unit3InventorsandinventionsⅠ
阅读理解AToday,bicyclesareelegantlysimplemachinesthatarecommonaroundtheworld
Manypeopleridebicyclesforrecreation,whereasothersusethemasameansoftransportation
ThefirstbicyclewasinventedinGermanyin1818
Becauseitwasmadeofwood,itwasn’tverystrongnordidithavepedals(脚踏板)
Ridersmoveditbypushingtheirfeetagainsttheground
In1839,KirkpatrickMacmillan,aScottishblacksmith,inventedamuchbetterbicycle
Macmillan’smachinehadironcoveredwheelstokeepthemfromgettingworndown
Healsousedfootoperatedlevers,similartopedals,sohisbicyclecouldberiddenataquickpace
Itdidn’tlookmuchlikethemodernbicycle,though,becauseitsbackwheelwassubstantiallylargerthanitsfrontwheel
AlthoughMacmillan’sbicyclescouldberiddeneasily,theywereneverproducedinlargenumbers
In1861,FrenchmanPierreMichauxandhisbrotherErnestin