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Prüfungsteil B: Leseverstehen

Are electric bikes the future of green transportation?

1
Nearly everything we do contributes to our carbon footprint. But a two-wheeled solution is
2
zipping through the world at 20 miles an hour. Sales of electric bikes, or e-bikes, are on the
3
rise. In 2021, more than 880,000 e-bikes were sold in the U.S., compared with 608,000 electric
4
cars and trucks. That’s up from 450,000 e-bike sales in 2020. Cities, counties, and states are
5
implementing e-bike rebate programs to respond to growing demand. And as commuters look
6
for more sustainable and accessible ways to travel, many are asking if e-bikes are the solution.
7
“People just find that [e-bikes are] fun,” says Jennifer Dill of Portland State University’s
8
Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC). “I don’t think we can undersell how
9
that can motivate people.”

10
E-bikes have the same components as your traditional, so-called acoustic bicycles: frames,
11
seats, handlebars, and wheels. They differ in their power and speed. The speed of a non-electric
12
bike relies on the rider’s physical strength and endurance. Casual cyclists can pedal at 10 to 14
13
miles per hour, depending on the terrain and weight of the bike and the rider. E-bikes, however,
14
are fueled by batteries, making them heavier. Some models have a pedal assist system with a
15
motor to amplify pedaling power, while others have a throttle¹ and don’t require pedaling. The
16
max speed an e-bike can reach is 28 miles per hour, which is comparable to moped speeds.
17
[…] Because e-bikes can go faster, they require more safety precautions than traditional bikes.
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“You’re going to be moving faster than cars think you will. They may not see you,” says Gregg
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[founder of The eBike Store in Portland, Oregon]. When stopped at red lights and intersections,
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he recommends cyclists look at the front wheels of cars to ensure they’re not headed in the
21
biker’s direction.

22
Safe e-bikes cost thousands of dollars, providing a huge obstacle for some would-be riders.
23
Many jurisdictions² have started following the lead of cities like Denver, which launched an e-
24
bike rebate program in 2022, to reduce costs. The proposed E-BIKE Act would provide a
25
nationwide $1,500 tax credit for e-bikes. E-bikes require less physical exertion than traditional
26
bikes. The pedal assist can encourage riders to bike farther and more often than they would on
27
a traditional bike, leading to more exercise long-term, according to research on rider behavior.
28
This feature also makes e-bikes a versatile option for older riders and individuals with
29
disabilities that would otherwise prevent them from biking. Some women chose e-bikes
30
because they make them feel safer, research says. […]

31
E-bikes are a powerful tool on the road to sustainability. When it replaces trips made by a car,
32
an individual e-bike can reduce CO2 emissions by 225 kilograms each year. That’s equivalent
33
to the emissions produced by one passenger flying economy from Philadelphia to Chicago.
34
Experts say the biggest hurdle to adopting e-bikes on a large scale is infrastructure. Most cities
35
– especially low-income neighborhoods and communities of color – don’t have pedestrian-
36
friendly planning. That includes unsafe streets for people not driving cars. “We need
37
infrastructure that makes people feel safer and that is safer to be traveling on any type of
38
bicycle,” Dill says.

1 throttle: Gashebel

2 jurisdictions: hier: Städte und Gemeinden

Worksheet

While working on the tasks only use the information from the text.

Are electric bikes the future of green transportation?

1.

Match the paragraphs (1-4) with the headings (A-F).

There are two more headings than you need.

A.

How e-bikes work

B.

Dangers of e-bikes

C.

The future of e-bikes

D.

Expansion of electric mobility

E.

E-bikes attractive to different groups

F.

An eco-friendly solution with problems

paragraph

heading

1

2

3

4

4 BE

2.

Read the first paragraph and tick the correct box.

In the US ...

a)

more electric cars than bikes were sold in 2021.

b)

authorities are introducing e-bike friendly policies.

c)

few people think e-bikes are an eco-friendly option.

1 BE

3.

Read the second paragraph.

Find out whether the following statements are true or false.

Give evidence for your answer. Tick the correct boxes and write the first five words of the sentence which supports your answer.

true

false

evidence

a) Electric and traditional bikes are made with different basic parts.

_______________

_______________

b) Amongst other things, the speed of traditional bikers is influenced by the nature of the route.

_______________

_______________

c) You can ride e-bikes without using pedals.

_______________

_______________
3 BE

4.

Read the third paragraph and tick the three correct boxes.

E-bikes ...

a) are preferred by men in the US.

b) motivate people to do more sports.

c) have few positive effects on health.

d) are financially supported in some American cities.

e) can be used by various groups of people.

3 BE

5.

Complete each of the following sentences with the exact phrase from the last paragraph. Do not use more than four words per gap.

In an effort to create a more environmentally friendly future, electric bikes are a) ___________________________________ .

However, the infrastructure is still b) __________________________________ to using electric bikes more extensively.

In particular, deprived urban areas lack c) ___________________________________, where some streets are likely to be dangerous for d) ___________________________________ .

4 BE

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