Innovation

◎供稿：英國大使館文化教育處

In Britain students learn about developments in steam engines and iron-making during the Industrial Revolution. But the UK has many more innovations.

Who has not used a bicycle or stopped at traffic lights? Imagine life without the telephone, the cash machine or the worldwide web. All of these are British inventions – along with the lawn mower and the raincoat too. But who are the people behind them?

Ada Lovelace designed a flying machine in 1828 when she was only 13. Later she became friends with a mathematics professor, Charles Babbage. She studied his “Analytical Machine” — an early computer — saw its potential and wrote the world’s first computer program.

While Percy Shaw was driving home, his car lights were reflected in the eyes of a cat. This gave him the idea of putting reflectors in the middle of the road for drivers to see at night — “cat’s eyes”.

Trevor Baylis was watching a television programme about AIDS in Africa. People needed to know about the disease but didn’t have electricity. He combined a normal radio, a motor and a clock mechanism. The result was a wind-up radio that needed no batteries.

As Baylis says, “The key to success is to risk thinking unconventional thoughts.”

Activity 1 Which of the following do you think did not come from Britain?

1. the bicycle

2. the telephone

3. the cash machine

4. the raincoat

5. the worldwide web

6. the car

7. wind-up radio

8. first computer program

Activity 2 True or False?

1. Most British innovations happened during the Industrial Revolution.

2. Ada Lovelace designed the world’s first computer.

3. Percy Shaw’s invention made driving safer.

4. Trevor Baylis's invention helped people to get information.

5. The wind-up radio generates its own power.

Activity 3 Complete the sentences with a word from the box.

a. batteries b. developments c. disease d. key e. potential

1. He studies the latest_____in information technology.

2. I think your idea has a lot of_____.

3. Until the last century many people died from_____every year.

4. It’s not working. I think it needs new_____.

5. The_____to success is hard work.