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Benjamin: Excuse me, what’s the screen near your steering wheel for?
Taxi driver: It’s a portable TV. It’s a popular thing now.
Benjamin: Oh, that’s new to me. So what’s on everyday?
Taxi driver: News about current affairs, documentaries, music, movies, noncommercial ads and so on.
Benjamin: Is there anything interesting?
Taxi driver: Yes, there are something good and informative. I think that many people underestimate the value of TV in education.
Benjamin: I agree. Are there any commercials on the TV?
Taxi driver: Of course. Because the TV stations need to make money from commercials between the programs.
Benjamin: That makes a lot of sense. Does the TV work well?
Taxi driver: Not always. It depends on the transmission of the satellite signals.
Benjamin: I got it. Do you pay for the programs?
Taxi driver: Yes, 50 Yuan per month.
Benjamin: It is a little bit expensive, but it’s worth it.
Taxi driver: Yeah. You know driving is boring. TV can get me out of the fatigue of driving.
Benjamin: It can also entertain your passengers like me.
Taxi driver: That’s the point.
听看学
本杰明：不好意思，请问一下，你方向盘旁边的那个屏幕是干什么的啊?
出租车司机：这是个移动电视，现在非常流行。
本杰明：对我来说这真是个新鲜事物。那每天这上面都在播放什么节目呢?
出租车司机：实事新闻、纪录片、音乐、电影和公益广告等等。
本杰明：有有趣的节目吗?
出租车司机：有啊，这上面有些东西非常好，而且信息量也非常大。我认为很多人都低估了电视在教育方面的价值。
本杰明：我同意。那这种电视上有商业广告吗?
出租车司机：当然有啊。因为电视台需要从节目中间插播的广告赚取利润。
本杰明：似乎是这样。那这个电视运作得正常吗?
出租车司机：不是一直都好。这取决于卫星信号传输的好坏。
本杰明：我懂了。那你需要付费吗?
出租车司机：要付费的。一个月50块钱。
本杰明：费用有点贵，但是却很值。
出租车司机：是啊，你知道，驾驶是非常乏味的。电视可以解除我开车的疲劳。
本杰明：而且它还能给像我一样的乘客带来快乐。
出租车司机：你说对了。
Recitation 经典背诵
Benjamin: I found that there was a small screen near the taxi driver’s steering wheel. The taxi driver told me that was a portable TV. And news about current affairs, documentaries, music, movies, noncommercial ads were shown on it. Also he had to pay 50 Yuan per month for the programs.
生词小结
steering wheel 方向盘
portable adj. 轻便的
current adj. 目前的
informative adj. 提供丰富资料的
commercial n. 商业广告
transmission n. 传输
satellite n. 卫星
fatigue n. 疲倦，疲劳
entertain vt. 娱乐
语素 Material
NYC Taxi Cabs
Taxi cabs are both loved and hated by New Yorkers. They serve as a quick and easy means of transportation across Manhattan, a route not amply served by the subways. The downside with having an abundance of cabs is the traffic that results. Most traffic-jams in mid-town are speckled with many of the 12,o53 yellow cabs that serve the city.
纽约的出租车
对于出租车，纽约的市民是又爱又恨。出租车在曼哈顿是一种快捷的交通工具，在这一地区地铁不是很普遍。而大量的出租车的弊端就是导致交通问题。在市中心，大部分交通堵塞都是因为服务城市的12053辆黄色出租车部分拥堵在一起造成的。
Taxi Fares in New York
Cabs are cash only and it’s a good idea to have small bills because the cabbies can’t usually break anything higher than $20. While cabs are relatively expensive for a single person, it can actually be a bargain with 3 or more riders. The rates for taxicabs are as follows:
Initial fare: $2.00
Each 1/5 mile (4 blocks): $0.30
Each 1 minute idle: $0.20
Night surcharge: $0.50(after 8 p.m. until 6 a.m.)
Additional riders: FREE
纽约出租车费
打出租车需要付现金。因为出租车司机通常无法换开多于20美金的钱，所以说随身准备零钞是必要的。但是对于个人来说，打出租车比较贵，与其他三个或是更多的人一起搭乘一辆车比较合算。费用如下：
起步费：2.00美元
每0.2英里(4个街区)：0.30美元
每等待一分钟：0.20美元
晚上行车要加收：0.50美元(晚上8点到第二天早上6点)
其他的乘客：免费
