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How New Inventions are Made?

"How new inventions that change the face of the world are made?": somebody asked Einstein. "Quite simply," answered Einstein. "Everybody; knows that something is impossible. Then quite by chance,¹ there happens an ignorant man who does not know it and he makes the invention."

Different Means

During his visit to an observatory Einstein got interested in the large telescope with a mirror of 2.5 metres in diameter.

"What do you need such a big instrument for?" asked Einstein's wife.

"We use it to study the structure of the universe," answered the director of the observatory.

"Really?" said the lady. "My husband usually does it on the inside, of an old envelope."

1. quite by chance — совершенно случайно

2. got interested — заинтересовался

It's the Great Einstein!

One day Einstein went to a town in Central Germany to play in a^! concert given to help poor students. A young inexperienced writer had been sent to report the concert.¹ While waiting for the concert to begin, he whispered nervously to the lady next to him.

"Who is this Einstein who is playing tonight?"

The lady was shocked that there was someone in Germany who had never heard of the famous scientist.

"Good heavens,² don't you know? It's the great Einstein!" "Ah, yes, of course," answered the young reporter, writing down something. The next day, the newspaper reported the successful appearance of the "great musician, Albert Einstein, who played with skill and feeling second to none".³ The article declared that Einstein was "the greatest master of them all". Einstein carried this article with him until it was worn out. His eyes usually twinkled as he said to a friend,

"You think I'm a scientist? Hah! I am a famous fiddler, that's what I am!" and laughing gaily, he pulled the article from his pocket.

But when a rich man sent him a violin worth 30,000 dollars,⁴ Einstein returned it with a modest note, "This valuable instrument should be played by a true artist. Please forgive me — I'm so used to⁵ my old violin."

1. to report the concert — написать о концерте

2. Good Heavens — Боже мой

3. second to none — непревзойденный

4. worth 30,000 dollars — стоимостью в 30.000 долларов

5. I'm so used to—я так привык

Unit 13 mstislav keldysh (1911-1978)

Mstislav Keldysh, a well-known Russian scientist, was born in Riga on January 28, 1911. He was a very capable boy and finished school at the age of 16. He wanted to become a building engineer like his father, but» one could enter an engineering institute only at 17. The boy decided to enter Moscow University to study mathematics and physics.

After his graduation from the University at the age of 20, he began his research work at the Central Airo-Hydrodynamical Institute —the centre of aviation science at that time. The young scientist worked with enthusiasm and soon- published a number of important scientific papers. When Keldysh was 27, he became Doctor of Sciences.

The scientist did his research in the .field of mathematics and airo-hydrodynamics. Later he solved a number of problems in aviation, atomic and cosmic techniques. At the same time as a professor of Moscow University he gave much of his abilities to the teaching of students.

For his fruitful research M. Keldysh got two State Prizes and the government awarded him the title of Hero of Socialist Labour three times. At the age of 30 M. Keldysh became an academician and on May 19, 1961 he became President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.

TEXT. НОТ WATER FROM THE SUN

cheap a — дешевый

designed a— спроектированный, предназначенный

five-storey a — пятиэтажный

manufacture v — производить

necessary a — необходимый

reach v — достигать

southern a — южный

The energy which the Sun radiates every second is a million times greater than the energy which the world consumes every year.

Russian scientists found a way of utilizing this immense supply of energy with great efficiency. They constructed a very cheap water heater which uses solar energy. Such heaters will be used in specially designed houses. There is a factory which manufactures solar heaters for heating and hot-water systems.

There is a solar-powered boiler in Simferopol which heats a five-storey hotel.

Buildings of several designs which use solar energy for heating and illuminating are also built in other southern regions of our country.

DO YOU KNOW THAT...

...railroads are the main kind of transport in Russia? (Every day Russian railroads deliver three fourths of the volume of globe's freight and about 40 per cent of passengers' transportations.)

...the length of Russian railroads is about 80,000 km (the second place in the world after the USA)?

...Russia occupies the first place in the world in electrified railroads (more than 39,000 km)?

...our railroads transport more than 183Q million passengers and 103

million tons of freight?

...our country has 19 railroad lines in all? The longest railroad is

Oktyabrskaya (more than 10 million km).

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