Reading

Vocabulary:

to assist smb. in smth. - асистувати будь-кому в чомусь

a torpedое - торпеда

a mine - міна

to provide for (by) a fund - надавати грошові ресурси

in a will of smb. - по бажанню будь-кого

a gift - дар

to invent smth. - винайти щось

to have an invention - мати винахід

to take out a patent on smth. - взяти патент на щось

a synthetic rubber - синтетична гума

leather - шкіра

an artificial silk - штучний шовк

a donation for smth. - внесок в щось

to award - нагороджувати

to be generally agreed - бути корисним для всіх

a lifelong concern with smth. - довічна турбота про щось

to be a weak and sickly child - бути слабкою та хворобливою дитиною

to be marked by smth. - залишати слід чогось

to involve smth. - залучати до чогось

explosive - вибуховий

to result in smth. - мати результатом щось

to manage to do smth. - зуміти щось зробити

comparatively - відносно

a chemical experimenter - хімічний експериментатор

dynamite - динаміт

an explosive compound - вибухова суміш

to be a person of paradoxes and contradictions - бути парадоксальною та суперечливою людиною

a considerable number of smth. - значна кількість чогось

to turn to - приступити до роботи

to be fond of tranquillity - любити спокій

most of the time - більша частина часу

to be spartan in smth. - бути спартанцем в чомусь

to attend smb.’s grade - знаходитись на врученні премії комусь

to move to somewhere - переїхати куди-небудь

to have an excellent scientific mind - мати чудовий науковий склад розуму

to tackle smth. - енергійно братись за щось

nitroglycerin - нітрогліцерин

to be called - бути названим

to be strongly opposed to smth. - бути категорично проти чогось

a military use - використання у військових цілях

for smb.’s part - з чиєїсь сторони

a gun - зброя

a spectacular use - ефективне використання

a drilling - посів рядовою сіялкою

to expand a network of smth. - розширити сітку чогось

to establish a worldwide web of smth. - зробити всесвітньовідому сітку чогось

invariably - незмінно

to exhibit uncommon generosity toward smb. - виявляти надзвичайну щедрість по відношенню до чогось

numerous - численний

an employee - службовець

to exceed smth. - перевищувати щось

to be alone at smb.’s death - бути самотнім перед смертю

to go unrecorded - залашатись незафіксованим

to accumulate smth. - акумулювати щось

an outstanding contribution - видатний внесок

for the benefit of smb. - на честь когось

to be imprecise - бути надмірно точним

a testament - заповіт

an evidence - ймовірність

an implementation - здійснення

an aversion to violence - огида до жорстокості

a qualified authority - кваліфікований спеціаліст

to be presented at a sumptuous ceremony - перебувати на розкішній церемонії

as a host - в якості господаря

an anniversary of smth. - юбілей чогось

to include smth - включати щось

Read the text below and complete the task. Seven sentences have been removed from the text. Choose from the sentences (A—H) the one which fits each gap (1 — 7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

A. On his return to St. Petersburg he worked in the factory of his father and assisted him from about1852—1859 in the development of torpedoes and mines.

B. They are provided for by a fund of $9,000,000 in the will of Alfred Bernard Nobel and by a gift from the Central Bank of Sweden.

C. While he was Swedish he could speak French, German, Russian and English as well as his native tongue.

D. Nobel had many other inventions and took out patents on processes with synthetic rubber and leather and artificial silk.

E. Its donations for science and literature awards, as it is generally agreed are the result of Nobel's lifelong concern with those fields — physics, physiology and chemistry as well as his concern with the development of the art of writing.

F. From his first days he was a weak and sickly child and his childhood was marked by chronic illness.

G. He spent the last two summers of his life in Italy.

H. After several accidents which involved that explosive (one of which resulted in the loss of eight lives) he managed to make a comparatively safe one.

Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemical experimenter and businessman who invented dynamite and other explosive compounds, was a person of many paradoxes and contradictions. 1

He wrote a considerable number of plays, novels and poems, only one of which was published. He then turned to a career in chemistry.

Although Nobel was fond of tranquillity, he lived in cities most of the time and travelled widely. Unlike many contemporaries he was spartan in his habits, he neither smoked nor drank, he never played cards or other games. Born October 21, 1831, in Stockholm Alfred Bernard Nobel was a fourth child in the family. 2

He attended his first grade in Sweden in 1841, later his family moved to St. Petersburg, where Nobel received instructions from his private tutors. He then travelled abroad for two years, where he visited France and the United States. 3

Nobel had an excellent scientific mind and loved to tackle problems in his chemistry laboratories. By 1859 he had begun the experiment with one of his explosives (nitroglycerin). 4

His new explosive was named "dynamite" and patented in 1867.

Although he was often called the Lord of Dynamite, Nobel was strongly opposed to the military uses of his inventions. "For my part", he said three years before his death, "I wish all guns with their belongings and everything ought to be sent to hell which is the proper place for the exhibition and use." His new explosive found such spectacular uses as in the construction of tunnels, canals, railroads and roads. Dynamite was also a factor in oil drilling in the Baku fields.

Nobel expanded his networks of factories into the chief European countries and established a worldwide web of corporations for the manufacture and the sale of his inventions. During his lifetime Nobel invariably exhibited uncommon generosity toward his numerous employees and his gifts sometimes exceeded large sums of money. 5

Nobel was alone at his death and his last words went unrecorded.

Nobel accumulated a vast fortune from the manufacture of dynamite and other explosives and from the production of oil fields in Baku. When Alfred Nobel died, on December 10, 1896, he left the major portion of his fortune which brought him lasting fame for the establishment of annual awards. 6

There are six classifications to reward people who have made outstanding contributions for the benefit of mankind in:1) physiology or medicine; 2) physics; 3) literature; 4) chemistry; 5) peace and 6) economics.

The origins of Nobel's will are imprecise. The final document is a revision of earlier testaments. 7

Evidence suggests that the award for peace was the implementation of the inventor's long standing aversion to violence. Candidates for a Nobel prize must be recommended in writing by a qualified authority.

Final decisions are made for physics, chemistry and economics by the Swedish Academy of Science in Stockholm; for physiology or medicine by the Caroline Institute in Stockholm; for literature by the Swedish Academy in Stockholm and for peace by a committee from the Norwegian Storting.

The awards are usually presented in Stockholm at a sumptuous ceremony with the king of Sweden as the host on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. Each prize includes a gold medal, a diploma and a gift of money.