🚲 ESL Worksheet – The Comeback of the Bicycle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbRL6Opifg&ab_channel=BloombergOriginals
🚲 1. Vocabulary Practice
A. Match the word to its definition
infrastructure A person who travels regularly between
home and work.
ubiquitous
b. Infrastructure built for walking (e.g.,
commuter sidewalks).
c. Road traffic or crowding that slows
pedestrian movement.
congestion d. Frequently found; present everywhere.
e. Structures and facilities (e.g., roads,
bridges) needed for systems to function.
B. Sentence completion
1. The city’s __________ of bike lanes and secure parking makes cycling safe and easy.
2. Bikes are so __________ in Amsterdam that they’re part of daily life.
3. Every morning, __________ use bicycles, trams, or buses to get to work.
4. To protect __________, most cycling lanes are separated from car traffic.
5. Planners reduced road __________ by encouraging bike use over cars.
2. Comprehension Questions
A. Multiple Choice
1. What was a key factor that made Amsterdam bike-friendly?
o A. Large parking garages
o B. Dedicated bike lanes
o C. High tolls on public transport
o D. Strict car bans
2. According to the video, why did Amsterdam invest in bicycle infrastructure?
o A. To impress tourists
o B. To reduce pollution and save space
o C. To follow other European cities
o D. To win sporting events
3. What is the role of “fietsersbond” mentioned in the documentary?
o A. A cycling advocacy group
o B. A bike manufacturing company
o C. The city's cycling police
o D. A bike-sharing service
B. True or False
1. Amsterdam’s city planners left bike lanes optional, rather than essential.
2. Tourist bike congestion was never a planning concern.
3. Creating separated bike lanes helped calm car traffic.
4. History shows bike popularity in Amsterdam surged after World War II.
5. The documentary warns against assuming all cities can simply copy Amsterdam’s
model.
🔍 A. Pre-reading Discussion
Discuss these questions with a partner or in small groups:
1. How often do you ride a bicycle? Why or why not?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a bike in your city?
3. How do you think cycling affects society and the environment?
📖 B. Vocabulary in Context
1. Match the words to their definitions.
Word Definition
1. discarded a. reduced in importance or rank
2. advent b. regular and not changing
3. gridlock c. the arrival of a notable person or event
4. relegated d. completely stuck traffic
5. externalities e. effects that impact others indirectly
6. musculature f. thrown away or abandoned
7. oxygen g. gas necessary for breathing and brain function
8. premature h. happening too soon; earlier than expected
9. sedentary i. involving little or no physical activity
10. preserve j. something kept in its original condition
2. Complete the sentences with the correct vocabulary word from the list:
(mobility, cardio-respiratory, public purse, preventive, de rigueur, welfare, depression,
endorphins, policy, democratic)
1. In the 1950s, it became _______ to drive instead of cycle.
2. A _______ approach to health helps stop diseases before they begin.
3. Cycling supports the _______ of a country by reducing healthcare costs.
4. The government increased _______ spending to support low-income families.
5. _______ diseases are common in polluted cities.
6. Biking improves mental health by increasing the production of _______.
7. A _______ transport system accepts everyone, regardless of status.
8. Cycling helps reduce symptoms of _______ and anxiety.
9. A good transport _______ should include support for bikes.
10. Increased _______ options can reduce city congestion.
🧠 C. Comprehension Questions
Why cities should adopt the bicycle?
The bicycle was for years the means of transport used by just about everybody, young and
old, until it was discarded with the advent of the car. Cities began to grow and mobility
became a problem: traffic, noise, gridlock, and pollution. It was passé to pedal, de rigueur
to drive. And so the bike was relegated to minority transport mode: for those without money,
especially sensitive towards the environment, or politically motivated against motor vehicles.
This vision, however, has been overturned in recent years and all over the world. The bicycle
is becoming the necessary mobility solution once again and one our cities need. Compared
to other transport modes, the positive externalities of the use of the bicycle affect both the
individual and the community as a whole. It is the vehicle of change for a better society.
Question:
Why did bicycles become less popular as a form of transportation in cities?
Healthy individual, healthy society
People who take up cycling as their usual way of getting around will begin to benefit very
soon from an improvement in physical health – improved musculature, blood circulation and
joints. It reduces the risk of a stroke, strengthens the back and prevents slipped discs. Just as
important, it is also good for mental health: the brain receives more oxygen, making it easier
to think. A study published a few months ago showed that children who went to school by
bicycle got better marks than those who didn’t. It is also proven that regular cyclists suffer
less from psychological illness and depression thanks to the greater generation of natural
antidepressants such as endorphins.
Question:
What are some of the physical and mental health benefits of cycling mentioned in the article?
When we talk about a healthy society, we are referring to a society that breathes clean air, free
of the pollution frequently occurring in big cities. This used to be the exclusive concern of the
environmental health department, but is now a real problem: pollution is the cause of
premature death in 450,000 people a year in Europe. The European Union is pursuing this
issue and has the power to fine our town halls for the breach of its regulations.
Question:
How does cycling contribute to a healthier society, and why is pollution now a wider
concern?
Savings for your pocket book and the public purse
From the economic viewpoint, the bicycle has always been the best way to move around, after
walking that is. Both the initial investment and maintenance costs are infinitely lower than
other private means and the bicycle needs neither fuel nor insurance. This is why it is the
best solution for people with limited means and their workplace nearby. Meanwhile, it is also
the chosen mode for the saver who prefers to invest money in things other than local
transport, such as holidays, education or welfare.
At a societal level, promoting cycling – facilitating access to it through the availability of
public bicycle schemes, cycle lanes or road safety campaigns – represents savings in public
spending on the likes of cardio-respiratory disease, prevalent in our society as a
consequence of poor air quality and cardiovascular dangers such as tobacco, alcohol abuse,
sedentary lifestyles and unbalanced diets; in other words, it promotes a more preventive and
less reactive, in the form of medicine, response. Or, to put it another way, the bicycle
contributes to promoting healthy lifestyle habits, which is a lot cheaper than paying to recover
good health after it has been lost. Recently, I read a poster that said: "The economic system
does not promote the use of bikes because bikes can change the economic system."
Question:
Why is the bicycle considered an economical form of transport for individuals?
Neither a class thing nor a policy choice
The bicycle does not understand the class argument, and indeed accepts anyone who sits on it
in equal measure. It is the preserve neither of the wealthy nor of the fittest. In this sense, we
could say that it is the most democratic form of transport.
The bike understands nothing of political preferences, either of left or right, although some
politicians would like to fly its flag, use it as a political weapon. And yet the bicycle is
political, since by promoting cycling we make our cities better places in which to live;
quieter and much safer.
Question:
Why does the author describe the bicycle as a “democratic” form of transportation?
