雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Today we're going to discuss the history of the bicycle. Now, you might think the bicycle was invented in the 19th century, and you'd be right. However, the first two-wheeled vehicle, called a 'velocipede', appeared in France in the 1860s. It had pedals on the front wheel, but no brakes, which made it quite dangerous. Later, in the 1880s, the 'safety bicycle' was introduced in England. This design featured a chain drive to the rear wheel and equal-sized wheels, making it much more stable. Interestingly, the pneumatic tire, which we still use today, was invented in 1888 by a Scottish veterinarian named John Boyd Dunlop, originally to make his son's tricycle more comfortable.