Level 3 · Reading series
Lesson 46 · Who Can Use the New Ramp?
Audio track 46
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Listen once before opening the English passage.
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Our school added a ramp beside the main entrance. At first, some students said, “That's for wheelchair users.” On the first rainy morning, I saw a student on crutches use it. Later, a delivery worker rolled a heavy cart up the same ramp.
We interviewed people about the new entrance. One teacher said it was easier to move equipment. Another student pointed out that the ramp became slippery when leaves covered it. The school arranged regular cleaning.
The ramp was built because steps had kept some people out. It helped other people too, but it still needed care. When we wrote the article, we changed the question from “Who is it for?” to “Who can use it, and what keeps it usable?”
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
学校在正门旁修了一条坡道。起初，有些同学说：‘那是给坐轮椅的人用的。’第一个下雨的早晨，我看到一位拄拐杖的同学走上坡道。后来，一名送货员也推着沉重的手推车从那里经过。
我们采访了使用新入口的人。一位老师说搬器材方便了；另一名学生指出，坡道铺满落叶时会变滑。学校于是安排定期清扫。
修建坡道，是因为台阶曾让一些人进不了门。它也方便了其他人，但还需要维护。写报道时，我们把问题从‘它是给谁用的？’改成‘谁能用它？怎样才能让它一直好用？’
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- ramp
- 坡道；正门旁新增的通路。
- main entrance
- 正门；坡道建在旁边。
- crutches
- 拐杖；一位学生借助它行走。
- delivery worker
- 送货员；推车使用坡道。
- cart
- 手推车；用来运送重物。
- interview
- 采访；校报收集使用者意见。
- point out
- 指出；学生提醒落叶可能致滑。
- slippery
- 打滑的；坡道铺满落叶时可能如此。
- regular cleaning
- 定期清扫；学校安排的维护工作。
- usable
- 可使用的；坡道需要持续维护。
Background notes (Chinese)
无障碍坡道首先解决台阶造成的通行障碍，也能帮助拄拐杖的人和推车的人。设计完成后，落叶清扫等日常维护同样影响使用安全。