Unit 4: Inventors and their Inventions
1 Read about the inventors and their inventions and do the activities that follow.
Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1455.
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876.
Joseph Swan and Thomas Edison invented
the light bulb in 1878.
Karl Benz invented the motor car in 1885.
Josephine Cochrane invented the dishwasher in 1886.
Whitcomb Judson invented the zip in 1893
Hubert Booth invented the vacuum cleaner in 1902.
Garratt Morgan invented the traffic signal in 1923
John Logie Baird invented the television in 1926.
Frank McNamara invented the credit card in 1950.
A. Read the texts and fill in the table with brief notes
1. Before vacuum cleaners were invented, people had to clean their houses with brushes and
dustpans. The first vacuum cleaners were big and heavy. Today, vacuum cleaners are light.
2. Before printing presses were invented, people had to copy books using a pen and paper.The
first printing presses were slow. Today, printing presses are fast.
3. Before traffic signals were invented, people could not work out when to stop and when to
go. The first traffic signals had stop and go written on them. Today, traffic signals use lights.
4. Before telephones were invented, people could not talk to each other if they were not in the
same place. They had to write letters.The first telephones were connected by wires.
Today, mobile phones can be used anywhere.
5. Before motor cars were invented, people had to walk or ride horses to get from one place to
another.The first motor cars were very slow. Today, cars are very fast.
6. Before zips were invented, people had to fasten their clothes with lots of buttons and hooks.
It used to take a long time to get dressed. Today, clothes are easy to put on and take off
using zips.
7. Before televisions were invented, people could not see what was happening in other
countries. The first televisions had black and white pictures. Today, televisions have colour
pictures.
8. Before dishwashers were invented, people had to wash and dry plates, glasses and cutlery
by hand.The first dishwashers were only used in restaurantsToday, dishwashers are used in
homes, too.
9. Before light bulbs were invented, people used candles, oil lamps or gas lamps to see at
night.The first light bulbs did not last for long. Today, light bulbs last for a very long time.
10.Before credit cards were invented, people had to pay for everything with paper money or
coins.The first credit cards could not be used in many places. Today, credit cards can be
used to pay for things everywhere.
Problem original solution Problems with solution Invention
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Can you match the inventor to the invention?
Johann Gutenberg
Alexander Graham Bell
Joseph Swan
Thomas Edison
Josephine Cochrane
Whitcomb Judson
Hubert Booth
Garratt Morgan
John Logie Baird
Frank McNamara
Vacuum cleaner
Traffic signal
28
Television
Light bulb
Printing press
Dishwasher
Credit card
Index
Notes for teachers and parents
credit card dishwasher light bulb motor car printing press telephone television traffic signal vacuum cleaner zip
7, 26, 27, 29 7, 22, 23, 29 6, 24, 25, 29 6, 16, 17,29 6, 10, I 1,29
6, 14, 15,29
7, 20, 21, 29 7, 12, 13,29 7, 8, 9, 29
7, 18, 19,29
Read It Yourself is a series of graded readers designed to give young children a confident and successful start
to reading.
Level 2 is for children who are familiar with some simple words and can read short sentences. Each book in this
level contains frequently repeated phrases which help children to read more fluently. An interesting and
detailed illustration accompanies every page, which aids understanding of the text and encourages interest and
enjoyment.
About this book
• The opening pages introduce the inventors and inventions found in this book.
• Some beginner readers who need more of a challenge can practise reading the fact boxes on every spread.
• Some children find the concepts of history and time difficult to grasp. Discuss how things have changed using
terms such as now and then.
• The last spread shows the inventors and their inventions. Try using this spread to talk about what the reader
has learnt.
• A simple index can be found at the back of the book. We use an index to help us find the page of the topic we
are interested in.
Beginner readers need plenty of help and encouragement.
Read it yourself
_for beginner readers who can read short simple sentences with help
Interesting and Jamiliar topics Carefully structured captions and labels Simple, repetitive sentence structures
Fascinating and supportive illustrations
simple sentences
clear jont size
clear illustrations
interesting facts to discover
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