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Franklin and Jefferson
Benjamin Franklin was self-educated, which means that
he was too poor to go to school and therefore got a good
education. As a boy he helped his father to make candles,
which were thought to look more romantic that electric lights.
When he was twelve Benjamin was so interested in reading
that he gave up eating in order to buy books. Franklin was
a plump, well-rounded man who invented almost as many
things as Jefferson, including silkworms, the Franklin stove,
and bifocals. He also made it possible for congressmen to
send their letters free, which later became as the Franklin
Privilege. When Franklin was seventy, he was sent to Paris
to see what he could do to improve relations with the French,
and he is said to have done extremely well despite his age.
Thomas Jefferson is best known as the author of
Declaration of Independence, which is responsible for two
holidays: July Fourth and Declaration Day. Although he was
the author of this important document, he failed to secure a
copyright.
Jefferson was not only a statesman but an inventor. His
many inventions include dumb-waiter. An extremely versatile
person, he was also an architect. Jefferson made a great
contribution to American political philosophy. He believed that
all men are created equal. Deeply religious, Jefferson was for
a time a minister to France. In his spare time he was a farmer
and an aristocrat.
Questions:
1. Why didn't Franklin go to school?
2. What did he do for congressmen?
3. Who is the author of Declaration of Independence?
4. Did Thomas Jefferson fail to secure a copyright of
Declaration?
5. What other American Presidents do you know?
Sergei Pavlovich Korolyov —
the Founder of Practical Cosmonautics
Academician S. P. Korolyov is a famous scientist and
founder of practical cosmonautics. He was the chief constructor
of the first Earth sputniks and spaceships.
S. P. Korolyov was born in 1906 in the small Ukrainian
town of Zhitomir into a family of teachers. He spent his
childhood with his grandparents in the town of Nezhin where
he studied at home with a teacher. In 1922, at the age of 15,
Sergei Korolyov began to study at a vocational building school
in Odessa, where he received his secondary education and
became a builder.
He was interested in mathematics, literature and he read a
great deal.
All his life he loved music.
In 1923 Sergei Korolyov joined a Glider Pilots' Club,
where he learned to construct gliders and to fly them.
In 1925 Korolyov entered the Kiev Polytechnical Institute
where he studied aviation and mathematics, but in the evening
he had to work for money: he was a building worker, he
worked at the post-office and he played very small roles in
films.
After two years in Kiev Korolyov came to Moscow. In the
day-time he worked at an aeroplane factory and in the evening
he studied at the Moscow Higher Technical School. After
lectures he worked at home on the design of a new glider.
At the Moscow Higher Technical School Korolyov learned
about К. Е. Tsiolkovsky's ideas on space travell and about
his rocket.
In 1930 S. P. Korolyov graduated from the Moscow Higher
Technical School and became an aviation engineer. At the
same time he finished the Moscow Pilot School.
During the Great Patriotic War S. P. Korolyov constructed
a jet engine for aeroplanes and rockets.
On October 4, 1957 the first man-made sputnik of the
Earth was launched into space. It was the result of thirty
years hard work and Chief Constructor was S. P. Korolyov.
Then dogs were sent into space and only after a lot of
experiments the first cosmonaut in the world — Y. A. Gagarin
launched into space in the spaceship "Vostok" on April 12,
1961.
After this there were many other longer and more difficult
flights. Then followed rockets to the Moon, Mars and Venus.
S. P. Korolyov died in 1966. For his brilliant work in the
name of science and progress he was awarded two Gold Stars
of the Hero of Socialist Labour.
People will always remember the names of those who opened
a new era in the conquest of outer space, and the name of
S. P. Korolyov is one of them.
Questions:
1. When was S. P. Korolyov born?
2. Where did S. P. Korolyov begin to study?
3. What was he interested in?
4. What did he learn in 1923 when he joined a Glyder
Pilots' Club?
5. What did he study in Kiev Polytechnical Institute?
6. When did he come to Moscow?
7. When was the first man-made sputnik of the Earth
launched into space?
8. Who was the first cosmonaut in the world?
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