Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Christy Van Arragon.
Voice 2
And I’m Bruce Gulland. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
A busy city street. Cars and trucks pass quickly. A few people wait to cross. But then, all traffic stops. Suddenly, hundreds of people riding 2-wheeled bicycles fill the street. They are all riding together. After many minutes, the bicycles have all passed by. The traffic starts again. What just happened?
Voice 2
This was a ‘critical mass.’ A critical mass is any large group of people riding bicycles together for one purpose. In China, the idea of a critical mass started for safety. Bicycle riders would stop at street crossings. They would wait until more bicycle riders stopped too. Soon, a large number of bicycle riders gathered. Then they all crossed the street together. They believed this kept them safe. It is difficult for one bicycle rider to cross a busy street alone. But, it is easy for car drivers to see a large group of bicycle riders.
Voice 1
Today, there are critical mass bicycle rides all over the world. Sometimes they are a kind of protest. But sometimes, they are just to show the importance of bicycles! Bicycles are important for transportation around the world. But how did they become so important? Today’s Spotlight is on the history of the bicycle!
Voice 2
No one person invented the bicycle. Instead, many people worked together over time. Experts say that the first plans came from Leonardo da Vinci. This famous inventor and artist wrote plans for a modern bicycle hundreds of years ago. But inventors did not create the first working bicycle until the early 1800’s.
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Christy Van Arragon.
Voice 2
And I’m Bruce Gulland. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
A busy city street. Cars and trucks pass quickly. A few people wait to cross. But then, all traffic stops. Suddenly, hundreds of people riding 2-wheeled bicycles fill the street. They are all riding together. After many minutes, the bicycles have all passed by. The traffic starts again. What just happened?
Voice 2
This was a ‘critical mass.’ A critical mass is any large group of people riding bicycles together for one purpose. In China, the idea of a critical mass started for safety. Bicycle riders would stop at street crossings. They would wait until more bicycle riders stopped too. Soon, a large number of bicycle riders gathered. Then they all crossed the street together. They believed this kept them safe. It is difficult for one bicycle rider to cross a busy street alone. But, it is easy for car drivers to see a large group of bicycle riders.
Voice 1
Today, there are critical mass bicycle rides all over the world. Sometimes they are a kind of protest. But sometimes, they are just to show the importance of bicycles! Bicycles are important for transportation around the world. But how did they become so important? Today’s Spotlight is on the history of the bicycle!
Voice 2
No one person invented the bicycle. Instead, many people worked together over time. Experts say that the first plans came from Leonardo da Vinci. This famous inventor and artist wrote plans for a modern bicycle hundreds of years ago. But inventors did not create the first working bicycle until the early 1800’s.