Margaret

Did you buy the bike from a bike shop? Did you get to take a test ride? Did they ask what kind of riding you will be doing and your biking experience? Road bikes come with either a "double" or a "triple" chain ring (meaning either two or three gear rings in the front). Most beginners and most people who do much climbing (except the pros, of course) use a triple.

Try using the search function of this board. The double & triple have been discussed before. There were even discussions of people who bought bikes with a double and asked about changing to a triple (pretty expensive to do). A bike with a double may be geared pretty high for a novice.

Good luck!