雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Today we're going to discuss the history of the bicycle. Now, many people think the bicycle was invented in the 19th century, but its origins actually go back further. In 1817, a German inventor named Karl Drais created a wooden, two-wheeled machine called the 'running machine' or 'draisine.' It had no pedals; riders pushed their feet against the ground to move forward. Later, in the 1860s, French inventors added pedals to the front wheel, creating the first true bicycle. However, these early bicycles had a large front wheel and a small rear wheel, which made them unstable. It wasn't until the 1880s that the 'safety bicycle' with two equal-sized wheels and a chain drive became popular, making cycling much safer and more accessible.