People have been enjoying the benefits of cycling（骑自行车） in Amsterdam(阿姆斯特丹) for years. It is a good city for cycling because it is flat and there are plenty of places for bicycle parking. Today some people call Amsterdam “City of Bicycles” because of the convenience for bicycles there.

In the 1960s, a group of cycling fans had an idea. They believed that it would be better for everybody if cars weren’t allowed in the city center and only bicycles were. They were hopeful that this would help to save energy, reduce pollution and provide free public transport. The group painted hundreds of bicycles white and placed them in lots of neighborhoods around Amsterdam for people to use. Then a problem came-- thieves took all the bicycles within weeks!

However, more than thirty years later, the “white bike’ is back in town--this time with a computer chip（芯片） to record its every move! To take a bicycle, you have to insert(插入) a special card. The new “ white bike” is not actually white but is an unusual design with bright colours. The bikes are parked at special parking places and people who want to use them have to take them to another special parking place that has enough room.

There is already less traffic in central Amsterdam, because both locals and tourists have been using the white bikes. Instead, thanks to the good ideas of lots of people, like the cycling fans in the 1960s, many people around the world have been enjoying city centre streets without cars many years.

【小题1】Amsterdam is called the “City of Bicycles” because of_________.

A．the cycling fans there	B．the appearance for bicycles
C．the convenience of bicycles	D．the quality of bicycles

【小题2】In the 1960s, some cycling fans hoped bikes could_________．

A．be specially designed	B．help to save energy
C．be placed anywhere	D．be painted in different colours

【小题3】Why did the first “white bike” plan fail?

A．There were not enough parking places.

B．The government allowed people to drive cars freely.

C．Thieves took all the bikes within weeks.

D．People were tired of riding bikes.

【小题4】What do people use if they want to take a “white bike” in the city?

A．A special computer.	B．A common chip.
C．A special card.	D．A white key.