People have been enjoying the benefits of cycling (骑自行车) in Amsterdam for years. It is a good city for cycling because it is flat and there are plenty of places for bicycle parking. Today some people call Amsterdam "City of Bicycles" because of the convenience for bicycles there.
In the 1960s, a group of cycling fans had an idea. They believed that it would be better for everybody if cars weren't allowed in the city center and only bicycles were. They were hopeful that this would help to save energy, reduce pollution and provide free public transport. The group painted hundreds of bicycles white and placed them in lots of neighbourhoods around Amsterdam for people to use. Then a problem came—thieves took all the bicycles within weeks!
However, more than thirty years later, the "white bike' is back in town—this time with a computer chip (芯片) to record its every move! To take a bicycle, you have to insert a special card. The new " white bike" is not actually white but is an unusual design with bright colours. The bikes are parked at special parking places and people who want to use them have to take them to another special parking place that has enough room.
There is already less traffic in central Amsterdam, because both locals and tourists have been using the white bikes. Instead, thanks to the good ideas of lots of people, like the cycling fans in the 1960s, many people around the world have been enjoying city centre streets without cars many years.
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