雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

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 partly right. The first two-wheeled vehicle, called the 'draisine', appeared in 1817, but it had no pedals. You pushed it along with your feet. Later, in the 1860s, pedals were added to the front wheel, creating the 'velocipede'. However, it was not until the 1880s that the chain-driven bicycle, similar to what we use today, was developed. Interestingly, the safety bicycle, which had equal-sized wheels and a chain, became popular mainly because it was much safer than the earlier high-wheel models.