English Reading Comprehension For Grade 5 Children

• Passage-1: My Nephew
• Passage-2: Bu-cola
• Passage-3: Yusri and Yusra
• Passage-4: Mother
• Passage-5: Pangolins
• Passage-6: Earthquakes
• Passage-7: When Your Time Comes
• Passage-8: Collecting Fossils
• Passage-9: The Bicycle
• Passage-10: The Egg and the Bottle
• Passage-11: Sasha’s Night Alone
• Passage-12: About The Cat
• Passage-13: Isle Of Jormuguar
• Passage-14: Shoes: Taking One Step at A Time

Passage 9 - The Bicycle

Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions that follow.

The bicycle of today is not at all like the first bicycles that were invented. Today’s bicycle has two wheels, a chain, a sprocket, two pedals, brakes, a seat and handlebars. These are all kept together by a strong frame. By contrast, early bicycles were heavy and hard to handle. It’s interesting to read about how the modern-day bicycle developed.

In 1817, a German baron made a machine which he called a hobby horse. This looked like a bicycle, but it had no pedals. The Baron sat astride his machine and moved it by paddling his feet along the ground. His creation was made of wood and did not become popular because it was practical. It could only be used in parks and gardens that had smooth pathways.

The first bicycle, with two wheels and pedals, was invented in 1839 by Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith. It had a large back wheel and a smaller front wheel. Rods linked the front and back wheels. This bicycle was very heavy and so riders had to be extremely fit to ride it.

The next two-wheeled riding machine was called the velocipede, which means “fast foot”. Some people called it the “boneshaker”. Unlike Kirkpatrick’s bicycle, it had a large front wheel and a smaller back wheel. Pedals were attached to the front wheel. The machine was made of wood, but had metal tires; so it is easy to see why it was called the boneshaker, as the roads in those days were made of cobblestones. As riding became more popular, indoor rinks were built so that people could cycle as a pastime.

As the year passed, more changes were made to the design of the bicycles. The front wheel became much larger, wooden parts were replaced with metal ones and solid rubber tires were added. The most famous of these bicycles was called the penny-farthing. The reason was that the wheels looked like a large English coin (the penny) placed next to a small coin (the farthing). The penny-farthing was a very dangerous machine to ride because, if it hit a stone or rut in the road, the rider would fall heavily headfirst.

In 1910, smaller bicycles were made for children, but cycling did not become popular until about 1945, when further advances were made. Air-filled tires replaced solid rubber ones and gears were added.

Today, different kinds of bicycles can be bought, including mountain bikes and very expensive racing bikes. Cycling is a fun pastime for people of all ages, as well as an exciting sport. People use bikes for transport, exercise and competitions of speed and skill. All over the world, there are museums displaying how the bicycle developed to become the streamlined machine it is today. It is not only a mode of transport today, but also a symbol of healthier life choices. This is because cycling to work or school gives us much needed physical exercise and causes no pollution.

Questions

• What are the two main differences between today’s bicycles and the 1817 invention?
• Why would women have had difficulty riding the 1839?
• What different materials were used for wheels before modern tires were invented?
• Why do you think it took until 1945 for bicycles to become popular?
• Why do we know so much today about the development of the bicycle?

Sample Answers – in italicized and bold

• What are the two main differences between today’s bicycles and the 1817 invention?
  The two main differences between today’s bicycle and the 1817 invention was it had no pedals and it was made of wood.
• Why would women have had difficulty riding the 1839?
  Women would have difficulty riding the 1839 bicycle as it was very heavy.
• What different materials were used for wheels before modern tires were invented?
  Different materials that were used for wheels before modern tires were invented were wood, metal and it was solid rubber.
• Why do you think it took until 1945 for bicycles to become popular?
  I think it was because only then there were advances made like air-filled tires and gears.
• Why do we know so much today about the development of the bicycle?
  We know so much because there are museums all around the world display how the bicycle developed to become the streamlines machine it is today.