15. He explained that they hadn’t come in time because they had lost their way.

16. He asked me whether 1 could wait for him while he was looking through the papers which his secretary had put on his table.

17. He explained that the task was very complicated and asked me if I would be able to carry it out.

18. In the interview with the students the head of the department tried to find out what had made them choose this profession

1. a) One of the most outstanding American inventors is Thomas Edison. There are a lot of stories about him. Listen to one of them. Be ready to answer the following questions:

1. What’s Edison famous for?

2. What education did he get? 1'

3. How did he read books?

4. How old was Edison when he patented his first invention?

5. What story is told about his first invention?

6. How did he make his inventions?

7. What is his idea of a genius? Do you agree with him?

b) Retell the story.

| What other facts of Edison’s life do you know?

| a) A lot of new inventions appear every day to make our lives easier, longer, warmer, speedier. But only a few inventors design a new machine or product that becomes so well-known that it is named after its creator

b) Find the names of the inventors who gave their names to the things the) created in the following list and put them down in the chart.

I Rutherford c. Makintosh

I Colt s. Morsey

I Landau w. Thomson

Л Diesel C. Rolls H Cavendish Benz

129

LISTENING PRACTICE

Inventor 1	Invention	Year of invention	Country
2. 3.
4.
5.
6.	i

UlCHAKL: Quite a lot. As for me I've joined the student research society We are having our institute conference in a month and I'm going to contribute a paper to it.

WILLIAM: What problems are you interested in? tflCHAEL: I’m working on the defects of metal units.

WILLIAM: Do you use computers?

MICHAEL: Certainly. It is impossible to do without them today.

WILLIAM Does your research work take much of your time?

MICHAEL: Yes, quite a lot.

WILLIAM: Do you work alone?

MICHAEL: Of course not. There are six of us in the group. We have a very good and patient adviser who helps us a lot.

2. Complete the dialogues. :3jS .

1 A.: 2. A.: Do you work alone?

B.: We are busy with designing B.:

some engine parts. A.: Does it take much time, I

1. : mean, your work in the research

2. : Certainly. society?

B.:

3. A. : Are there many clubs and societies at your institute?

в:| . • ■ . - ;■ ■; 11

1. : What problems are you interested in?

2. :

2. Think of some good questions for the following answers.

1. Only once in my life. 6. Almost everybody.

2. My job. 7. Nothing.

3. From time to time. 8. Anywhere.

4. It is wrong. 9. Excellent.

5 At about 5 o'clock. 10. His own.

2. A reporter from the journal “Science of the 20th century” published in New Zealand meets the young Russian engineer and inventor Michael Shutin. Michael was awarded a prize by the Russian Academy of Sciences.

REPORTER: You are going to interview the inventor. Here are some questions you can ask:

Were you surprised when you won the prize?

What field of science do you work in?

What can you say about your invention?

Did you work alone?

What are your plans for the fiiture?

Think of some other questioni.

131

TV is doing more good than harm j	TV is doing more harm than good
We can be very well informed. We can enjoy ourselves without leaving our homes. We can study with the help of TV courses. A TV sel is a friend for lonely, people.	Watching TV takes a lot of time. We get very lazy and passive in our free time. Sometimes we prefer TV to reading books. Sometimes it is only TV that is responsible for children’s' upbringing.

Discuss the problem in groups of 3-5 students in order to make a decision. Fill in the chart and give your reasons.	Group 1	Group 2	Group 3	Group 4
TV is doing more harm than good
TV is doing more good than harm