Electronic programmable computer

Invented: 1943
Inventor: Tommy Flowers

Built and designed by brilliant Post Office engineer Tommy Flowers, the Colossus arrived at Bletchley Park to crack the German Lorenz cipher, which was even more complex than Enigma. Constructed using 1,500 vacuum tubes, the Colossus was the first truly electronic, digital and programmable computer. Sadly for Flowers, the technology was reserved for military intelligence and remained top secret – with every Colossus machine dismantled after the war.

 

AUTOMATIC KETTLE

Invented: 1955
Inventor: Peter Hobbs

The automatic kettle – one that switches itself off when the water reaches boiling point – was the brainchild of Peter Hobbs, one of the two founders of appliance company Russell Hobbs. At its heart was a simple piece of technology: the bimetallic strip which bent as the water boiled, breaking a circuit and switching off the kettle.

FLOAT GLASS

Invented: 1959
Inventor: Alastair Pilkington

When we think of inventions, it’s machines and gadgets that usually come to mind. But what about the processes needed to create the materials our modern world is made of? Almost all the glass we use today is made using Pilkington’s “float” process, which made it far easier and cheaper to make high-quality glass.

 

HIP REPLACEMENT

Invented: 1962
Inventor: John Charnley

British surgeon John Charnley designed the first hip joint and, in 1962, performed the first successful hip-replacement operation. His design used a femoral stem and ball made of steel and a hip socket made of Teflon, glued together using acrylic bone cement. Many improvements have been made since but Charnley set the standard and today 80,000 hip replacements are performed in Britain each year.

 

CARBON FIBRE

Invented: 1963
Inventors: Royal Aircraft Establishment Engineers

This marvelous material is one of many inventions developed by the military that are incredibly useful. Today carbon fibre has thousands of applications in boats, cars, motorbikes, sports equipment, and even in the fuselages of jumbo jets.

 

ATM

Invented: 1967
Inventor: John Shepherd-Barron

John Shepherd-Barron first hit on the idea of a cash dispenser in the bath and secured a meeting with Barclays who signed up, installing the first ATM outside their Enfield branch in 1967. It gave out a maximum of £10 after customers inserted special cheques that the machine could recognise alongside a four-digit PIN number that’s still in use today.

 

WORLDWIDE WEB

Invented: 1989
Inventor: Tim Berners-Lee

Not to be confused with the internet, which is a system of linked computer networks, the worldwide web was invented by British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee. He created the first server in late 1990 and, on 6 August 1991, the web went live, with the first page explaining how to search and how to set up a site. Berners-Lee gave his invention to the world for free.

 

Task II. Discuss the facts you have read about with your groupmates (ask them questions about the inventions, their use and importance, etc.)

Task III. Make a report on more modern inventions made by British scientists

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA            

Useful vocabulary

сontiguous – смежный

D.C. – District of Columbia

to scatter- разбрасывать

 to emerge from – появляться из

arid – сухой

 to embark on – приступить, начать

tribe - племя

vigorous - стремительный, мощный

expansion - распространение

to acquire – получить, овладеть

to admit - признавать

to span – заполнить

impeachment – отстранение от должности

GDP (gross domestic product) – валовый внутренний продукт(ВВП)

to benefit from – извлечь пользу из, пользоваться преимуществом

 an abundance – изобилие, богатство

to overturn – переворачивать, свергать

rectangle -прямоугольник

pales – вертикальные полосы

to signify- означать

innocence - чистота, невинность

valour – отвага, доблесть

 vigilance - настороженность

 perseverance - упорство, стойкость

Great Seal- большая государственная печать

to emanate from - происходить из

 to aspire – стремиться