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 that the bicycle was invented in the 19th century, and you'd be right. However, the first two-wheeled vehicle, called a 'draisine', appeared in 1817, invented by Karl von Drais. It had no pedals; you pushed it with your feet. Then, in the 1860s, pedals were added to the front wheel in France, creating the 'velocipede'. But it was still very uncomfortable. The big change came in 1885 when John Kemp Starley designed the 'safety bicycle' with a chain drive to the rear wheel and two equal-sized wheels, which made cycling much safer and more practical. This design is basically what we still use today.