Reading Test. Term II.

What Do You Know About Bicycles?

The word «bicycle» first appeared in France in 1860. Pierre Michaux, the inventor of the term, wanted to pick the word so that it would identify a two-wheeled vehicle with a simple mechanical drive. However, the bike prototype was designed and patented back in 1818 by German Baron Karl von Drais. This mechanism consisted of a wooden frame, metal wheels and rudder, but without pedals. In order for this bicycle to move, its owner had to be pushed all the time.

Riding the first bikes on the city streets was forbidden. The wheels were quiet and therefore dangerous to pedestrians and carriage horses. The exception was some small streets. What is more, initially, cycling was considered only as a separate sport or leisure activity.

The Vienna City Council was sceptical of bicycles. Therefore, each owner of a two-wheeler had to take the Wiener bicycle rider exam and get a bicycle licence. The licence number was indicated on the vehicle licence plate. Also, drivers had to carry a lantern and a whistle to be visible on the road. Streets that allowed cyclists to ride along were identified. The requirements contained separate paragraphs for overtaking horses with carriages and attention to pedestrians. It was forbidden to go in groups. The minimum distance between cyclists was twenty meters.

In 10 years the conditions for cyclists softened. From 1897, it was possible to ride all the streets, and the licence plates were cancelled. Since 1897, the bicycle has been recognized as a common vehicle.

The bicycle has also become an element of women's emancipation. Since the 1890s, two-wheelers have increasingly appealed to young ladies. In 1 894, they organized the first women's cycle club «Erste Wiener Damen Bicycle Club». Women could get rid of their corsets for cycling, as well as heel-length dresses. It was time to have more comfortable clothes. As a result, men started wearing cloth hats and women got dressed in loose skirts.

In 1983, the local government of Vienna developed the concept of cycle paths. By 1986, the city already had 168 km of them and by 1990 — 500 bicycle stops. The use of two-wheelers increased threefold from 1986 to 1991. Today, cycling is 5% of all traffic. At the end of 2015, the Austrian capital had 1,298 km of cycle roads, 39,000 public bicycle stops and more than 120 bicycle lease points.

How could the first bicycle move?

Why was riding a bicycle banned?

To be allowed to use a bicycle the owner should have done everything EXCEPT:

What piece of women clothes appeared due to bicycles?

What has changed since the creation of cycle paths in Vienna?

The Smallest Dwellings in the World

In the UK, there is a two-floor house of 28 square feet. The first storey has a bedroom and a shower, and the second floor has a living room and a kitchen. It is assumed that only one person can live in the house, though currently a nice young couple of farmers is renting it. What is more, the house has an orchard in the backyard.

Which dwelling _____ ?

The Smallest Dwellings in the World

The appearance of the smallest building in Salzburg with a facade of only one and a half meters wide has a connection to an ancient romantic story. A girl agreed to marry her lover only when he had his own dwelling. The young man was very poor but resourceful, and he placed his house in the space between two existing houses. As a result, there was a place for an oven and three chairs, which served as a tiny bed for the family.

Which dwelling _____ ?

The Smallest Dwellings in the World

A one-meter-wide and ten-meter-tall house was built in Brazil. The house had three floors, with two living rooms, three bedrooms, a kitchen and a veranda. At the beginning of the building, the local authorities wanted to ban construction but changed their minds. Nowadays, this multi-storey house is one of the main tourist attractions of the city.

Which dwelling _____ ?

The Smallest Dwellings in the World

Perhaps one of the smallest houses in the world is in the United States. Its area is only 6 square meters. It has a kitchen with a fridge, a shower and a sleeping area located in the attic. The house comes with a special platform trailer for transportation, hence the owner can easily move from one location to another.

Which dwelling _____ ?

The Smallest Dwellings in the World

The residents of Amsterdam are never tired of repeating that this is the smallest building in their city. However, this is not entirely true. The fact is that the rise of the building tax on the house directly depended on the width of the facade. That's why the ingenious owner built a complete house with a facade of 1 meter 1 centimeter, which, in fact, is just an entrance.

Which dwelling _____ ?

The Smallest Dwellings in the World

Not exactly a house, but this small round concrete thing is actually a hotel room in the hotel called «Das Park Hotel» located in both Austria and Germany. The rooms have double beds; next to the beds there are small storage areas that contain more pillows and sheets. They have placed outlets in them for electronics, and there is a small space under the bed that is used to place customer's luggage. All the rooms are usually sold out half a year in advance.

Which dwelling _____ ?