TheyonceseemedmoreathomeonthebustlingstreetsofAsialikeDelhiCalcuttaandBangkokbutcyclepoweredrickshaws（人力车）cannowbeseentakingpeopleacrosstowninmanyEuropeancities.Manypeoplebelievethatrickshawsa
TheyonceseemedmoreathomeonthebustlingstreetsofAsialikeDelhiCalcuttaandBangkokbutcyclepoweredrickshaws（人力车）cannowbeseentakingpeopleacrosstowninmanyEuropeancities.Manypeoplebelievethatrickshawsareagoodwayofexperiencingacityclose-upwhilealsocuttingdownontrafficjamsandpollution.InBerlinoneofthefirstcitiestointroducethisnewmodeloftransportmorethan200bike-taxisgoalongat15kmperhourpastmanytouristattractionsandcityparks.
“Itiscompletelyenvironmentallyfriendly;wehavenewmodelswithanenginetohelpthedriverupthehillsbuttheyuserenewableenergy.”saidaspokesmanforVELOTAXItheleadingrickshawcompanywhichhascarriedaquarterofamillionpeoplethisyear.
Whilethecitystillhas7000motor-taxisrickshawcompanyofficialssaytheirtaxis’greenethicsspeedandsafetymakethemmorethanjustatouristattraction.WhilenowincreasinglyoutoffashioninDelhiBerlinpeoplehaveeagerlyacceptedthenewfleetsincetheirlaunchin1997.
“It’sbetterthanataxibetterthanabusbetterthanthetrain”saidULFLehman36asheleaptoutofarickshawneartheworldfamousBrandenburggate.“Itfeelssofree.”
“ThisissomethingoutoftheordinaryyoufeelyouareonholidayinBangkokinsteadofBerlin”saidanothertraveler.
InAmsterdamdriverPeterJancsosaidpeopleliketobedrivenaroundinhisbrightyellowrickshawandpretendtobeaqueeninagoldencarriage."Ilikemypassengerstofeelimportant"hesaidashedroppedoffanotherpassenger.Anothervisitornotedhowcheapitwascomparedwithanormaltaxi.
AlthoughincreasinglypopularinEuropeitistheoppositeinIndiawherehand-pulledrickshawsareconsideredinhumanandasymbolofIndia'sbackwardpast.
Nearly500bike-rickshawsarerunninginLondonandarenotrequiredtopaythecity'sroadtaxbutthingsmaychangeasothertaxidriverscomplainofunfairtreatment.
1．Wherearerickshawsbecomingmorepopular?
A．DelhiBerlinParis. B．AmsterdamBangkokDelhi.
C．AthensLondonBerlin. D．BerlinAmsterdamLondon.
2．WhyarerickshawsnolongeraswidelyusedinIndiaasinthepast?
A．Th