雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Today we're going to look at the history of the bicycle. Now, you might think the bicycle was invented in the 19th century, and you'd be right. But the first two-wheeled vehicle, called a 'velocipede', appeared in France in the 1860s. It had pedals on the front wheel, but no brakes. This made it quite dangerous. Later, in the 1870s, the 'penny-farthing' became popular in Britain, with a huge front wheel and a small rear wheel. However, it was unstable and difficult to mount. It wasn't until 1885 that the 'safety bicycle' with two equal-sized wheels and a chain drive was introduced, which is the design we still use today. So, the key improvement in the 1880s was the addition of the chain, making the ride much safer and more efficient.