TOPIC № 8 INVENTORS AND THEIR INVENTIONS
I. Vocabulary:
1. allow – позволять
2. appear – появляться
3. design – проектировать, конструировать, разрабатывать
4. dot-and-dash alphabet – азбука Морзе
5. exchange information – обмениваться информацией
6. internal combustion engine – двигатель внутреннего сгорания
7. invent – изобретать
8. named after – назван в честь
9. penetrate – проникать
10. reliable – надежный
11. revolving barrel – вращающийся барабан
12. stockholder – акционер
13. solution – раствор
II. Read the text:
As the years go forward our life becomes faster, our mind develops, and a lot of new things appear. Many centuries ago people even couldn't imagine that we would be able to exchange information using telephone, Internet and they couldn't think that there are a lot of planets except our earth and that people can fly there. Nowadays we cannot imagine our life without such inventions as lamps, ovens, central heating and others. For centuries people have been inventing things to make our life easier, longer, warmer, and speedier. But only few inventors are able to design a product which becomes so well-known that it is named after its creator.
Samuel Colt was an American. He lived in the 19th century. In 1836 he designed and patented a pistol. It was a pistol with a revolving barrel that could fire six bullets one after another. It was the first pistol of its kind.
Rudolf Diesel was a German engineer. He was born in 1858 and died in 1913. In 1897 he invented a new internal combustion engine. This engine is known as a diesel and it began a transport revolution in cars, lorries, trains and ships. The main advantage of diesels is that they run on rather cheap fuel.
Samuel Finley Morse was born in 1791. He died in 1872. He was a portrait painter. Then he became an inventor. For twelve years he tried to perfect the telegraph and he was a success. Later he invented the telegraphic dot-and-dash alphabet known as Morse code.
Charles Mackintosh lived from 1766 to 1843. He lived in Scotland and was a chemist by profession. He worked in a textile industry. In 1823 he developed a rubber solution. This rubber solution was used for raincoats production. Such raincoats didn’t allow water to penetrate. These raincoats were called mackintoshes.
Charles Rolls was born in 1881 in Great Britain. He died in 1910.He was an aristocrat and businessman. He was especially interested in cars. Once he met another enthusiast of cars Henry Royce. Henry Royce was a famous car engineer. They decided to design the most comfortable and reliable car. At the beginning of the 20th century it seemed to be a fantasy. But they worked hard and at last in 1907 they created the world-famous Rolls-Royce car. It was so comfortable and reliable that one of the models of Rolls-Royce cars “Silver Ghost” hadn’t changed greatly for 20 years since 1907.
Gottlieb Daimler and Charles Benz were two inventors. They lived in Germany. They were both interested in car production. At the end of the 19th century each of them designed a car. At the same time they organized two independent firms to produce them. All cars produced by the firm of Daimler were called “Mercedes”. Mercedes was a daughter’s name of one of the stockholders of the firm. This man saved the firm of Daimler from financial crisis at the beginning of the 20th century. But after the World War I the firm met with financial difficulties again. This time it had to join the firm of Benz. Since that time all the cars produced by the firm “Daimler-Benz” have been called “Mercedes-Benz”.
The question about technical progress is supposed to be very wide and it's impossible to say about all inventions. The only thing we know is that we will never return to the life which people lived a lot of centuries ago.
III. Answer the following questions:
1. Where was Samuel Colt from?
2. What did Colt invent?
3. Who invented the internal combustion engine?
4. What is the main advantage of the diesel engine?
5. Did Edison invent the telegraphic dot-and-dash alphabet?
6. What kind of solution did Mackintosh use for raincoats production?
7. Who invented one of the most reliable and comfortable cars “Silver Ghost”?
8. Why did Daimler choose the name “Mercedes” for his cars?
9. What made Daimler join the firm of Benz?
10. Will there ever be an end to the technological progress?
IV. Complete the sentences:
1. As the years go forward … .
2. Nowadays we cannot imagine our life … …
3. But only few inventors …
4. It was a pistol with a ….
5. This engine … .
6. For twelve years he tried … .
7. Such raincoats didn’t allow water … .
8. At the same time they organized ….
9. … from financial crisis at the beginning of the 20th century.
10. The question about technical progress …
V. Translate words from Russian into English:
Двигатель внутреннего сгорания, финансовый кризис, азбука Морзе, недорогое топливо, проникать, акционер, изобретать, надежный, центральное отопление, производить, присоединиться, вращающийся барабан, совершенствовать, названный в честь.
VI. Speaking.
1. What other inventors and inventions do you know?
2. Does such invention as TV do more harm or good?