Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

A hundred years ago people believed that plants and animals had always been as they are now. They thought that all the different sorts of living things, including men and women, were put in this world by some mysterious power a few thousand years ago.

Darwin was a great English naturalist. He was born at Shrewsbury on the 12th of February, in 1809. It was he who showed that this was just a legend. A boy Darwin loved to walk in the countryside, collecting insects, flowers and minerals. He liked to watch his elder brother making chemical experiments. These hobbies interested him much more than Greek and Latin, which were main subjects at school.

His father was a doctor and wanted his son to become a doctor too. So after school Charles was sent to Edinburgh University to study medicine. Then Charles studied in Cambridge to become a priest. But Charles did not want to be a doctor or a priest. He dreamed to become a biologist.

In 1831 the ship called Beagle was about to take a voyage of scientific exploration for South America to make maps of the coastline there and Darwin was given the place of the ship's naturalist. It was a five-year voyage round the world.

During the voyage Darwin studied the nature of different lands and came to important conclusions. In 1842 he published a book about reef formation. In 1859 Darwin published his greatest work: “On the Origin of Species”. The book was sold out in one day. He made there a shocking discovery that man and all other living things had developed from a common source. Thus the theory of the evolution of plants and animals left no place for god.

In 1871 Charles Darwin published his second great book: “The Origin of Man”, a theory of evolution of man.

Darwin's works had a great importance not only for biological science but also for spiritual and intellectual life of England and the whole world. He was now a world famous scientist. Oxford and Cambridge gave him the honorary degrees.

When he died after a heart attack on the 19th of April, 1882, he was buried in Westminster Abbey, among the greatest English scientists.

This is what he came to believe. Once there were only simple jelly like creatures living in the sea. Very slowly, taking hundreds millions of years, these have developed to produce all the different kinds of animals and plants we know today. But Darwin waited over twenty years before he let the world know his great ideas. During that time he was carefully collecting more information. It showed how right he was that all living things had developed from simpler creatures. People who knew nothing about living things tried to make fun of Darwin’s ideas. But the development of science has shown that Darwin’s idea of evolution was correct.

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

Естествоиспытатель, стать врачом, сельская местность, священник, насекомые, сделать выводы, сделать открытие, опубликовать книгу, растения, теория, присудить почетную степень, духовная и интеллектуальная жизнь, всемирно известный ученый, почетная ученая степень, теория эволюции человека, единый источник, шокирующее открытие, коллекционирование насекомых, прогуливаться по сельской местности, пятилетнее путешествие по свету.

Ex.6 Correct the statements if necessary:

1. A hundred years ago people didn’t believe that plants and animals had always been as they are now. 2. Ch. Darwin liked collecting stamps, books and postcards. 3. Latin and Greek interested Ch. Darwin very much. 4. He dreamed to become a biologist. 5. In 1831 the ship called Titanic was about to take a voyage. 6. He never made any shocking discovery.

Ex.7 Give questions to which the following sentences are the answers:

1. Ch. Darwin was a world famous scientist. 2. “The Origin of Man” – a theory of evolution of man. 3. The book was sold out in one day. 4. Darwin was given the place of the ship’s naturalist. 5. He liked to watch his elder brother. 6. It was a 5-year voyage round the world.

Ex.8 Use the text to enlarge the given statements:

1. Ch Darwin was born … . 2. After school … . 3. As a boy he loved … . 4. In 1859 he published … . 5. Darwin’s works had … .

Ex.9 Answer the following questions:

1. What do you know about Ch. Darwin?

2. What were his hobbies?

3. What do you know about his brother and father?

4. What for did Darwin set sail for South America?

5. What was his greatest work?

6. What is his theory about?

7. Did his theory leave place for God?

8. Is his idea correct?

9. Where was he buried?

Ex.10 Reorder the items of the plan according to the logic of the text. Describe item 5 of the plan in detail.

1. They thought that all the different sorts of living things were put in this world by some mysterious power.

2. It showed that all living things had developed from simpler creatures.

3. Charles studied in Cambridge to become a priest.

4. In 1842 he published a book about reef formation.

5. Darwin’s works had a great importance for biological science.

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