Christopher Wren (1632-1723)

The great Englishman was born in Wiltshire in 1632. A parson's son, he lost his mother when he was a little boy. His elder sister Susan looked after him. When Christopher was eleven Susan married William Holder, a mathematician. The man had a great influence on Christopher. Christopher left school at fourteen. His interests were very wide. Christopher Wren is often called the English Leonardo da Vinci¹ as he was a specialist in physics, medicine, anatomy, agriculture, astronomy. He knew much of mechanics and engineering.

Wren invented a machine, which was drawn by a horse and ploughed land and planted corn. Christopher Wren always worked on the problem of obtaining fresh water at sea. He carried out experiments on the cleansing of sick-rooms: it was very important to stop spreading different dangerous diseases. He was among the first to experiment in the transfusion of blood, taking blood from one animal and giving it to another one. After the Great Fire there was the difficult problem of taking away the ruins quickly and safely. Wren proposed to blow up the walls of the burned houses by using gunpowder, which he had experimented before. His first attempts were very successful.

At the age of 28 he was already Professor of Astronomy at Oxford. Later he became one of the founders of the Royal Society (the British National Academy of Sciences).Christopher's interest in architecture came rather later in his life. At the age of thirty four he held a post equal to the post of chief architect of a city.

After the Great Fire he created a detailed plan for the restoration of London. He designed long, wide streets, built in all directions from a new, central Cathedral church of St. Paul's and, at the end of the streets, beautiful churches. The building of Wren's masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral went on for more than thirty years, and Wren was an old man before it was finished.

¹Leonardo da Vinci - Леонардо да Винчи, великий итальянский художник, блистательный ученый, естествоиспытатель, талантливый инженер и архитектор.

Ex.5 Look through the text again and translate the following words and word-combinations:

To have great influence on smb., to work on the problem, sick-room, dangerous disease, quickly and safely, burned houses, successful attempts, Royal Society, equal, chief architect, detailed plan, in all directions, beautiful churches, masterpiece.

Ex.6 Find in the text the English equivalents for the following:

За ним присматривала старшая сестра; иметь огромное влияние на кого-либо; его часто называют; он был специалистом в …; получать пресную воду, это было очень важно, чтобы остановить распространение опасных болезней; интерес к архитектуре возник достаточно поздно; он был одним из первых, кто совершал эксперименты с переливанием крови; его попытки увенчались успехом; строительство собора Св. Павла продолжалось более тридцати лет.

Ex.7 Correct the statements if necessary:

1. When Christopher was eleven Susan married William Holder, a physician. 2. Christopher Wren is often called the English Michelangelo. 3. Wren invented a machine, which was drawn by a horse and ploughed land and planted corn. 4. Christopher's interest in architecture came rather early in his life. 5. He designed long, narrow streets, built in all directions from a new, central Cathedral church of St. Paul's and, at the end of the streets, beautiful gardens.

Ex.8 Give questions to which the following sentences are the answers:

1. The great Englishman was born in Wiltshire in 1632. 2. A parson's son, he lost his mother when he was a little boy. 3. Later he became one of the founders of the Royal Society (the British National Academy of Sciences). 4. At the age of thirty four he held a post equal to the post of chief architect of a city.

Ex.9 Use the text to enlarge the given statements:

1. His elder sister Susan … . 2. William Holder, a mathematician had a great … . 3. Christopher Wren is often called the English Leonardo da Vinci as he … . 4. Wren invented a machine, which was drawn by … . 4. … on the cleansing of sick-rooms. 5. … to experiment in the transfusion of blood. 6. ... the walls of the burned houses by using gunpowder. 7. After the Great Fire he created a detailed plan for … . 8. … St. Paul's Cathedral went on for more than thirty years, and Wren was an old man before it was finished.

Ex.10 Answer the following questions:

1. Why is Christopher Wren often called the English Leonardo da Vinci?

2. What do you know about his childhood?

3. What experiments did he carry out?

4. Was Christopher Wren interested in architecture?

5. What is Christopher Wren famous for?

Ex.11 Give a written summary of the text in 5-7 sentences.

Text 6

Ex.1 Translate and memorize the following words:

To appoint, to calculate, chair (кафедра), conclusion, contribution, to discover, discoverer, discovery, to establish, funeral, lens, motion, phenomenon, (phenomena), ray, pole, gravity, to flatten, rotation.

Ex.2 Insert the words from exercise 1 in the gaps:

1. White light consists of … of different colours. 2. He was … professor to the … of physics at Cambridge. 3. He interested in mathematics and natures … . 4. He also … the laws of motion. 5. I. Newton … the force of gravity. 6. His … to science is great. 7. Finally they made a … .

Ex.3 Translate the following sentences from English into Russian:

1. As a schoolboy Isaac liked to make things with his own hands. 2. At the age of 24 the young scientist developed a mathematical method. 3. He made a number of experiments with lenses. 4. His results formed the basis of modern spectography. 5. He calculated the force of gravity acting between the sun and the planets.

Ex.4 Read the text and give answers to the following questions:

1. Where was Isaac Newton born? 2. When was he born? 3. At what age was he sent to Cambridge? 4. Is his contribution to science is great? 5. What was his favorite study? 6. What formed the basis of modern spectography? 7. Who calculated the force of gravity?