2021-2022学年度第8期总第757期

Preventing e-bike-related fires (P2)

河北师范大学附属中学 刘洁

I. Lead in

How do you go to school every day?

electric bikes

Electric bikes are one of the most popular means of transportation in China due to their convenience. But …

 

1. bikes can be very dangerous sometimes.
   
   What other problems do they cause?
   II. Read for general information
   Read the passage quickly to find what problem electric bikes cause.
   Accidental fires.
   What is this passage mainly about?
   Accidental fires related to e-bikes and the solutions.
    
   III. Read for details
   Read and answer the following questions.
    
   1. Why did the rental apartment in Tongzhou catch on fire?
   2. Why is the Fire and Rescue Department paying more attention to e-bike-related fires?
   3. Why didn’t the notice issued in 2017 stop charging e-bikes indoors?
   4. What measures have Beijing and Shanghai taken?
   5. According to the Ministy of Emergency Management’s regulation, what punishment will one get if he/she breaks the rules?
   1. Why did the rental apartment in Tongzhou catch on fire?
   Because an e-bike battery caught fire when it was charging indoors.
   2. Why is the Fire and Rescue Department paying more attention to e-bike-related fires?
   About 2,000 e-bike-related fires occur in China every year, 80 percent of which are started by batteries being charged. Among those cases involving casualties, 90 percent occurred in areas including hallways, corridors and stairwells.
   3. Why didn’t the notice issued in 2017 stop charging e-bikes indoors?
   Because many neighborhoods don’t have enough charging stations and the charging cost at specific facilities is higher.
   4. What measures have Beijing and Shanghai taken?
   They have installed smart devices to monitor e-bikes entering elevators.
   5. According to the Ministy of Emergency Management’s regulation, what punishment will one face if he/she breaks the rules?
   He/she will face fines of up to 10,000 yuan.
   If an e-bike explosion indoors leads to the loss of another’s life, the violator would be accused, and would face imprisonment and be forced to pay a large amount in compensation.

IV. Background information

Frightening results

The results of professional fire tests show that in a relatively enclosed environment, the battery of an e-bike can burn at 1,200 C within three minutes, and the toxic (有毒的) gas it produces can spread from the basement of a building to the sixth floor in 10 minutes, according to a report in China Daily.

V. Discussion

What can we do to help reduce e-bike-related fires?

 Remind people of the risks when they charge e-bikes indoors.

 Call 110 or 12345 to report those charging e-bikes indoors.

 Charge e-bikes at charging stations.

…

VI. Language study

1. rental apartment

2. blaze

3. charge

4. the Ministry of Emergency Management

5. regulation

6. take effect

7. violate

8. be accused of

9. imprisonment

 

1. 出租公寓

2. 火灾；火焰

3. 充电

4. 应急管理部

5. 法规

6. 生效

7. 违反

8. 被指控……

9. 监禁