Don’t drive your kids to school. Let them ride a bike to school.
In England 8.3 million children travel to school every day. It is reported that only a small number of pupils cycle to school (under 2%), although one in three children would actually like to.
Experts say that to stay healthy, children need at least one hour of moderate (适度的) exercise every day. But only six out of ten boys and four out of ten girls get that. One of the reasons is that parents have developed a habit of driving their children to school when they could just walk or ride a bike to school.
Teachers often say that children who walk or ride a bike to school are more ready to listen to their classes, ask and answer questions in class than those driven by car, and the school journey is a good chance for children to learn about road safety and other life skills. Also, for many children, riding a bike is more fun than going to school by car.
Most parents know the benefits (益处). Then what’s stopping them from letting their kids ride a bike? Safety is the number one worry for them. But actually riding a bike is not as dangerous as parents think it is.
When you decide to buy a bike, you should be aware（意识到） that a bike that is too big or too small is dangerous. Don’t try to get a bike that your child will “grow into”. Get the right size in good working order. Generally, 20-inch wheels are on bikes for 5-8 year olds; 24-inch wheels are for 9-11 year olds; 26-inch wheels are suitable for those over 11, and some older children should even take bikes with 28-inch wheels, but the main thing is that the bike fits your child.
小题1:This passage is mainly written for ________.
A．teachers whose students have asked their parents to drive them to school
B．children who have asked their parents to drive them to school
C．parents who drive their children to school
D．parents who drive to work小题2:Which of the following benefits of cycling to school is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A．It will help children keep healthy
B． It will make children more active in class.
C．It will make children feel freer
D．It will be more fun for children.小题3:Parents don’t allow their children to ride a bike to school mainly because ________.
A．their children don’t want to.
B．they are worried about their children’s safety.
C．they don’t know what size bike to choose
D．They haven’t enough money to buy a bike.小题4:Generally, what size bike is suitable for a 10-year-old child？
A．A bike with 20-inch wheels
B．A bike with 24-inch wheels
C．A bike with 26-inch
D．A bike with 28-inch wheels
