Black Cab

Please watch the video below and answer the questions.

1. How did you feel about this video?
2. Have you ever ridden in a London taxi?
3. Do you agree that they are the best in the world?

 The Knowledge

Lots of Japanese people go to London every year and many of those ride a London cab. The London taxi is a symbol of the city, but most Japanese tourists do not know a very special thing about every black cab driver. Many people would like to become a London taxi driver, but only one out of four can pass the exam. The name of the training is "The Knowledge". All candidates have to learn every street in a six mile radius of Charring Cross station. That is 25,000 streets. Beyond this they have to remember all the shops, restaurants, hotels, schools and stations. It takes about three years to complete this. If you see someone riding a small motorbike or bicycle with a map attached to the handlebars in London, definitely they are doing "The Knowledge".  

 

 毎年たくさんの日本人はロンドンに行く。その人たちはたくさんタクシーに乗る。ロンドンの「Black cab」はロンドンの象徴だけど、たいてい日本の観光客はロンドンのタクシードライバーの特別な事を知らない。たくさんの人はロンドンタクシードライバになりたいが、四分の一だけ試験に合格する。トレーニングの名前は「The Knowledge」だ。みんなはチャリングクロス駅から半径6マイルの道全部を覚えておく必要があります。それは二万五千の道です。その上全部の店、学校、とか駅を覚えなければなりません。たいていその事は三年が要る。もしロンドンで小さなバイクと自転車に乗っている人を見て、バイクと自転車に地図が添付されていたら、絶対その人は「The Knowledge」をしている。

1. What is your opinion of the knowledge?
2. Should Kyoto taxi drivers do the same?
3. In these days of satellite navigation, does a taxi driver need to know the streets of the city they work in well?

Before class think about a job that someone does in Kyoto, that would be interesting for visitors to know about, then prepare a three minute talk.