中国共享单车热 "Uber for bikes" services booming in China's big cities

The bike-sharing business has boomed(兴盛) in China's big cities in the past few years. These "Uber for bikes" services cost(花费) as little(少) as one yuan (about 15 U.S. cents) per(每) hour, using a mobile app, and can be dropped off anywhere, ready for the next(下一个) user(用户), unlike traditional rental services where bikes must be returned to fixed docking stations. 

There are now over 20 bike-sharing brands(品牌) in China, placing(放置) millions of bicycles on streets around the country. There were 18.9 million users of shared bikes nationwide in 2016 and the number is expected to hit 50 million by the end of 2017, according to the China E-Commerce Research Center.

For(对于) most users in China, shared bikes get them to the office or back home from the metro station, avoiding(避免) crowded(拥挤的) buses during peak(高峰) times(时段), the so-called 'Last Mile,' of people's commute(通勤). Plus they are easy(简单) to pay(支付) for and park(停放) after use. 

China's bike-share companies are eyeing international expansion in the next few years, so it's likely China's rediscovered love of the bike will become a worldwide phenomenon.

词汇 Words:

[xīng shèng] 兴盛 boom
[huā fèi] 花费 cost
[fàng zhì] 放置 place
[bì miǎn] 避免 avoid
[tōng qín] 通勤 commute
[zhī fù] 支付 pay
[tíng fàng] 停放 park
[yōng jǐ de] 拥挤的 crowded
[gāo fēng] 高峰 peak
[shǎo] 少 little
[jiǎn dān] 简单 easy
[měi] 每 per
[duì yú] 对于 for
[xià yī gè] 下一个 next
[yòng hù] 用户 user
[pǐn pái] 品牌 brand
[shí duàn] 时段 times

重点词汇 Key Word:

兴 

• <动词 v.> start; begin
  E.g. Xīn de dà lóu zhèng zài xīng jiàn zhōng。
  新的大楼正在兴建中。
  New blocks are under construction. 

• <动词 v.> prevail; become popular/fashionable
  E.g. Jīn nián bù xīng zhè zhǒng kuǎn shì le。
  今年不兴这种款式了。
  This style is out of fashion this year.

• <形容词 adj.> thriving; prosperous
  E.g. Guó jiā xīng shèng。
  国家兴盛。
  The country is prosperous.