1.

_______________________
Before the introduction of the compass, destination, position and direction at sea were
primarily determined by the sighting of landmarks, along with the observation of the position of
stars and celestial bodies.
The compass was invented by the Chinese between the 9th and 11th century. It was originally
made from lodestone, a naturally magnetized piece of the mineral magnetite. The earliest
Chinese literature reference to magnetism lies in the writings of Wang Xu in the 4th century BC

2_______________________
Charles Babbage, an English mechanical engineer and polymath, originated the concept of a
programmable computer. Considered the "father of the computer", he conceptualized and
invented the first mechanical computer in the early 19th century.
The principle of the modern computer was first described by computer scientist Alan Turing,
who set out the idea in his seminal 1936 paper, On Computable Numbers.

3______________________
Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. The discovery of penicillin is
attributed to Scottish scientist and Nobel laureate Alexander Fleming in 1928. He showed that,
if Penicilliumrubens were grown in the appropriate substrate, it would exude a substance with
antibiotic properties.Chemists purified it and developed the drug Penicillin, which fights a huge
number of bacterial infections in humans without harming the humans themselves. It was being
mass produced and advertised by 1944.

4._____________________________
The wheel was invented in 3500 BC and facilitated agriculture and commerce by enabling the
transportation of goods to and from markets. Wheels have transformed our lives, and are used
in everything from clocks to vehicles.

5.______________________________
Alexander Graham Bell was the first to be awarded a patent for the electric telephone in
1876. The first successful bi-directional transmission of clear speech by Bell and his assistant
Thomas Watson was made in March 1876.The invention quickly took off, and revolutionized
global business and communication.

6. ________________________________
Paper was invented in ancient China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and spread slowly
to the West via the Silk Road.
Earlier materials used instead of paper, such as papyrus, parchment and palm leaves, were
expensive and in short supply, but paper, made from wood and rags, could be processed
everywhere and eventually provided a cheaper alternative using large-scale production.
 7. _____________________
The invention of the automobile can be traced back as far as 1769, when one Nicolas-Joseph
Cugnot, devised the very first concept - a complex, three wheeled steam engine. The idea never
really took off, as it could not compete with horse powered transportation which were easier to
handle, faster, less expensive and more commercially viable. Cars had to become practical, to be
simple to use, offer benefits over horses and be affordable, yet profitable. In 1807, Francois
Isaac de Rivaz, a Swiss inventor, invented the very first internal combustion engine using
hydrogen as fuel.
8.____________________________
The discovery of the airplane accelerated development in the transport industry. The time
taken to travel greater distances has been dramatically reduced, and places have become
increasingly more accessible. The two people most commonly linked with the invention of the
airplane are the Wright Brothers. Both left education at an early stage to set up their own
bicycle repair store. Otto Lilienthal, a German aviator, was a man who the Wright Brothers
closely followed, keeping up to date with his research and experiments. Lilienthal died in a glider
accident, which inspired the brothers to take matters into their own hands and continue their
own research into aeronautics. The brothers set about building a set of wings similar to that of
a bird, albeit with a moveable rudder. It was in 17th December, 1903, that the brothers
unveiled their first airplane, the first plane that had been capable of a controlled flight with no
landing damage and a constant speed.
9._________________________
The invention of the radio was a great achievement in terms of communication between two
positions. The inventors of the telephone and telegraph had already introduced the technology
of wire-to-wire communication. Thus, the inventor of radio based his idea heavily on the
technology that existed in the telephone and telegraph. The invention of the radio was a huge
step in the field of technology. Since the time it was invented most of us have forgotten how
useful a radio can prove to be even in the present world where computers and laptops have
dominated. The sound that can be heard emitting from radio speakers is mainly attributed to
the transmission of radio signals, known as a process called modulation.
10.____________________________
The television set was invented by not one person but a group of numerous personnel. The
principal idea was based on photoconductivity of the element selenium, founded by Willoughby
Smith in 1873. All televisions make use of an image which is scanned to produce a representation
time signal, which is then reversed and decoded by the human eye. On 26 January 1926, John
Logie Baird demonstrated the first public television, which transmitted live moving images.
Several months later, 3 July 1928, Baird demonstrated the first color television. In 1923,
Charles Francis Jenkin demonstrated his own version of a primitive television set.
 11_______________________________
Charles Babbage, an English mechanical engineer and polymath, originated the concept of a
programmable computer. Considered the "father of the computer", he conceptualised and
invented the first mechanical computer in the early 19th century.The principle of the modern
computer was first described by computer scientist Alan Turing, who set out the idea in his
seminal 1936 paper, On Computable Numbers.
Computer - A computer is an invention that dates back to 2000 years. It started out as an
Abacus, a rack made of wood, to solve simple problems using beads. However, the first digital
computer was made by Pascal in the 16th century. The computer is not the idea of a single
person, but in fact, a mixture of ideas by many scientists. It is an invention that has affected
our lives in every possible way. It is used in every industry and by people of all ages.
12_________________________
Light Bulb - Thomas Edison invented the light bulb which changed the world by bringing it out
from the darkness and into the light. Edison experimented with thousands of filaments to find
the best material that ensures the effectiveness of bulbs. Edison invented a bulb that won't
expire for 1500 hours; however, modern technology made sure that bulbs lasted even longer.
13.____________________________
Camera - The first photograph was taken in 1826 by Joseph Nic�phore Ni�pce. With time, the
structure and design of the camera evolved, thus introducing new ways to take pictures. With
the camera, you can capture as many images you want. Thanks to this invention, you can still
refresh your memories and share a laugh or two at the good ones.

Things That Have Changed the World

Gerard Counihan professor Ss [at] blabla.es
We have come a long way since the stone wheel, the house in the cave, dinosaurs ... So, let's
take a look at some of the "things" that may have made this planet of ours a different place:
Events, incidents, discoveries, inventions and so on. There is no doubt that the invention of the
wheel facilitated such vital developments as transport, and travel, but there must be more
factors that have contributed too.
Activity A
Ask your students to think of inventions/discoveries that have changed the world, for good or
for bad. I gotthese:
 PollutionThe enginePenicillinFire
 The contraceptive pill (changed the traditional large family)
 Waterworks, piping, plumbing (where would we put our waste water?)
 GlassesMusic
 The mop (put an end to the back-breaking task of pushing a cloth along floors)
 PrintingThe carWarsThe computerWatches
 RadioX-rays
If your students need help, you should give them a few typical examples from above, to get the
ball rolling. They must have reasons for their decisions and be prepared to take comments from
the other pupils.
 Activity B
"positive" things - negative aspects.
For example, the car:
Positive aspects Negative aspects Travel QuickIt can kill Business Visiting It creates
noise It pollutes the air
Activity C
Things that have changed my life.Wrap up the class with discussing this question.
1. ENVIRONMENT: Walk around the class and talk to other students about the environment.
Change partners often. Sit with your first partner(s) and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most
interesting and which are most boring.
solar power / cookers / cardboard boxes / inventions / simple designs / food additives /
being delighted / solutions / saving trees / drinking water / firewood / carbon
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. BEING GREEN: How can we help the planet? Complete this table. Talk about what you wrote
with your partner(s). Changepartners and share whatyoufoundout.
Currentproblems Invention / solutionneeded
Cooking
Lighting
Transport
Use of paper
Water
Factories
4. GREENHOUSE GASSES: Students A strongly believe we will eventually stop creating
greenhouse gasses; Students B strongly believe there is no way we can do this, not in a million
years. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
5. INVENTIONS: With your partner(s), think of what new uses you could put these things to.
Share your ideas withyourpartner(s).
 cardboard boxes  oldmobilephones
 oldcomputers  milk and juicecartons
 car tyres / tires  newspapers
 books  oldbatteries
6. DESIGN: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the
word ‘design’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together,
putthewordsintodifferentcategories.
 English Practice: Inventions That Have Changed the World
INVENTION NAMEBicycle BEFORE NOW DISTANT FUTURE
Kirkpatrick MacMillan, It was an
DECRIPTION innovating heavy There are different Bicycles will probably
Bicycle the first two mean of disciplines as sports fly and run with
wheeled pedal powered transportation. to practice using mental orders.
bicycle. Bicycle helped bicycles
PURPOSES/ USES people to move
To move easily and faster faster, easier
DATES 1839 and more
comfortably
What----- When------Where----- How is it-------- What for------Positive- Negative aspects
ET: Sofia Arango 2016

English Practice: Inventions That Have Changed the World

INVENTION NAMEBicycle BEFORE NOW DISTANT FUTURE
Kirkpatrick MacMillan, It was an
DECRIPTION innovating heavy There are different Bicycles will probably
Bicycle the first two mean of disciplines as sports fly and run with
wheeled pedal powered transportation. to practice using mental orders.
bicycle. Bicycle helped bicycles
PURPOSES/ USES people to move
To move easily and faster faster, easier
DATES 1839 and more
comfortably
What----- When------Where----- How is it-------- What for------Positive- Negative aspects
ET: Sofia Arango 2016

English Practice: Inventions That Have Changed the World

INVENTION NAMEBicycle BEFORE NOW DISTANT FUTURE
Kirkpatrick MacMillan, It was an
DECRIPTION innovating heavy There are different Bicycles will probably
Bicycle the first two mean of disciplines as sports fly and run with
wheeled pedal powered transportation. to practice using mental orders.
bicycle. Bicycle helped bicycles
PURPOSES/ USES people to move
To move easily and faster faster, easier
DATES 1839 and more
comfortably
What----- When------Where----- How is it-------- What for------Positive- Negative aspects
ET: Sofia Arango 2016