Culture. Famous firsts

1. What was life like in the 19th century? Match the words to the pictures. Look and say what was or wasn’t then.

Ex.: There were no planes and airports

1) plane 2) smartphone 3) well 4) film camera 5) ship e) 6) fireplace 7) lamp 8) automobile 9) wagon 10) talking machine a) b)

f) g) c) d)

i) h)

j)

2. Read about the events and people in the the American history. Put them in chronological order. Listen and check your answers.

1776 / 1492 / 1870th / 1932 / 1620 / 1969

Christopher Columbus discovered America. The 13 colonies became independent states and George Washington became the head of the USA. Pilgrims arrived in America. Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. Amelia Earhart flew a plane across the Atlantic Ocean. Alexander Bell invented the telephone and Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb.

3. Who were they? Check out the meaning of the words below. Match them with the names of people from ex.2. Write sentences about the American famous firsts.

explorer (European) / president / immigrant / astronaut / woman-pilot / inventor

Ex.: The first 13 states formed the USA in 1776 and G. Washington became the first American President.

4. Complete the texts with the correct past simple form of the verbs in brackets.

Walt Disney 1)_____(be) a film director. He 2)_____ (live) in Los Angeles. He 3)_____ (invent) Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. He 4)_____ (open) a famous theme park – Disneyland. Pocahontas 1)_____ (be) a daughter of the chief of Indian tribe in Virginia. She 2)_____ (save) life of an Englishman, John Smith. Then 3)_____ (change) her name to Rebecca and 4)_____ (get) married to an American. Benjamin Franklin 1)_____ (be) a politician, inventor and scientist. One of his inventions, bifocal glasses, 2)_____ (help) people see near and far. Also, Benjamin 3)_____ (open) the first post office, hospital, library, and a fire station. Balto 1)_____ (be) a husky dog that 2)_____ (live) in Nome, Alaska in 1925. Balto 3)_____ (travel) 800 miles and 4)_____ (carry) the medicine from diphtheria. Even the worst snow storms ever and 30 degrees below zero 4)_____(not stop) these dogs. Balto’s team 5)______ (deliver) the vaccine in time and 6)______(save) the sick children.

5. Work in pairs. Ask and answer questions about your first important things or events in life. Talk about the first time when you:

– cooked a dish – went to school – got a mobile

When did you first fly on a plane?

Two years ago, I flew for the first time. I went on holiday to France with my family.

Ex.: – rode a bike – walked and talked – had a bad mark