首页
登录
职称英语
Every generation has its emblematic boy’s toy. Once upon a time there was the
Every generation has its emblematic boy’s toy. Once upon a time there was the
游客
2023-12-23
18
管理
问题
Every generation has its emblematic boy’s toy. Once upon a time there was the golf cart: a little toy car specifically designed for middle-aged men too rich to care about looking ridiculous. Later came the beach buggy, a briefly fashionable, wildly impractical, single-terrain vehicle. One might include the motorcycle or the snowmobile on this list, were they not, in certain contexts, quite useful, but there is no doubt which pointless recreational vehicle has captured the imagination of the landed, middle-aged celebrity: it’s the quad bike.
What is it about this squat, ungainly, easy-to-flip machine that celebrities love so much? As recreational vehicles go, the quad bike is hardly sophisticated. They are to the countryside what the jet-ski is to Lake Windermere. "There’s nothing cool about a quad", says Simon Tiffin, editor of a well-known magazine. "It’s a strange thing to want to hare round beautiful bits of the country in a petrol-guzzling machine."
But celebrities love quad bikes. Musicians, comedians, DJs, actors and sportsmen have all been photographed aboard quads. "They’re the latest rich person’s toy", says Tiffin. "Spoilt children get them for Christmas." Provided you~ ye got a large estate to go with it, however, the quad bike can remain a secret indulgence. You can go out and tear up your own piece of countryside without anyone knowing you’re doing it.
The quad bike’s nonsensical name—"quad" means four, but "bike" is an abbreviation of "bicycle", which means two—that comes to six—hints at its odd history. Originally the ATV, or all-terrain vehicle, as quads are sometimes known, was developed in Japan as a three-wheeled farm vehicle, an inexpensive mini-tractor that could go just about anywhere. In the 1980s the more stable four-wheeled quad was officially introduced—enthusiasts had been converting their trikes for some time—again primarily for farming, but its recreational appeal soon became apparent. At the same time a market for racing models was developing.
Paul Anderson, a former British quad racing champion, says the quad’s recreational appeal lies in its potential to deliver a safe thrill. It’s a mix between a motorbike and driving a car; when you turn a corner, you’ve got to lean into the corner, and then if the ground’s greasy, the rear end slides out, he says. "Plus they’re much easier to ride than a two-wheeled motorcycle." The quad bike, in short, provides middle-aged excitement for men who think a Harley might be a bit dangerous. Anderson is keen to point out that quad bikes are, in his experience, much safer than motorcycles. "With quad racing it’s very rare that we see anybody having an accident and getting injured," he says. "In the right hands, personally, I think a quad bike is a very safe recreational vehicle", he adds.
Outside of racing, quad bikes are growing in popularity and injuries have trebled in the last five years. Although retailers offer would-be purchasers basic safety instructions and recommend that riders wear gloves, helmets, goggles, boots and elbow pads, there is no licence required to drive a quad bike and few ways to encourage people to ride them wisely. Employers are required to provide training to workers who use quad bikes, but there is nothing to stop other buyers hurting themselves.
For the rest of the world, quad bikes are here to stay. They feature heavily in the programmes of holiday activity centres, they have all but replaced the tractor as the all-purpose agricultural workhorse and now police constables ride them while patrolling the Merseyside coastline. It has more or less usurped the beach buggy, the dirt bike and the snowmobile, anywhere they can go the quad bike can. They even race them on ice. You can’t drive round Lake Windermere on one, or at least nobody’s tried it yet. Just wait. [br] According to the passage, quad bike riders have to______.
选项
A、take lessons if they use the bike as part of their job
B、wear gloves, helmets, goggles, boots and elbow pads
C、formulate basic safety instructions
D、have a motorbike licence
答案
B
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3298953.html
相关试题推荐
Dubai:AModernParableWhenfuturegenerationssitt
Dubai:AModernParableWhenfuturegenerationssitt
Dubai:AModernParableWhenfuturegenerationssitt
Dubai:AModernParableWhenfuturegenerationssitt
Dubai:AModernParableWhenfuturegenerationssitt
Theschoolisgoingthe________miletocreatethenextgenerationofsportingst
Theschoolisgoingthe________miletocreatethenextgenerationofsportingst
Asthenewgenerationofparents,millennialsrelymuchontheInternetforinfo
Asthenewgenerationofparents,millennialsrelymuchontheInternetforinfo
Asthenewgenerationofparents,millennialsrelymuchontheInternetforinfo
随机试题
[originaltext]Aswithsomanyotherthingsinlife,exercisemayworkbest
Thedebateoverwhetherdogsorcatsmakebetterpetswasgivenanewdimensi
目前我国的期货结算机构()。A、独立于期货交易所B、只提供结算服务C、属于期货交易所的内部机构D、以上都不对C目前我国的期货结算机构属于期货交易
A. B. C. D.
百善孝为先,晋代的郭巨为节省粮食供养母亲而埋掉儿子。即24孝故事之“埋儿奉母”。
各种运输方式内外部的各个方面的构成和联系,就是( )。 A.运输系统
二氧化硫是造成酸雨的主要原因。某地区饱受酸雨困扰,为改善这一状况,该地区1~6
一般来说,在宏观经济运行良好的条件下,投资和消费增加,需求将(),商品的价格和股
(2021年真题)关于税制要素的说法,正确的有()。A.课税对象是指税法规定的
治疗重度一氧化碳中毒首选的氧疗是A.高压氧舱 B.面罩吸氧 C.人工呼吸
最新回复
(
0
)