VOA标准英语2010年-Colombia's Bike Paths Spawn Sunday Rit

Every Sunday, more than a million people in Bogota join what has become a weekly ritual: congregating¹ on the city's main roads temporarily turned into a network of bike paths known as the "Ciclovia". In a city of seven million people, Sunday mornings are not for cars, they are for exercise. More than 120 kilometers of highways are closed. In many locations, there are free aerobics², yoga and exercise classes. This 36-year success is now being copied in several large cities around the world.

Just imagine. Every Sunday morning, in a large metropolis³, 120 kilometers of roads are closed.

Welcome to the beloved "ciclovia" as it's known in Bogota.

It's a network of paths created 36 years ago out of main roads and handed over to Bogota's residents, no motor vehicles, once a week.

On holidays too, these roads belong to bikers, walkers, skaters and baby carriers... anything that moves with human energy. That includes kids learning to skate, bike and even jog.

"The bike path is the largest space in the country for physical activity. It is more than 120 kilometers where people can express themselves as they wish," said Ana Edurme Camacho, director of the Recreation and Sports Institute in Bogota and the person in charge of the ciclovia.?

Enrique Penalosa is an international consultant⁴ on urban strategies. He's a former mayor of Bogota and is still considered one of the city's most innovative⁵ mayors. He expanded the bike path during his tenure⁶ 10 years ago.

"The ciclovia is a ceremony; it's a ritual where humans recover the city for themselves. And for a while it makes us remember that humans are more important than cars," he said.

Today, about 400 fruit stands work the roads, and 35 outdoor exercise centers have popped up along the paths.

While displays of extreme sports attract large audiences, some people take advantage of the friendly environment to promote causes.

According to former mayor Penalosa, the ciclovia has benefits beyond fresh air and exercise. It helps bridge the social and economic divide among Bogota's residents.??

"In these cities of the developing world where the large majority of the population does not have a car, taking a bit of spaces from the cars is a policy of fairness, is to build equality and social justice," Penalosa said.

The ciclovia is also fun for pets. And in case your bike runs aground, there is a licensed⁷ mechanic every few kilometers.

The ciclovia led to other projects in the city such as the night-time ciclovia at Christmas time and hundreds of kilometers of permanent bike routes, known as "ciclorutas".

Penalosa who plans to run for mayor again next year, takes credit for them. "We moved from zero to 300,000 people who go to work by bike in Bogota, that's five percent of the population," he said.

The ciclovia has been replicated⁸ in other Colombian cities and has been studied and copied by cities around the world.

Ana Camacho says a recent study links the ciclovia to a reduction in hospital visits. "If the city dosen't close the roads on Sundays the people would take over the streets," she said.

No chance of that. Going on 40, the ciclovia remains⁹ a major achievement for Bogota and Colombia.
 

1 congregating   

（使）集合，聚集( congregate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The spatial distribution patterns of larvae and pupae are congregating distribution. 幼虫和蛹的空间分布均为聚集分布。
• He says victims of violence are congregating there because they feel safer. 他说暴力的受害者聚集在这里因为他们觉得更安全。

2 aerobics   

n.健身操，健美操，韵律操

参考例句：

• Doing aerobics is a good way to improve one's health.做有氧健身操是改善健康状况的一个好方法。
• Aren't you going to the aerobics class this morning?今天上午你不是去上有氧运动课吗？

3 metropolis   

n.首府；大城市

参考例句：

• Shanghai is a metropolis in China.上海是中国的大都市。
• He was dazzled by the gaiety and splendour of the metropolis.大都市的花花世界使他感到眼花缭乱。

4 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

5 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

6 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

7 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

8 replicated   

复制( replicate的过去式和过去分词 )； 重复； 再造； 再生

参考例句：

• Later outplant the seedlings in a replicated permanent test plantation. 以后苗木出圃栽植成重复的永久性试验林。
• The phage has replicated and the donor cells have lysed. 噬菌体已复制和给体细胞已发生裂解。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。