1. Read the text. Match paragraphs A–E of the text to questions 1–7. There are two extra questions.
A history of electricity
A The discovery of electricity was an important milestone in the history of technology. But when exactly was it discovered? That’s not an easy question to answer! The English word ‘electricity’ was first used in the 17th century, but it comes from a much older Greek word– elektron – for a type of rock called amber.
B Several thousand years ago, the ancient Greeks had noticed that, if they rubbed pieces of amber together, the amber then had the power to move other objects. Along with the Egyptian sand Romans, they had also figured out that they could get an electric shock from some kinds of fish. In fact, doctors sometimes suggested that people with headaches should touch electric fish to make them feel better! And ancient Arabs used to use the same word for ‘electric fish’ as they now use for ‘lightning’.
C In the 17th and 18th centuries, several scientists became very interested in researching electricity. In 1752, in the USA, Benjamin Franklin did a famous experiment with a kite and a metal key in a storm. He showed that lightning was made of electricity. And in 1800, Italian scientist A show that electricity could move.
D By the 19th century, scientists understood a lot more about what electricity was. Now they wanted to find out what they could do with it. When Michael Faraday invented the first electricity generator in 1831, he made electricity much easier to use in everyday life. There was enormous progress in electrical engineering in the second half of the 19th century. By 1900, the American scientist Thomas Edison and British scientist Joseph Swan had invented several ways of using electricity to produce light.
E Since then, there have been countless developments in technology. We have invented ways of using electricity to get warm, stay cool, cook food, freeze food, make things, entertain ourselves, communicate with each other, move around the planet and even travel into space. Can you imagine life without it?
Which paragraph tells us …
1 about how scientists tried to understand electricity? ___
2 about the importance of electricity today? ___
3 how to make a battery? ___
4 who first discovered electricity? ___
5 how electricity got its name? ___
6 about some inventions that used electricity? ___
