Aptis Reading: test de práctica 1

The bicycle has existed in one form or another for about two hundred years, but for most of that time it was not seen as a serious way to get around a city. Early models were heavy, uncomfortable and expensive, and some of them were even dangerous to ride. Later, as the car became the symbol of modern life, town planners designed streets almost entirely for motor traffic. Wide roads, large car parks and fast ring roads were seen as signs of progress. For decades, cycling was something people did at weekends in the countryside rather than on the way to work or school.

Ask people why they do not cycle to work and most will give the same answer: they do not feel safe. Sharing a narrow road with buses and lorries can be frightening, especially for beginners, parents with young children and older people. Even confident riders admit that a single dangerous junction can be enough to make them choose the car. Surveys in many countries show that people who own a bike often leave it at home simply because the route between their house and their job seems too risky. In other words, the problem is not a lack of interest, but a lack of safe space.

Some cities decided that this was a problem they could solve. Copenhagen and Amsterdam were among the first, and more recently cities such as Seville and Paris followed. They built networks of lanes separated from cars by kerbs or plants, reduced speed limits in residential streets and changed traffic lights to give bikes priority. Crucially, they connected the routes, so that people could ride from one side of the city to the other without suddenly finding themselves in heavy traffic. Once the network felt safe, the number of people cycling grew, and many of the new riders had never cycled in a city before.

Electric bikes have also changed who cycles. A small motor that helps you when you pedal makes steep streets and long journeys much easier, and riders arrive at work without needing a shower. Prices have fallen in recent years, and some councils offer help to people who want to buy one. As a result, people who once thought that cycling was only for the young and fit now use a bike for daily trips. Many older adults, in particular, say that an electric bike has allowed them to stay active and independent, and to visit places that would otherwise be difficult to reach.

Supporters point out that the advantages are easy to see. Regular cycling is a simple way to include exercise in a busy day, and doctors often recommend it to people who do not have time for the gym. Many cyclists also say that riding to work helps them clear their heads before a long day. It is cheap, too: there is no fuel to buy, parking is free and repairs usually cost much less than repairs to a car. For students and young workers with tight budgets, a bike can mean saving a significant amount of money every month.

Not everyone welcomes these changes, however. Some shop owners worry that removing parking spaces will mean fewer customers, although others argue that people who arrive on foot or by bike tend to visit local shops more often. Many drivers complain that new lanes make traffic jams worse, and some residents feel that decisions are taken without asking them. In several cities, plans for new routes have led to heated public debates, angry letters to local newspapers and even street protests. As a result, some projects have been delayed, made smaller or cancelled altogether.

Even so, most experts expect cycling to keep growing. Bike-sharing systems are spreading from large cities to smaller towns, and some delivery companies are replacing vans with cargo bikes that can carry heavy loads through narrow streets. Some schools are even organising bike buses, in which groups of children ride to school together with a few adults. If cities continue to invest in safe and connected routes, the bicycle may finally become what its first fans imagined two centuries ago: not a hobby or a sport, but an ordinary way for ordinary people to travel.