雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Today we're going to discuss the history of the bicycle. While many people assume it was invented in the late 19th century, its origins actually go back further. In 1817, a German inventor named Karl von Drais created a wooden, two-wheeled contraption called the 'running machine' or 'draisine'. It had no pedals; the rider pushed their feet against the ground to move. This early design was not very popular because it was heavy and slow. However, it laid the foundation for later innovations. By the 1860s, French inventors added pedals to the front wheel, creating the 'velocipede'. But it wasn't until the 1880s that the modern safety bicycle, with two equal-sized wheels and a chain drive, emerged, making cycling practical and safe for the general public.