It’s Difficult to Imagine It as an Invention

"Man is still the most extraordinary thing of all" (John Kennedy). Just imagine the amount of inventions of the 20th century. Some people think that technology will save the world and make it better, some others think that technology will ruin the society because we are too dependent on electric and electronic gadgets and machines.

Dialogues - It is difficult to imagine paper cups as invention. - What do you mean? - Paper cups were invented by one young man Hugh Moore in 1900. He wanted travellers to drink water which would be germ-free.

- Which piece of technology couldn’t you live without? - Should I choose the only one? - Try to choose. - But I can’t. I couldn’t even imagine my life without a computer, a mobile, the Internet, a washing machine… It would be a Stone Age.

- Which inventions are extremely useful for you and which are junk? - I don’t think that any inventions could be really useless. Even if it is thought to be useless now people will find how and where use it later. As for me, I can’t imagine our life without all high-tech things. I can’t sacrifice anything. Especially my mobile. My parents can get in touch with me anytime.

Work in a group of about 3-4 persons. Choose a group leader. The first group will write and name three things that you can hardly live without. The second group will write and name three things that you can sacrifice without too much reluctance. The third group will choose three the most useful modern inventions and say why people use them.

Passive Voice (be + Participle II) Present Simple – am, is, are + V3 Past Simple – was/were + V3 Present Perfect – have/has been + V3 Past Perfect – had been + V3 Future Simple – will be + V3 Present Continuous – am, is, are being + V3

What inventions had been made by the end of the 19th century? Photocopier — G.C. Beidler — USA—1903 Diesel — Rudolph Diesel — Germany —1892 Laser — Theodore H. Maiman — USA—1960 Kodak camera — George Eastman — USA—1888 Colour television — John Lodgie Baird — Scotland—1928 Lego bricks — Ole Kirst Christiansen — Denmark—1955 Telegraph — Samuel F. B. Morse — USA—1837 Typewriter — Christopher Sholes and two of his friends Carlos Glidden and Samuel Soule — USA —the 1860s Steam engine — James Watt — Scotland—1765

Dynamite — Alfred Nobel — Sweden—1867 Frozen food — Clarence Birdseye — Canada—1914-1917 Tyres —Joy Boyd Dunlop — Scotland —1888 Electric cell — Alexander Volta — Italy —1800 Video cassette tape recorder system — Sony — Japan —1975 Telescope — Hans Lippershey — Netherlands—1608 Digital stereo sound system — the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) — Great Britain —1990 Canned food — Henry John Heinz — USA—1869 Match —John Walker — England —1827 Trainers — big companies like Nike, Reebok and Adidas — USA/ Germany — the early 80s Instant coffee — "Nestle" — Sweden — 1937 Hamburger — McDonald — USA — 1954 Helicopter — I. Sykorsky — Russia —1939

Put the verb into the correct form. A small computer (not to be built) by 1974. The first small computer (to be built) by research engineer Ed Roberts in 1975. Nearly two dozen patents (to be earned_ by Doug Engelhart before he (to introduce) the computer mouse. Some people think that everything that can be invented (to be invented).

After the first Moving Assembly line (to be installed) Ford’s manufacturing principles (to be adopted) by countless other industries. Nylon (to be invented) in 1938. Though the first human heart (to be transplanted) in 1967 a lot of experiments (to be carried out) ever since 1905. People hope that new medicines (to be discovered) and dangerous diseases (to be cured).

Home Task You and your elder sister are thiking of how to spend her first salary. Discuss the following options and choose one you both like most of all: Computer TV-set Refrigerator Microwave oven R: ex.3