Washington D. C. is a great city to live in and visit-partly because D. C.'s public transportation can
get you almost anywhere in the city, D. C.'s subway, the Metro, is great for getting you to the main
tourist sites, but the bus is also a great resource and is cheaper. Learn how to conquer the D.C. bus
system in a few quick steps will help you to have fun in this city.
* Things You'll Need: cash or a D. C. Smart Trip card, a transfer (转乘卡) and a map of Washington,
D. C.
* To choose a bus line to take from home or your hotel, look at the buses that arrive at the closest
Metro stations.
Many bus routes start at a Metro subway terminal and make their way across the greater D.C. area.
*Learn to identify bus stops. They are usually located at the intersections (交叉) of streets. Look for a
tall sign with a tall sign with the words of "Metro Bus" that is dark blue at the top, white in the middle and
red at the bottom. Once you've found one of these signs, check the red section at the bottom of the sign.
In it, you should see several number or letter combinations written in white. Those are the bus lines that
service that stop.
*Be careful of the direction buses are heading for. All buses have an electronic screen on the front, side
and back of the bus that let you know which way they are headed and what line the bus is. The signs will
list the last stop on the bus route. Know where your bus
terminates on each end so you can get on the bus
heading in the direction you want to go.
*To board the bus, you'll obviously need some sort of payment. The bus will only accept cash or a
SmarTrip card. Smar-Trip card are purchasable at several Metro stations or at Metro headquarters (总部)
and cost $5. You can also buy the card online at
www.wmata.com.
*If you do order it online, purchase it in advance as it will take time for it to ship. Riding the bus costs
$1.35 if you pay in cash and $1.25 if you pay with your SmarTrip card.
*If you pay in cash, ask for a transfer slip. This will allow you to board the bus within a two-hour time
period without having to pay again. These machines are located by the escalators that take you to the waiting
platforms.
1. To enjoy a wonderful tour in Washington D. C., you won't need _____.
A. a D. C, Smart －Trip card
B. a transfer
C. a map of Washington
D. C D a tall sign
2. According to the passage, you can identify bus stops by _____.
A. looking at the buses that arrive at the closest Metro station from your hotel
B. checking the red section at the bottom of the sign with a "metro bus" logo
C. checking electronic screens on the front, side and back of the bus
D. checking the machines located by the escalators taking you to the platforms
3. The underlined word "terminates" probably means _____.
A. stops
B. decides
C. starts
D. passes
4. Where can you get a Smart-Trip card?
A. At a platform.
B. At a post office.
C. At www. wmata. com
D. At a bus station.
