1. Work in pairs. Look at the pictures. What do you think these inventions were for?

(Nói. Làm việc theo cặp. Nhìn vào những bức tranh. Bạn nghĩ những phát minh này để làm gì?)

2. Read the texts. Check your answers in exercise 1. Were any of your guesses correct?

(Đọc đoạn văn. Kiểm tra câu trả lời của bạn ở bài tập 1. Có dự đoán nào của bạn đúng không?)

Inventions the world forgot

1. Telhartnonium

The Telharmonium was the world's first electronic musical instrument. It was designed by Thaddeus Cahill in 1897. Music from the instrument was broadcast to people’s homes using a telephone. Before the invention of the radio, people loved these first home concerts. After Cahill's death in 1934, his brother kept one of the three models, but in 1962 it was destroyed. No recordings of the music were kept, so the Telharmonium and its unique sound have disappeared forever.

2. The Writing Ball

Invented in 1865 by Rasmus Malling- Hansen from Denmark, the Writing Ball was a machine for typing onto paper. Its use of electricity made the movement faster. However, you could not see the paper as you were typing. Nevertheless, the Writing Ball was very successful. Since each model was made by hand, it was soon replaced by other cheaper machines produced in factories. A new keyboard with a different key arrangement appeared. The once-popular Writing Ball was forgotten.

3. The Antikythera Mechanism

In 1901, parts of an ancient machine were discovered on a ship near the Greek island of Antikythera. It had been made about 1,900 years earlier, in 2 BCE. For many years after its discovery, nobody understood exactly what the machine was for. In the 1970s, scientists found that this ancient computer had been designed to predict the movements of the sun, the moon and the planets. It did this using more than thirty hand-made metal wheels of different sizes. The remains of the Antikythera mechanism are now kept at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, together with a number of reconstructions to demonstrate how it may have worked.

3. In pairs, decide which of the inventions is the most impressive and/or interesting, in your opinion. Give reasons.

(Theo cặp, hãy quyết định phát minh nào là ấn tượng và / hoặc thú vị nhất, theo ý kiến của bạn. Đưa ra lý do)

4. Number the pictures (A-C) in the order in which they were invented.

(Đánh số các bức tranh A-C theo thứ tự được phát minh.)

5. Match the texts (1-3) with questions A-E below. Some questions match with more than one text.

(Nối các đoạn văn (1-3) với các câu hỏi A-E bên dưới. Một số câu hỏi phù hợp với nhiều hơn một văn bản.)

Which invention(s) (Phát minh nào)

A. was / were lost and then found again?

(đã bị mất và sau đó được tìm thấy lại?)

B. was / were popular for a time but then disappeared?

(phổ biến trong một thời gian nhưng sau đó biến mất?)

C. used electricity? (đã sử dụng điện?)

D. was / were designed by an unknown inventor?

(được thiết kế bởi một nhà phát minh vô danh?)

E. was / were first designed in the 19th century?

(được thiết kế lần đầu tiên vào thế kỷ 19?)

6. Decide if the sentences below are true (T), false (F) or ‘does not say' (DNS).

(Quyết định xem các câu dưới đây là đúng (T), sai (F) hay không được nói đến (DNS).)

1. The Telharmonium was invented before the radio.

2. Thaddeus Cahill destroyed the final model of his invention before he died.

3. The Writing Ball was the first machine that used electricity for typing.

4. Other typing machines were cheaper to make because they were not made by hand.

5. The Antikythera Mechanism was at the bottom of the sea for nearly 2,000 years.

6. For about 70 years after it was found, the purpose of the mechanism was not known.

7. Find nouns in the text related to these verbs.

(Tìm các danh từ trong văn bản có liên quan đến các động từ này.)

Noun endings

Text 1                                  Text 2                                   Text 3

a. invent _____            c. move _____                  e. discover _____

b. record _____           d. arrange _____                f. reconstruct _____

8. Work in groups. Decide which three inventions and discoveries from history are the most important. Use the ideas below or think of your own. Give reasons.

(Làm việc nhóm. Quyết định xem ba phát minh và khám phá từ lịch sử nào là quan trọng nhất. Sử dụng những ý dưới đây hoặc ý tưởng của riêng bạn. Đưa ra lý do.)

aeroplanes (máy bay); antibiotics (kháng sinh); books (sách); cars (ô tô); computers (máy tính); electricity (điện); fire (lửa); printing (bức tranh); television (TV); wheels (bánh xe)