56. If you want to book a package
you have to __________.
A. submit an e-mail reservations request
B. make sure of your
check-in and check-out dates
C. refer to Group Accommodations
D. wait for further notice
E
In
2002, the Beijing Municipal government led the nation in issuing an order
banning electric bicycles from January
1, 2006. Since then a number of local governments have followed
this.
In May, the Legislature of
Zhuhai in South China’s Guangdong Province
became the first law-making body in the country to pass a regulation to keep
electric bicycles off the roads.
They claim environmental
disadvantage and concerns over public safety justify their ban.
Local government officials
and law makers have argued their leading concern is the threat of pollution
from spent lead-acid batteries. The relatively high speed of electric bicycles
--- faster than most common bikes at about 20 kilometers per hour --- is just
too dangerous in the eyes of some policy-makers.
They also mention
interference with automobiles, common bikes and passers-by that results in
accidents or slowed traffic.
But none of these arguments
justify the ban.
In the first place, it
should be made clear that while operating, the battery driving an electric bike
sends out almost no polluting gas. They are much cleaner than cars. If the
batteries, which can be used for one or two years, are thrown away without
proper treatment or recycling, environmental damage is highly likely.
It is required that electric
bike producers and store sellers sign recycling contracts to ensure consumers
can sell used batteries back to producers. In practice, some small producers
neglect their recycling responsibility, causing concern for environmental
pollution.
It is clear the authorities
can solve the problem through strengthening management. Although it will require
some extra efforts from the government, it does not go beyond government
officials’ call of duty.
Regarding the speed, there
are technical standards governing the production of electric bikes. According
to the standards, the designed speed should be limited to a maximum of 20
kilometers per hour. This is slower than the top speed of some mountain bikes.
To cater to the
consumer desire for higher speed, some manufacturers have made it easy to
remove speed-limiting devices after purchase, which is potentially very
dangerous.
To
make the bicycles safer, local governments should draft regulations specifying
severe punishments for rule-breakers. The black sheep should be picked up and
punished, but violations by a small number of manufacturers or riders should
not be an excuse to spoil the fun for everyone.
