The first time my parents watched me compete in a mountain bike race, they tried to get me to quit. While I was riding down a hill, I hit a huge rock, flew through the air and crashed to the ground. However, this kind of thing happens all the time. I just got up as fast as I could, got back on my bike and kept going. And I won that race, despite taking quite a spill!

My earliest bike memories are of my father taking me out for rides in the child seat on the back of his ten-speed. A couple years later, I got my first bike. But my parents wouldn’t let me ride more than a few blocks from the house until I was ten. The morning of my tenth birthday, I got my older sister to take me on a long ride. We ended up at my aunt’s house. I was totally exhausted and every muscle in my body ached. But I didn’t care. I knew that this was only the beginning, and all I could think about was where my next trip would take me.

When I was in the eighth grade, our gym teacher, Mr. Raines, sent out a flyer about starting a mountain bike club. I ran to his office between classes and signed up. Over the next few months, the ten of us who joined the club worked on our biking skills. Besides taking us out riding, Mr. Raines taught us about bike safety, and showed us how to properly maintain and repair our bikes. He also helped us form a mountain bike team. At first, we competed against each other. Later, we went up against other schools. We continued to train and compete all through high school.

Biking has been the major focus of my life. Those early trips on the back of my father’s bike got me started. The long rides with my sister increased my enthusiasm. Then, the training and competitions in the bike club guaranteed that I would turn into a lifelong bike fan. I think everyone should have a hobby like this－something that is good for them and makes them happy.

If you are travelling from one of London’s international airports to central London, don’t take taxi unless you are very rich! The minimum (最小的) fare from Heathrow, the airport nearest to central London, is about $25. If you are travelling in a group of four people and each of you has a lot of luggage, you may feel that it would be worth paying for a taxi.

If you simply want to cross London from one railway station to another or from a station to your hotel, then a taxi may be a good idea. Although taxis may seem quite expensive, they make life a lot easier if you have a lot of luggage, or if you are not confident about finding your way around the Underground system. Here are some useful facts about using taxis:

★ Licensed (有许可证的) taxis are large, and usually black, vehicles with a small white plate (牌照) on the back showing a license number and the words Hackney Carriages.

★ The best place to find a taxi is at a railway station. Follow the signs for taxi and you will find what is called a taxi rank (a place in the road where a taxi can stop). Another good place to find a taxi is near a large hotel.

★ If you are not at a station, you will have to stand in the street and wait for one to go past. Look for a taxi which has an orange light lit up over the driver’s window — this means that it is not being used by anyone else.

★ When the taxi is quite close, raise your arm and wave the driver down. The taxi should stop for you.

★ When you pay, it is usual to give the driver a tip of at least 10%.

Driving in Canada is similar to driving in many parts of the United States. Distances and speeds, however, are posted in kilometers per hour and some signs, particularly in Quebec, may only be in French.

Unless otherwise posted, the maximum (最大限度的) speed limit in Canada is 50km/hr in cities and 80km/hr on highways. On rural highways, the posted speed limit may be 100km/hr. It is illegal to take automobile radar detectors (汽车雷达检测器) into Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and the Yukon. In Canada, seat belt use is required by law for all people, and child car seats must be used by children under 40 pounds. Some provinces require drivers to keep their vehicles’ headlights on during the day and some have banned (禁止) driving while using a hand-held cell phone. Motorcycles cannot share a lane (车道), and safety helmets for motorcycle riders and passengers are necessary. Running a red light is a serious crime throughout Canada and drivers are advised to stop before starting when a light turns green.

Winter travel can be dangerous due to heavy snowfalls and icy conditions. Some roads and bridges are often closed in winter. Snow tires are required in some provinces. Travelers should also be careful about animals while driving at night in rural areas.

Highway 401, from Detroit to Montreal, is one of the busiest highways in North America. It has been the scene of many deadly traffic accidents due to sudden and severe weather changes, high rates of speed, and heavy truck traffic. Thus drivers should be alert while travelling here.

Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information. Also, we suggest that you visit the website of Canada’s national authority responsible for road safety.