English Science and Literature

During the 1800s, science began to play a very important role in technological development. The great advances in medicine, indus­try, agriculture, and communications were based on scientific knowl­edge. The progress in science made possible such great inventions as the locomotive, electric lighting, and telegraph. Many scientists and inventors became world famous through their discoveries and inven­tions.

At the start of the 1800s, George Stephenson (1781-1848) was asked to design a steam-powered locomotive for the first public rail­road. It ran 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Stockton to Darlington. The engine had a top speed of 24 kilometers an hour.

The telegraph was the forerunner of the telephone. Two English­men, C. Wheatstone and W. Cooke, invented it in 1837.

In 1843 the British inventor Isambard Kingdom Brunei (1769— 1849) built anew type of ship. It had a large iron body and screw propeller, and could carry more cargo more safely than the wood­en, sail-powered ships of the time. The ship was named the “Great Britain”.

Until the 1800s, the only forms of lighting were fires, candles, and oil lamps. Gas lighting became widely available in the 1800s. In 1807 Pall Mall, in London, became the first street in the world to be lit with gas. Gas lighting was not very safe until the gas mantle was invented in 1885.The greatest discovery was the electric light bulb. In 1878-1879 it was invented independently by Englishman Joseph Swan and American Thomas Edison.

The revolution in natural science was associated with the name of Charles Darwin. He created a materialistic theory of evolution, which was very important not only for biological science but also for the spiritual and intellectual life of England.

The Industrial Revolution in England and the French Bourgeois Revolution had a great influence on the cultural life of Britain. The social and political developments in Britain were reflected in the lit­erature of those years.

Nineteenth-century English literature began with revolutionary romanticism. One of its greatest representatives was George Gordon Byron (1788—1824). He was against the existing order and called the people to struggle for a better future. Pushkin and Lermontov admired Byron's poetry. Pushkin called him the «ruler of peoples' thoughts».

From the 1830s some writers became known as the founders of the critical realistic novel of the 19th century. They raised the prob­lems put forward by the main conflict of the historic period — the conflict between labour and capital. Their main representative was Charles Dickens.

At the end of the 19th century anti-realistic trends developed in English literature. This literature was represented by such writers as Robert Louis Stevenson and Oscar Wilde. They protested against the severe and vulgar reality and chose the world of adventure, dreams and beauty. Their works had no urgent social problems.

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

Изобретение, изобретатель, железная дорога длинной 5 км, скорость, предшественник, груз, обновленный тип, парусники, электрическая лампочка, улица, освещенная газом, представитель, сражаться.

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

Наука начала играть важную роль; достижения в медицине; основывались на научных знаниях; сделал возможным; открытия и изобретения; мог перевозить больше груза; газовое освещение стало широко доступно; он создал теорию эволюции; получило свое отражение в литературе; революционный романтизм; они были против существующего порядка; призывали народ бороться за лучшее будущее; главный представитель.

Ex.7 Correct the statements if necessary:

1. The revolution in natural science was associated with the invention of electric lighting. 2. In 1807 High Street in London became the first street in the world to be lit with gas. 3. The telegraph was the forerunner of the post. 4. The progress in science couldn’t make possible such great inventions as the locomotive and telegraph. 5. During 1900s, science began to play a very important role.

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

1. The great advances in medicine, industry, agriculture and communications were based on scientific knowledge. 2. G. Stephenson was asked to design a steam powered locomotive. 3. The first public railroad ran 40 miles. 4. The greatest discovery was the electric bulb. 5. The industrial Revolution in England and the French Bourgeois Revolution had a great influence on the cultural life of Britain.

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

1. In the 19^th century science began … . 2. The progress in science made … . 3. The telegraph was … . 4. In 1807 Pall Mall … . 5. The revolution in natural science was … . 6. G.G. Byron was against … . 7. Charles Dickens became known as … .

Ex.10 Answer the following questions: l. What were the main advances in communications? 2. What kind of ship did the British inventor Brunei build? 3. What was the main advantage of the new kind of ship? 4. What kind of lighting replaced candles and oil lamps? 5. Who created the theory of evolution? 6.  How were the social and political developments of Britain reflected in literature? 7.  Name the representatives of the literary trends of the 19th century. Ex.11 Reorder the items of the plan according to the logic of the text. Describe item 5 of the plan in detail.

1. In 1800 science began to play a very important role in technological development.

2. The engine had a top speed of 24 km an hour.

3. The revolution in natural science was associated with the name of Charles Darwin.

4. They protested against the severe and vulgar reality and chose the world of adventure.

5. The British inventor built a new type of ship with a large iron body and screw propeller.

Ex.12 Give a written summary of the text in 5-7 sentences.

Text 3

Ex.1 Translate and memorize the following words:

Debt, to earn, to extract, lawyer, salary, shoeblacking, workhouse, clerk, debtors’ prison, blacking factory, character.

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

1. He worked as a … and … a lot of money. 2. The main … of book captured the interest of readers. 3. If you borrow a lot of money you can appear to be in … . 4. All people work to … money. 5. The … of high educated workers should be higher. 6. The last … factory was closed.

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

1. He got his primary education at a small school. 2. His father was a clerk in a navy office. 3. Being a reporter, he went all over the country, getting news, writing stories and meeting people. 4. Dickens liked the job and took it, and that is how the book Pickwick Papers came into being. 5. The book was a great success with the reading public. 6. He criticized the negative sides of the society, children's labour, the system of education.

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

1. When and where was Charles Dickens born? 2. What did his father do? 3. How old was Charles when he went to work in a lawyer's office? 4. When did he begin to write his first short stories about London life? 5. What countries did Dickens visit? 6 .What did he criticize?