Franklin and Jefferson

Benjamin Franklin was self-educated, which means that he was too poor to go to school and therefore got a good education. As a boy he helped his father to make candles, which were thought to look more romantic that electric lights. When he was twelve Benjamin was so interested in reading

that he gave up eating in order to buy books. Franklin was a plump, well-rounded man who invented almost as many things as Jefferson, including silkworms, the Franklin stove, and bifocals. He also made it possible for congressmen to send their letters free, which later became as the Franklin Privilege. When Franklin was seventy, he was sent to Paris to see what he could do to improve relations with the French, and he is said to have done extremely well despite his age.

Thomas Jefferson is best known as the author of Declaration of Independence, which is responsible for two holidays: July Fourth and Declaration Day. Although he was the author of this important document, he failed to secure a copyright.

Jefferson was not only a statesman but an inventor. His many inventions include dumb-waiter. An extremely versatile person, he was also an architect. Jefferson made a great contribution to American political philosophy. He believed that all men are created equal. Deeply religious, Jefferson was for a time a minister to France. In his spare time he was a farmer and an aristocrat.

Questions:

1. Why didn't Franklin go to school?

2. What did he do for congressmen?

3. Who is the author of Declaration of Independence?

4. Did Thomas Jefferson fail to secure a copyright of Declaration?

5. What other American Presidents do you know?

Vocabulary: self-educated - самообразованный candle - свеча

bifocals - двухфокусные очки silkworm - парашют to improve - улучшать to secure - сохранять contribution - вклад

франклин и Джефферсон

ьенджамин Франклин был слишком бедным, чтобы посещать школу и получить хорошее образование, и по­этому он занимался самообразованием. Будучи мальчиком, он помогал своему отцу делать свечи, которые в сравнении со светом казались более романтичными. В возрасте 12 лет Бенджамин так интересовался чтением, что вместо еды покупал книги. Франклин был решительным и все­сторонне образованным человеком, который изобрел по­чти столько же вещей, сколько и Джефферсон, включая .. парашюты, печь Франклина и двухфокусные очки. Он также предоставил конгрессменам возможность отсылать бесплат­но письма, что позже стало называться привилегией Фран­клина. Когда Франклину было 70 лет, он отправился в Париж посмотреть, что может быть сделано для улучше­ния отношений с французами, и говорят, что он добился многого, несмотря на свой возраст.

Томас Джефферсон известен как автор Декларации не­зависимости, с которой связаны два праздника: 4 июля и День Декларации. Хотя он был автором этого важного документа, он не сохранил авторские права.

Джефферсон был не только государственным деятелем, но и изобретателем. Среди его многочисленных изобрете­ний есть и стойка с вращающимися полками для закусок. Будучи разносторонней личностью, он также был и архи­тектором. Джефферсон внес большой вклад в американ­скую политическую философию. Он верил, что все люди равны. Глубоко верующий, Джефферсон был некоторое время министром Франции. В свободное время это был одновременно и крестьянин и аристократ.

Sergei Pavlovich Korolyov -

the Founder of Practical Cosmonautics

Academician S. P. Korolyov is a famous scientist and founder of practical cosmonautics. He was the chief constructor of the first Earth sputniks and spaceships.

S. P. Korolyov was born in 1906 in the small Ukrainian town of Zhitomir into a family of teachers. He spent his childhood with his grandparents in the town of Nezhin where he studied at home with a teacher. In 1922, at the age of 15, Sergei Korolyov began to study at a vocational building school in Odessa, where he received his secondary education and became a builder.

He was interested in mathematics, literature and he read a great deal.

All his life he loved music.

In 1923 Sergei Korolyov joined a Glider Pilots' Club, where he learned to construct gliders and to fly them.

In 1925 Korolyov entered the Kiev Polytechnical Institute -where he studied aviation and mathematics, but in the evening he had to work for money: he was a building worker, he worked at the post-off ice and he played very small roles in films.

After two years in Kiev Korolyov came to Moscow. In the day-time he worked at an aeroplane f actoryand in the evening he studied at the Moscow Higher Technical School. After lectures he worked at home on the design of a new glider.

At the Moscow Higher Technical School Korolyov learned about К. Е. Tsiolkovsky's ideas on space travell and about his rocket.

In 1930 S. P. Korolyov graduated from the Moscow Higher Technical School and became an aviation engineer. At the same time he finished the Moscow Pilot School.

During the Great Patriotic War S. P. Korolyov constructed a jet engine for aeroplanes and rockets.

On October 4, 1957 the first man-made sputnik of the Earth was launched into space. It was the result of thirty years hard work and Chief Constructor was S. P. Korolyov. Then dogs were sent into space and only after a lot of experiments the first cosmonaut in the world - Y. A. Gagarin launched into space in the spaceship "Vostok" on April 12, 1961.

After this there were many other longer and more difficult flights. Then followed rockets to the Moon, Mars and Venus.

S. P. Korolyov died in 1966. For his brilliant work in the name of science and progress he was awarded two Gold Stars of the Hero of Socialist Labour.

People will always remember the names of those who opened a new era in the conquest of outer space, and the name of S. P. Korolyov is one of them.

Questions:

1. When was S. P. Korolyov born?

2. Where did S. P. Korolyov begin to study?

3. What was he interested in?

4. What did he learn in 1923 when he joined a Glyder Pilots' Club?

5. What did he study in Kiev Polytechnical Institute?

6. When did he come to Moscow?

7. When was the first man-made sputnik of the Earth
launched into space?

Who was the first cosmonaut in the world?

Vocabulary: glider - планер

to be launched - быть запущенным jet- реактивный engine - двигатель, мотор to design - проектировать conquest - завоевание