Horizon：Special vehicles in the world
【明報專訊】We are all familiar with vehicles such as buses, taxis and trams. However, have you ever wondered how the vehicles in other countries may differ from those in Hong Kong?
◆The Philippines - Jeepney
THE JEEPNEY is the most popular and the cheapest means of transportation in the Philippines. It is a small colourful bus with crowded seating. Whenever a jeepney is full of passengers, people climb on to the roof in order to get a ride. Although most jeepneys are used as public transport, some of them are used as personal vehicles.
◆Singapore - Amphibious bus
JUST like an amphibian, an amphibious bus can travel both on land and in water. The special vehicle is actually a rebuilt amphibious Vietnamese war craft from World War II. It is now mainly used as a tour bus for tourists. Passengers have fun sightseeing as the bus gets into and out of the water.
◆Japan - Taxi
IN Japan, most taxi doors open and close automatically. There are even signs which ask passengers not to open the door by themselves. The automatic doors are convenient for passengers, especially when they have a lot of bags with them. Since the front doors are not automatic, people tend to sit at the backseats.
■Gear up
1. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. An amphibious bus can travel in water.
B. The jeepney fare is expensive.
C. People sit on top of a jeepney.
(Answer on next text)
■Glossary
means (n) 方法
personal (adj) 私人的
amphibian (n) 兩棲動物
tend (v) 傾向
[Smarties' Power English 第312期]
