv. 不認真地，隨便地

Patty casually flipped through the magazine.

派蒂漫不經心地翻了翻雜志。

3.push　vt. 使努力

David sometimes pushes his kids too hard.

戴維有時太過嚴格督促他的小孩。

Phrases for Learning

1.live up to...　　不負……(盛名);符合……(標準)

Your job performance has been living up to the boss' standards.

你的工作表現(xiàn)一直都符合老板的標準。

2.depend on...　　視……而定，取決于……

Whether we play baseball or not depends on the weather.

我們打不打棒球全視天氣而定。

3.apply to...　　適用于……

This rule applies to everyone in the school.

這項規(guī)定適用于學校里的每一個人。

參考字詞

1.high-end　a. 高檔的，高級的

2.cyclist　n. 騎自行車的人

3.calorie　n. 卡路里(食物的熱量單位)

4.pedal　vi. 踩動踏板 & n. 腳踏車踏板

5.pace　n. 速度;步調

Tips In Use

To burn the same amount of calories through hiking...

(要以健行來燃燒等量的熱量……)

same 作形容詞時，其前一定要有定冠詞 the?？捎脕硇揎?quot;the same"的副詞通常有 always, nearly, exactly, much 及 about 等，但不可用 very 修飾。

almost/nearly the same 幾乎相同

exactly the same　 完全相同

much the same 頗為相同

about the same 大致相同

I am about the same height as Kate.

(我和凱特的身高大致相仿。)