常春藤生活英语：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.

世上最有名的自行车制造商之一便是台湾自产的捷安特。1972年捷安特于台中成立之初，仅为Schwinn等较大的公司制作脚踏车(编按：Schwinn 为美国的自行车制造商，1895年于芝加哥成立)。1986年，因为市场正急速扩大，捷安特便决定投入高级自行车业的竞争行列。如今捷安特在全球有超过一万家店面，每年更卖出超过三百万辆自行车。

台湾的人民总算不负『单车王国』的盛名。最近在街上看到了越来越多的自行车骑士。周末常有好友或家人结伴骑乘在山中或河边。

骑乘自行车对每个人来说都是很棒的运动。您燃烧的热量有多少，端看您骑得有多卖力及您本身的体重有多重。举例来说，如果一名体重五十公斤的女士以轻松的步调骑上一小时，她会消耗掉五百卡路里。若她决定这整段时间内都跟她的朋友比赛，她就能使燃烧的热量加倍。同样的结果也适用于男性。假如一名体重七十公斤的一般男性悠闲地骑上一小时，他会燃烧掉四百五十卡路里。但假使这名男子决定很卖力骑车，他能消耗多达一千一百卡路里。要以健行来燃烧等量的热量，他就必须一口气走上三个小时。

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价提高了一倍。

2.casually　adv. 不认真地，随便地

Patty casually flipped through the magazine.

派蒂漫不经心地翻了翻杂志。

3.push　vt. 使努力

David sometimes pushes his kids too hard.

戴维有时太过严格督促他的小孩。

Phrases for Learning

1.live up to...　　不负……(盛名);符合……(标准)

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

你的工作表现一直都符合老板的标准。

2.depend on...　　视……而定，取决于……

Whether we play baseball or not depends on the weather.

我们打不打棒球全视天气而定。

3.apply to...　　适用于……

This rule applies to everyone in the school.

这项规定适用于学校里的每一个人。

参考字词

1.high-end　a. 高档的，高级的

2.cyclist　n. 骑自行车的人

3.calorie　n. 卡路里(食物的热量单位)

4.pedal　vi. 踩动踏板 & n. 脚踏车踏板

5.pace　n. 速度;步调

Tips In Use

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

(要以健行来燃烧等量的热量……)

same 作形容词时，其前一定要有定冠词 the。可用来修饰"the same"的副词通常有 always, nearly, exactly, much 及 about 等，但不可用 very 修饰。

almost/nearly the same 几乎相同

exactly the same　 完全相同

much the same 颇为相同

about the same 大致相同

I am about the same height as Kate.

(我和凯特的身高大致相仿。)