Cruising Commute: Chicago Water Taxi

2024.07.30
Writer / 記事を書いた人
Emily
United States of America (アメリカ合衆国)

My name is Emily. I am from the USA. I love exploring Japan and learning about Japanese culture. My hobbies are playing wadaiko, running and watching movies.

Article

Cruising Commute: Chicago Water Taxi

▼ 記事の音声を再生

<Let's learn!>
・What if I told you that
・A is a priority over B
・not only A, but (also) B
=====================================

When I say "Taxi", what do you see? You probably imagine a car, whether it's black like in Tokyo or yellow in other cities. What if I told you that in my hometown in Chicago, taxis are boats? It's true! In Chicago, you can ride the water taxi to Michigan Avenue, which is the city's famous shopping district like Shibuya. You can also ride the water taxi to Chinatown, the aquarium, the museum and the planetarium!
In 2018, Chicago water taxis took over 400,000 passengers on various routes along the Chicago River. That equals over 8,000 bus and over 200,000 car trips! The water taxis are a fun and relaxing commute option, and you can often feel the breeze along the river between the buildings if you sit outside. There's even a bridge lift schedule as the boat traffic is a priority over car traffic. During these times, the 27 bridges are typically raised one at a time, with each bridge lift taking around 8-12 minutes. It is quite a scene when Michigan Avenue touches the sky! The boats run from May to September and close in the winter months due to the river freezing.

Now I know what you're thinking: it must be expensive! In fact, a one-way ticket is only 10 dollars or 1,000 yen! Yes, seriously! An all-day pass is 20 dollars or 2,000 yen. Even business workers can get a commuter pass! You can also learn about Chicago with a tour guide on your taxi ride. It's like an urban Jungle Cruise from Disneyland! The water taxi is not only popular with tourists, but popular with locals too. The water taxi is one of my favorite things about Chicago and I hope you try it if you visit. Let's relax to our destination!

日本語訳を見る

Key Points

Repeat each word(s) and example sentence(s) after your teacher/tutor.

Key Phrases 重要表現

What if I told you that…

私が・・・と言ったらどうですか

What if I told you that I love you?

A is a priority over B

AはBよりも優先される

Some students think their club is a priority over (their) homework.

not only A but (also) B

AだけでなくBも

She is not only a talented singer but also a skilled dancer.

Key Vocabulary 重要単語・熟語

equal

ˈi·kwəl

同じ、相当する

形容詞

the same in amount, number, or size

Everyone should have equal opportunities in education.

urban

ˈɜr·bən

都会の

形容詞

belonging or relating to a town

They wanted to take a break from their urban lifestyle.

typically

ˈtɪp·ɪ·kli

通常は, だいたい

副詞

used for saying what usually happens

I typically go running on weekends.

destination

ˌdes·təˈneɪ·ʃən

目的地

名詞

the place where someone or something is going

After a long drive, we finally reached our destination.

Others その他

probably

ˈprɑ·bə·bli

おそらく

副詞

used to mean that something is very likely

It will probably rain tomorrow.

Avenue

ˈæv·əˌnu

通り、アベニュー

名詞

a wide road in a town or city

Western Avenue is one of the longest streets in Chicago.

district

ˈdɪs·trɪkt

地区

名詞

a part of a city or country

Our district has a lot of cultural events.

seriously

ˈsɪər·i·əs·li

本当に、まじめに

副詞

in a serious, not joking, way

Are you seriously considering moving to another country?

Practice

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.

() () I told you that I won the lottery?

ヒント:What if I told you that

回答を見る

What if I told you that I won the lottery?

Learning is a () () getting good grades.

ヒント:be a priority over

回答を見る

Learning is a priority over getting good grades.

The restaurant offers () () delicious food () excellent service.

ヒント:not only ~ but

回答を見る

The restaurant offers not only delicious food but excellent service.

Article

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your teacher/tutor.

Cruising Commute: Chicago Water Taxi

<Let's learn!>
・What if I told you that
・A is a priority over B
・not only A, but (also) B
=====================================

When I say "Taxi", what do you see? You probably imagine a car, whether it's black like in Tokyo or yellow in other cities. What if I told you that in my hometown in Chicago, taxis are boats? It's true! In Chicago, you can ride the water taxi to Michigan Avenue, which is the city's famous shopping district like Shibuya. You can also ride the water taxi to Chinatown, the aquarium, the museum and the planetarium!
In 2018, Chicago water taxis took over 400,000 passengers on various routes along the Chicago River. That equals over 8,000 bus and over 200,000 car trips! The water taxis are a fun and relaxing commute option, and you can often feel the breeze along the river between the buildings if you sit outside. There's even a bridge lift schedule as the boat traffic is a priority over car traffic. During these times, the 27 bridges are typically raised one at a time, with each bridge lift taking around 8-12 minutes. It is quite a scene when Michigan Avenue touches the sky! The boats run from May to September and close in the winter months due to the river freezing.

Now I know what you're thinking: it must be expensive! In fact, a one-way ticket is only 10 dollars or 1,000 yen! Yes, seriously! An all-day pass is 20 dollars or 2,000 yen. Even business workers can get a commuter pass! You can also learn about Chicago with a tour guide on your taxi ride. It's like an urban Jungle Cruise from Disneyland! The water taxi is not only popular with tourists, but popular with locals too. The water taxi is one of my favorite things about Chicago and I hope you try it if you visit. Let's relax to our destination!

Questions

Answer the questions based on the article.

What’s different about Chicago’s taxis?

ヒント:Chicago’s taxis are ~

回答を見る

Chicago’s taxis are boats. 

How many people did the Chicago water taxi transport in 2018?

ヒント:Over ~.

回答を見る

Over 400,000 passengers.

Which type of traffic is prioritized during bridge lifts in Chicago: boats or cars?

ヒント:A is a priority over B

回答を見る

The boat traffic (is a priority over car traffic).

Discussion

Let’s have a discussion about the theme with your teacher/tutor or classmates.

With your teacher/tutor 先生とのディスカッション

What is the common transportation method for tourists in your hometown?

How about for locals?

Which do you prefer, water taxis or regular taxis? Why?

Should Japan have a water taxi? Why or why not?

With your classmates クラスメートとのディスカッション

How would you like to commute to school? (Imagination encouraged)

Have you ever traveled by boat? If yes, where? If no, do you want to? Why or why not?