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Reduced Adverb Clauses

EXPLORE

1 READ the article about Amsterdam. What makes this city so safe for cycling?
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Amsterdam: A Cyclist’s Dream

Ona Monday morning in Amsterdam, the workday began as usual for Rokus Albers. While
finishing his coffee, Albers checked messages on his phone. Then, he grabbed his backpack and
headed for the nearest railway station. He wasn’t there to take the train, though. Instead, Albers
chose one of the public bicycles lined up outside the station. After unlocking the bike with a
smart card,! he set out for his job on the other side of the city. He joined dozens of other cyclists
in the bike lanes, safely apart from car traffic.
Amsterdam wasn't always bicycle friendly. In fact, cycling used to be dangerous, especially
during the second half of the twentieth century. This was a time of rapid economic growth in the
Netherlands. As people’s incomes rose, they were able to afford expensive goods such as cars for
the first time, and driving became popular. Highways were built to accommodate all of the cars.
This meant there was less space for cyclists. Having had a long tradition of cycling, this was
a big change for the country. Unfortunately, as car traffic increased, so did the number of fatal
biking accidents. Many of the cyclists were children.
Amsterdam is a model of biking safety for other cities around the world.
The Dutch were outraged.” They organized huge protests in the city streets. Government
officials and urban planners listened. Hoping to solve the problem quickly, they started to
think of ways to make the city safe for cyclists again. Soon there were separate bike lanes,
and some areas were permanently closed to cars. The changes were so effective that today

1 smart card: a small plastic card that can store and
process computer data | +
2 outraged: extremely angry and shocked i i

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UNIT 12) LESSON