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 partly right. The first two-wheeled, pedal-less machine, called a 'draisine', appeared in 1817. However, it was not until 1865 that pedals were added to the front wheel, creating the 'velocipede'. Interestingly, the modern chain-driven bicycle, with two equal-sized wheels, wasn't developed until 1885 by John Kemp Starley. This design, known as the 'safety bicycle', became hugely popular because it was much safer and easier to ride than earlier models.