Like other big cities, Paris has also a traffic problem: lots of cars, traffic jams and traffic pollution. So since 2007, the city 【小题1】(start) a plan to improve the situation.

Under a project, people can take a bicycle, use it as long as they want, and then leave it at the same or another bicycle station. The first half-hour is free, 【小题2】 if you don’t return it after 30 minutes, you have to pay. It’s only $1 or $29 a year. The bicycles are as heavy as 25 kilograms, and they’re all grey and have baskets. There’re a large number of 【小题3】(they) in the city, and the bicycle stations are more than the subway stations!

Paris isn’t the first city to operate a project like this. One Parisian said, “These bicycles are only suitable for short 【小题4】(journey). If people want to travel across the city, they won’t use a bicycle — they’ll still use their cars.”

A city spokesman said, “The bicycle project won’t solve all our traffic problems, but it might work in 【小题5】(reduce) air pollution. Traffic, together with factory fumes, 【小题6】(be) a big problem. Everyone knows about global warming and dramatic climate changes — we know this is partly because rainforests are 【小题7】(gradual) disappearing. And it’s also because there’s so much pollution. There aren’t any simple answers 【小题8】 traffic problems and pollution in cities, but the bicycles might help people lead 【小题9】 healthier life. Unless we do something now, there’ll be more traffic jams and temperatures will continue to rise, so the problems in our environment will get even 【小题10】(bad).”