Задание

Read the text and choose the correct answer.

Most people immediately think of the light bulb when they think of Thomas Edison. But although this genius did in fact invent the first practical, long-lasting light bulb, he had a hand in creating many more things we can still see around us today. He invented or contributed to recorded music, electrical systems, the telephone, the alkaline battery, X-rays and an early cinema projector. Incredibly, by the end of his life he held 1,093 patents, and he is responsible for more inventions than any other inventor in history.

Edison was undoubtedly a very clever person. Would you believe, though, that as a child, his teacher told his mother that he was too slow to learn? Later on, as an inventor, many of his inventions failed. So, what were the secrets of Edison’s success? Perhaps Edison’s greatest strength was that he absolutely refused to give up. He said, "Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." Unbelievably, it took Edison thousands of tries before he found the right filament to use for his light bulb. He wasn’t afraid of failure. He simply saw his bad ideas as stepping stones to better ones. Even after his factory was almost totally destroyed by fire, he said, "There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up, and we can start anew." Three weeks later, Edison delivered the first phonograph.

Edison was also very intolerant of laziness and believed in pushing himself to reach his goals. He set himself a target, for instance, to come up with a small invention every 10 days and a major one every 6 months.

Another effective little rule, Edison had, was to take time out to relax while he was working at his "invention factory" in Menlo Park, New Jersey. He would drift off to sleep with several small metal balls in his hand. If he fell into a deep sleep, the balls would fall noisily onto the flow and wake him up, and he’d scribble down whatever was in his mind! So next time you are stuck on a problem, why not sleep on it? Scientists now agree that relaxation and short naps can improve our concentration and creativity.

All in all, Thomas Edison succeeded because he was determined, persistent and knew how to use his mistakes to his advantage. So, what are you waiting for? Tap into your inner genius and get busy achieving your dreams. You might not create anything as important as the light bulb in your lifetime, but we can all light up the world in our own way!

1. Which invention is most commonly associated with Thomas Edison?

2. What did Thomas Edison's teacher tell his mother about him when he was a child?

3. What was Edison’s reaction after his factory almost got completely destroyed by fire?

4. How frequently did Thomas Edison set a goal for himself to come up with a major invention?

5. What unusual method did Edison use to prevent himself from falling into a deep sleep while thinking of new ideas?

6. What was one of the reasons for Edison's success as an inventor?