B. Built a laboratory in his house

LEXICAL EXERCISES

Match the words and their suitable definitions given below:

Prominent - well-known, to be expelled - to be officially forced to leave a place, fortress - a strong building used for defending a place, science - the study and knowledge of the physical world and its behavior, scientist - someone who is trained in science, scientific - relating to science, or based on the methods of science, founder - a person who starts an organization or institution, nuclear - relating to energy that is produced by changing the structure of the central part of an atom, to establish - to make something to start to exist or start to happen, incredible - surprising or difficult to believe, to devote to - to spend a lot of time or effort doing something, defence - protection, entirely - completely, technology - organization, or school, common knowledge - something that everyone knows, device - advanced scientific knowledge, to transmit - to send an electronic signal such as a radio or telephone signal, to prove - to provide evidence that shows that something is true, to disprove - to prove that something is not correct, capable to - able to do something, list - to mention or write things one after another

ACTIVE VOCABULARY

New words

Try to give synonyms or close meanings to the following words:

Invention, inspiration, closet, bulb, nap, wax, phonograph, genius, perspiration.(Изобретение, вдохновение, шкаф, лампа, сон, воск, фонограф, гений, пот)

Warming up

Today we are going to read about one of the most outstanding American inventors. Before reading look at the photo and answer the questions:

What is the difference between the discovery and the invention?

Who is the man in the picture?

What is he famous for?

Do you know any stories about him?

There are a lot of stories about him. This is one of them:

Reading text

Thomas Alva Edison

Thomas Alva Edison was born in 1847. He was sick a lot when he was young. Edison’s mother taught him lessons at home and only studied the things he wanted to know. At age ten, he read his first science book. After he read the book, he built a laboratory in his house. Soon, Edison started to invent things. He was interested in the telegraph and electricity. At age twenty-three, he made a special telegraphic machine and sold it for a lot of money. It is said that he planned to ask two or three thousand dollars for his invention. He was invited to the meeting of businessmen who were interested in buying his invention and was very nervous to name a price.

“It is no use asking us a big price” – said one of the businessmen, – “we’ve already decided how much we will pay. Forty thousand dollars is our limit.” With this money, he was now free to invent all the time.

Edison started his own laboratory at Menlo Park, New Jersey. He hired mechanics and chemists to help him. He worked day and night. Once, he worked on forty-five inventions at the same time. Edison did not sleep very much, but he took naps. He often fell asleep with his clothes on. One day, he even fell asleep in the closet!

Did you know Edison invented wax paper, fire alarms, the battery, and motion pictures? All his inventions were the result of hard work. But his favorite invention was the phonograph, or a record player. He invented the phonograph in 1876. His other famous invention was the light bulb. Edison died in 1931, at the age of eighty-four. He had over 1,300 inventions to his name! Many people say that Edison was a genius – one of the smartest people in the world! According to him, the idea that a genius works only by inspiration was absurd. “Genius is 2 percent inspiration and 98 percent perspiration,” – he often said.

Milanda Brokal, Introduction the USA “A Cultural Reader”

Reading comprehension

1. Complete the sentences with one of the following words:

1. Edison liked to invent things.
2. Edison worked in his laboratory day and night.
3. When you take a short sleep, it is a nap.
4. A place where you hang your clothes is a closet.
5. Edison paid chemists and mechanics to work for him. He hired them.
6. When the lamp in your house does not work, you may need to change the light bulb.

II. Choose right answer.

1. When Edison was a boy, he ______.

a. made a lot of money

b. built a laboratory in his house

c. invented motion pictures

1. In his laboratory at Menlo Park, Edison ______.

A. worked day and night

b. slept most of the time

c. did not work

1. Edison invented ______.

a. only a record player

b. his name

C. more than 1,300 things

Томас Алва Эдисон

Томас Алва Эдисон родился в 1847 году. Он много болел, когда он был молод. Мать Эдисона научила его на занятиях у себя дома и изучали только то, что он хотел знать. В возрасте десяти лет, он прочитал свою первую научную книгу. После того как он прочитал книгу, он построил лабораторию в своем доме. Вскоре Эдисон начал изобретать вещи. Он был заинтересован в телеграфне и электричестве. В возрасте двадцати трех, он сделал специальную телеграфную машину и продал ее за большие деньги. Он сказал, что он планирует взять две или три тысячи долларов за изобретение. Он был приглашен на встречу бизнесменов, которые заинтересованы в покупке его изобретения, и был очень возбужден, чтобы назвать цену.

"Это не имеет смысла задавать нам большую цену", - сказал один из предпринимателей, - "мы уже решили, сколько мы будем платить. Сорок тысяч долларов наш предел. "На эти деньги, он теперь был свободен изобретать на все время.

Эдисон основал свою собственную лабораторию Менло-Парк, штат Нью-Джерси. Он нанял механика и химиков, чтобы помочь ему. Он работал день и ночь. После того, как он работал на сорок пять изобретений в то же время. Эдисон не спал очень много, но он дремал. Он часто засыпал в одежде. Однажды он даже заснул в шкафу!

Знаете ли Вы, Эдисон изобрел вощеную бумагу, пожарную сигнализацию, аккумулятор и видеокадры? Все его изобретения были результатом кропотливой работы. Но его любимым изобретением был фонограф, или проигрыватель. Он изобрел фонограф в 1876 году Его другое известное изобретение - лампочки. Эдисон умер в 1931 году, в возрасте восьмидесяти четырех лет. Он имел более 1300 изобретений с его именем! Многие люди говорят, что Эдисон был гением - один из самых умных людей в мире! По его словам, идея, что гений работает только по вдохновению было абсурдно. "Гения составляет 2 процента вдохновения и 98 процентов пота», - часто говорил он.

Milanda Brokal Введение США "Культурное чтения"