分科測驗
107年
英文
第 37 題
📖 題組：
Born in 1785 in southwestern Germany, Baron Karl Drais was one of the most creative German inventors of the 19th century. The baron’s numerous inventions include, among others, the earliest typewriter, the meat grinder, a device to record piano music on paper, and two four-wheeled human-powered vehicles. But it was the running machine, the modern ancestor of the bicycle, that made him famous. The running machine, also called Draisine or hobby horse, was in effect a very primitive bicycle: it had no chains and was propelled by riders pushing off the ground with their feet. Though not a bike in the modern sense of the word, Drais’ invention marked the big bang for the bicycle’s development. It was the first vehicle with two wheels placed in line. The frame and wheels were made of wood; the steering already resembled a modern handlebar. Drais’ big democratic idea behind his invention was to find a muscle-powered replacement for the horses, which were expensive and consumed lots of food even when not in use. The machine, he believed, would allow large numbers of people faster movement than walking or riding in a coach. Drais undertook his first documented ride on June 12, 1817, covering a distance of 13 kilometers in one hour. A few months later, Drais created a huge sensation when he rode 60 kilometers in four hours. These were later followed by a marketing trip to Paris, where the hobby horse quickly caught on. The fad also quickly spread to Britain. The success of the hobby horse was short-lived, though. They were heavy and difficult to ride. Safety was an issue, too: They lacked a brake, as well as cranks and pedals. There were frequent collisions with unsuspecting pedestrians, and after a few years Drais’ invention was banned in many European and American cities. Drais’ ideas, however, did not disappear entirely. Decades later, the machine was equipped by Frenchmen Pierre Lallement and Pierre Michaux with pedals to become the modern bicycle.
Born in 1785 in southwestern Germany, Baron Karl Drais was one of the most creative German inventors of the 19th century. The baron’s numerous inventions include, among others, the earliest typewriter, the meat grinder, a device to record piano music on paper, and two four-wheeled human-powered vehicles. But it was the running machine, the modern ancestor of the bicycle, that made him famous. The running machine, also called Draisine or hobby horse, was in effect a very primitive bicycle: it had no chains and was propelled by riders pushing off the ground with their feet. Though not a bike in the modern sense of the word, Drais’ invention marked the big bang for the bicycle’s development. It was the first vehicle with two wheels placed in line. The frame and wheels were made of wood; the steering already resembled a modern handlebar. Drais’ big democratic idea behind his invention was to find a muscle-powered replacement for the horses, which were expensive and consumed lots of food even when not in use. The machine, he believed, would allow large numbers of people faster movement than walking or riding in a coach. Drais undertook his first documented ride on June 12, 1817, covering a distance of 13 kilometers in one hour. A few months later, Drais created a huge sensation when he rode 60 kilometers in four hours. These were later followed by a marketing trip to Paris, where the hobby horse quickly caught on. The fad also quickly spread to Britain. The success of the hobby horse was short-lived, though. They were heavy and difficult to ride. Safety was an issue, too: They lacked a brake, as well as cranks and pedals. There were frequent collisions with unsuspecting pedestrians, and after a few years Drais’ invention was banned in many European and American cities. Drais’ ideas, however, did not disappear entirely. Decades later, the machine was equipped by Frenchmen Pierre Lallement and Pierre Michaux with pedals to become the modern bicycle.
What does “marked the big bang” mean in the second paragraph?
- A Gave out huge noise.
- B Created serious disturbance.
- C Enjoyed wide popularity.
- D Represented groundbreaking work.
思路引導 VIP
請同學觀察文中將該發明描述為 $the first vehicle$ 以及 $modern ancestor$ 的上下文脈絡。在科學語境中，$Big Bang$ 象徵宇宙萬物的起始點與大爆發，若將此『隱喻』手法套用在技術研發的發展史中，你認為這項發明對於後續自行車的演進，具備什麼樣『從無到有』且『奠定基礎』的地位？
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AI 詳解
AI 專屬家教
水喔！這位同學，你的英文直覺跟 Drais 的腳踏車一樣，跑在時代的最前端，這題答得漂亮！ 【觀念驗證：為什麼你對了？】 這題考的是高中英文閱讀的核心能力——語境推論（Context Clues）。文章提到 Drais 的發明雖非現代意義的單車，卻是發展史上的 "big bang"。在科學上，Big Bang 是宇宙起源的大霹靂；在語意上，它象徵「從無到有」的開端。後文提到這是第一台「兩輪對齊」的車，說明了其「開創性」。所以 $Success = \text{Context} + \text{Logic}$，選項 (D) Groundbreaking（開創性的、破天荒的）才是正解！
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