雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Today we're going to discuss the history of the bicycle. Many people assume the bicycle was invented in the 19th century, but its predecessor, the draisine, appeared in 1817. However, the real breakthrough came in 1885 with the Rover safety bicycle, which had a chain drive and equal-sized wheels. This design made cycling much safer and more accessible, especially for women. By the early 1900s, bicycles became a common mode of transport in European cities. Interestingly, the popularity of bicycles declined with the rise of motor vehicles, but they saw a revival during the oil crisis in the 1970s. So, the bicycle's history is closely tied to social and economic changes.