Unit 9 Transportation

Unit 9 Transportation

Topic 1: Taking the Subway

Background Information

The Beijing Subway is a rapid transit rail network that serves the urban and suburban districts of Beijing unicipality. The subway’s first line opened in 1971, and the network now has 13 lines, 172 stations and 336km of tracks in operation. It is the oldest subway in mainland China, and the second in length and ridership after the Shanghai Metro. On April 30, 2010, the subway delivered a record 6.4 million rides. On December 30, 2010, Lines 15, Changping, Fangshan, Yizhuang and Daxing opened for operation.



The existing network still cannot adequately meet the city’s mass transit needs and is undergoing rapid expansion. Overall, plans call for over 700km of tracks in operation by 2015 and 1,000km by 2020. The Chinese government’s ¥4 trillion economic stimulus package has accelerated subway construction. The network is set to reach 420km by 2012.



1. FaresA flat fare of RMB(¥) 2 with unlimited transfers applies to all lines except the Airport Express, which costs ¥25 Children below 1.2m in height ride for free when accompanied by a paying adult. All lines now collect fares through automatic fare collection (AFC) machines that accept single-ride tickets and the One Card Through Card or Yikatong, an integrated circuit card (ICC card) that can store credit for multiple rides.



Riders can purchase tickets and add credit to Yikatong at ticket counters and vending machines in every station. Yikatong is also accepted on many city buses, and can be used as e-money for other purchases. The use of tickets hand checked by clerks was phased out on June 9, 2008. Before the flat fare was introduced on October 7, 2007, fares ranged from ¥3 to ¥7 depending on the line and number of transfers.



2. Hours of OperationThe subway is generally closed after midnight, unless a special occasion prompts extended operating hours. The first trains depart terminals at around 5 a.m. and the last leave at around 11 p.m.


Situational Dialogue

Mr. White with his family visits Beijing for the first time. They have enough time to have a good time, so they want to get more information on the transportation from tour guide Zhang Li.(A: Mr. White B: Zhang Li )A:It’s our first visit to Beijing. We will have a week to go sightseeing before we head back home. What do you suggest we see when we are here?



B:There are many interesting places you should be sure to see. One problem is transportation, however. Because the city is very large and has a long history, the roads are narrow and congested. If you have a week time, you don’t want to spend them waiting in traffic in a cab. I suggest you take the subway. A: The subway? But is there a subway station next to my hotel—Shangri-la? I will have a travel plan to different places everyday.



B:Yes. There’s a subway station next to the Shangri-la. When you do your personal sightseeing, you can take the bus or the metro. A:Is it expensive to ride on the underground?B:You can get a daily pass that will allow you to travel unlimited for the whole day for about 6 dollars. Otherwise, you can pay by trip, which is about 50 cents to 2 dollars each trip, depending on how far you go.A:Is it easy to get lost?



B:No, no…it’s very hard to get lost. There are two lines; one that goes in a circle, the other one is straight. If you get lost, there are always subway attendants that can help you find your way.


Vocabulary

a daily pass 当天有效的通行证congested (街道、城市等 )拥挤interesting places/places of interest 名胜古迹subway attendants 地铁服务员subway station 地铁站


Notes

1.head back home 返程Eg. I have a week to go sightseeing before I head back home. 返程前我有一个星期的时间进行观光。2.transfer to… 换乘Eg. You will have to transfer to another line. 你将必须换乘另一趟线路。 3.There are two underground lines, one that goes in a circle, the other one is straight. 一共两条线路，一条是环形的，另一条是直线。


Useful Sentences

For a guide1.You will have to transfer to another line.你将不得不换乘另外一条线路。 2.Be sure you buy a combination ticket for the regular subway and the lightrain.切记你买的是普通地铁与轻轨的联票。3.If you get lost, there are always subway attendants that can help you find your way.如果你迷路了，有很多的地铁工作人员可以帮你指路。


Useful Sentences

4.Xizhimen is a big station, so there will likely be a lot of people getting off at that stop.西直门是一个大站，所以很多人都会在那里下车。5.When go sightseeing, you can first take the shuttle to the conference center, then hop on the metro.要去观光，你首先乘坐大巴到达会议中心，然后再换乘地铁。6.If you have three or four days to visit, you don’t want to spend them waiting in traffic in a cab.如果你有三、四天的时间进行旅游，那你不必把时间花在乘出租车堵车的路上。


Useful Sentences

For a tourist1.Transportation is a problem.交通是一个问题。2.What do you suggest I see when I am here？在这，你建议我看些什么景点呢？3.Is it expensive to ride on the underground?乘坐地铁贵吗？4.Is there a subway station next to my hotel？地铁站旁边有宾馆吗？


Useful Sentences

5.I have a day to go sightseeing before I head back home.在我返程之前，有一天的时间可以四处看看。


Exercises

1. Complete the following dialogue according to the Chinese in brackets and then read it in roles.Mr. Smith is asking the way at the service counter.(A: Reception B: Mr. Smith)A:Good morning, sir. What can I help you?B:Good morning. ________________________ (能告诉我去西直门的地铁站口怎么走吗 ?) A:Sure. First you are going to buy a ticket to ride on the subway. The Xizhimen station is on the lighttrail, so you will have to transfer.


Exercises

B:And after I buy the ticket, ______________(我应该去哪？ )A:You can take the red line train from here, but you will have to transfer to the blue line at Fuxingmen transfer station. After you transfer, take the blue line that is heading north toward Fuchengmen. B:So I transfer from red to blue, then_____________(那我要坐多长时间的蓝线地铁？ )A:You can take the blue line until you reach Xizhimen.


Exercises

B:___________________________________________(听起来有点复杂啊。 )A:No, not really. Don’t worry about it, like I said just follow the crowd. There is only one direction to go, so you won’t get on the wrong train. Head north on the yellow line, and you will see it in just a couple of stops.B:__________________________(非常感谢！ )


Exercises

2. Role Play. Make up a dialogue based on the following situation and role-play it to the class.Mr. Blank, an American, has just arrived in Beijing on a business trip and he wants to make a personal sightseeing by subway. Before he leaves the hotel, he goes to the receptionist to ask for some information about how to take the subway.


Knowledge Links

Transport in BeijingBeijing, as the capital and a municipality of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is a transport hub, with a sophisticated network of roads, railways and a major airport. Four completed ring roads encircle a city with nine expressways heading in virtually all compass directions, supplemented by eleven China National Highways.


Knowledge Links

Beijing has a growing subway system, as well as three major train railway stations: Beijing Railway Station (or the central station), Beijing West Railway Station and the newly opened Beijing South Railway Station, which is the biggest in China.Beijing Subway (Metro)The Beijing Subway now has 9 lines, 228km of tracks and 147 stations in operation. Subway travel is generally fast, clean, economical and during peak periods congested.


Knowledge Links

On average currently around five million people ride the subway daily. By 2015 the city predicts daily ridership will increase to over 8 million journeys a day. A flat fare of ¥2 with unlimited transfers applies to all lines, except the express link to the airport, which costs ¥25. The electronic commuter fare card, Yikatong is accepted on all lines. The subway network is undergoing rapid expansion and that by 2015 the city will have 19 subway lines and 561km in track length. This would make Beijing’s subway system one of the largest in the world.


Knowledge Links

Beijing Suburban RailwayThe Beijing Suburban Railway is a commuter railway service that connects outlying counties with the subway network. Six “S-numbered” lines have been planned. There is only one S-Line currently in operation. The S2 Line runs from the North Station at Xizhimen to the Badaling Great Wall in Yanqing County.


Knowledge Links

Beijing RailwaysBeijing is one of the major hubs of China’s railway network. The following eight major railways radiate out of Beijing:•Jingguang Railway, to Guangzhou, Guangdong•Jinghu Railway, to Shanghai•Jingha Railway, to Harbin, Heilongjiang•Jingbao Railway, to Baotou, Inner Mongolia•Jingyuan Railway, to Yuanping, Shanxi•Jingcheng Railway, to Chengde, Hebei•Jingqin Railway, to Qinhuangdao, Hebei


Knowledge Links

•Jingjiu Railway, to Kowloon, Hong Kong, Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. To cross the boundary between mainland China and Hong Kong, passengers have to go through immigration and customs checks.Six other railway stations in Metropolitan Beijing handle regular passenger traffic: Beijing East, Beijing North, Beijing South, Fengtai, Guanganmen, and Xinghuo. Hepingli Railway Station seems to have been completely abandoned and is apparently no longer in service.


Knowledge Links

Beijing South is where the intercity high speed train departs and arrives to Tianjin from. High speed trains depart every 15~20 minutes from the early morning until the early evening. Fares range in price from 58 to 69 yuan. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes. International Trains Departing from BeijingThere are a number of international trains departing from Beijing to neighbouring countries. The Trans-Siberian train to Ulaan Baatar (Mongolia) and then onto Moscow (Russia) departs from Beijing.


Knowledge Links

There are also trains to Pyongyang (North Korea) and Hanoi (Vietnam) which depart from Beijing. The trains also stop at other cities and towns along the route. International trains currently depart from Beijing West Railway Station and Beijing Railway Station. The following is a guide to the international services which depart from Beijing.


Knowledge Links

•K3—Beijing to Ulaan Baatar/Moscow—Departs from Beijing Railway Station every Wednesday at 7:45 a.m.•K5—Beijing to Hanoi—Departs from Beijing West Railway Station every Thursday and Friday at 4:08 p.m.•K19—Beijing to Moscow—Departs from Beijing Railway Station every Saturday at 11:00 p.m.•K23—Beijing to Ulaan Baatar—Departs from Bejing Railway Station every Saturday at 7:45 a.m.


Knowledge Links

•K27—Beijing to Pyongyang—Departs from Beijing Railway Station every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Topic 2: Taking the Taxi


The Origin of TaxiA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for a hired driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice. In modes of public transport, the pick-up and drop-off locations are determined by the service provider, not by the passenger, although demand responsive transport and share taxis provide a hybrid bus/taxi mode.



Taximeters existed in ancient Rome, where they employed a mechanism that used the turning of the cart’s axle to release small balls. At the end of the trip, the passenger paid based on the number of released balls. The modern taximeter was invented by German Wilhelm Bruhn in 1891, and the Daimler Victoria—the world’s first meter-equipped (and gasoline-powered) taxicab—was built by Gottlieb Daimler in 1897.


Background Information Getting around by Taxi in

Beijing

Figure 9-1: Taxi in Beijing



Getting around in Beijing by taxi is not hard, as long as you are prepared. Assume your driver will not speak English. Keep the name of your hotel written down in Chinese characters. A brochure, business card or receipt may work or you should ask the hotel staff to write it down for you. Then you can easily show it to a driver. Some guidebooks have destinations and hotels written in Chinese. Also a little phrasebook may suffice. You can also learn to say the name of your hotel and other destinations in Chinese.



Taxis in Beijing are metered, so just get in the taxi and pay the fare when you get out. The machine will also print out receipts automatically for you if you need it.Note that taxis cannot stop anywhere they want—usually if there is a solid white line and it is a busy place with police around they are likely to ignore your hailing. Try a side street or look for a taxi stand. If you know which way you want to be going, catch a taxi on the correct side of the road as it will be faster.



Figure 9-2: The Ring Roads in Beijing



Beijing taxis start at ten renminbi (Chinese dollars) and don’t actually tick up for a good distance. Often if you are not going too far the ride will cost you ten or twelve renminbi which is less than two US dollars. A trip from the airport is about 70 to 100 RMB.



Mr. White as well as his family wants to have a visit to Chengde, so they decide to take the taxi to the railway station first, then go to Chengde by train. (A: Mr.White B: Taxi Driver)A:Our train is at 2:30 p.m. Could we hurry up?B:I’m not sure, because it is heavy on this street now, but I’ll try my best. Please buckle up.A:Can we take another way?B:Which way do you want to take?A:Turn right at the main street. And use the highway.(At the station)



B:Could you stop in the main entrance?A:OK, I’ll go straight a little further.B:Thank you.A:How much is fare?B:It’s ¥36.A:How come? The fare is bigger than the meter.B:There is an additional fee because we use the highway.A:OK, here you are. Please keep the change.B:Thank you.


Vocabulary

local train 普通列车terminal staff 站点工作人员change 零钱express train 特快列车highway 高速公路meter 计价器taxi stand 出租车站点


Notes

1.Please buckle up. 请系好安全带。2.Please use the highway. 请走高速路。3.The fare is bigger than the meter. 出租车费比计价器显示的高一点。 4.Please keep the change. 请拿好零钱。


Useful Sentences

1.Please keep the change.请拿好零钱。2.Please use the meter.请使用计价器。3.Turn right at the first corner.在拐弯处右转。4.Where can I find the taxi stop? 哪里有出租车站？5.What time can we get there? 我们什么时候能到？


Useful Sentences

6.How can I get to the railway station? 我怎么可以去火车站？7.Could you hurry to the railway station? 您能快点去火车站吗？8.The fare is different from the meter or bigger than the meter.价格和计价器的不同或比计价器的高。9.Could you tell me how long will it take to get to the Summer Palace?您能告诉我去颐和园需要多长时间吗？


Exercises

1. Complete the following dialogue according to the Chinese in brackets and then read it in roles.Lily and Mary are waiting for Bill to start the meeting. Bill is late again, and they are talking about it.(A: Lily B: Mary)A:Where is Bill? The ambassador’s already here. The meeting is set to start at 9 a.m.B:He’s late again! _____________________________(可能路上耽误了。 )


Exercises

A:Even though the traffic is bumper-to-bumper out there, I don’t think it’s heavy traffic that makes Bill late. He takes the train, remember?B:Oh, that’s right. _____________________________(火车不会晚点的。 ) That means there is only one reason… Bill must have overslept!A:Well, to be fair, since he’s coming all the way from Lancaster, he has got to get up much earlier than the rest of us. He must get started on his commute about 6:30, no telling what time he actually gets up.


Exercises

B:That’s right, because he’s got to get to the train station from his house, then ____________________(乘蓝线进程，接着再换乘去红线的火车。 ) In all, the trip’s got to take more than two hours.A:Why doesn’t he just drive to work？B:It’s difficult to park your car in the city. Also, __(从郊区开车进城简直太恐怖了。 )


Exercises

2. Role Play. Make up a dialogue based on the following situation and role-play it to the class.Mr. Bill, a Canadian, goes to Beijing for the first time. He wants to visit the Summer Palace by taxi. You are the city volunteer in Beijing, please tell him the daily information about how to take the taxi.


Knowledge Links

Taxi in BeijingTaxi fares in Beijing depend on the vehicle type: these start at CNY 10 for the first 3 kilometers, and go up by CNY 2.00 per extra kilometer; the per-kilometer charge is based upon the model of the vehicle. After 10 p.m. the base fare goes up to CNY 11. There are also Hongqi taxis which operate at a 2.00 rate, however these are a rarity and not commonly seen. Idling time is also factored into the total fare.


Knowledge Links

All legal cabs will be part golden yellow in color, and display their permits and paperwork on the dash board and windshield.There are also many illegal cabs (heiche, meaning “Black Cabs” as in “black market” or “illegal”), which operate via a pre-negotiated fare.Taxi-like services, including Pedicabs, are also widely used. A motorized or manual bicycle is probably the most commonly seen form, although pedicabs are still available in certain parts of the city.


Knowledge Links

These quaint modes of transport also employ the pre-negotiated fare system.In 1999, the environmentally unsound “bread cars” (Minivans) (mianbao che, a.k.a miandi) were decommissioned in a stringent manner. They used to charge CNY 1 per kilometre. Although it was sound, budget-wise, their poor environmental record and an increasing consciousness of the image of the capital were the factors that landed them in the dumpster.


Knowledge Links

As of 2004, 1.20 RMB/km taxicabs are being phased out, and as of 2006 all taxi fares are 2.00 RMB per km with the same 10 RMB starting fare for 3 km rule. Hyundai Elantra is becoming the common new type of taxi, along with Volkswagen Jetta.

　　　谢　　谢！

Documents

Unit 9 Transportation