THOMAS EDISON

Thomas Edison was born in 1847 and died in 1931. Young Tom wasnt a good
student in school, so his mother decided to teach him at home. Tom was a
curious boy. He always wanted to know how things worked. Tom tried out his
ideas and invented lots of things in his own laboratory. Edisons most famous
invention was the light bulb. At the time, people used gas or oil lamps to light
their homes. He worked on his idea a long time. He tried a lot of things that didnt
work. Finally, one day it worked! Today, you can flip a switch and have light any
time you want it. Edison also invented the phonograph and the movie camera.
When you go to the movies and watch TV, you can thank him for his ideas and
hard work. Inventing things was what Edison loved to do. He said that invention
was one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. (texto
adaptado de EIA Energy Kids)
VOCABULARY:
tried out: e xperimentava
bulb: lmpada
uma chave
phonograph: fongrafo
transpirao

own: prprio
flip a switch: virar
perspiration:

QUESTES:
1 Coloque verdadeiro (V) ou falso (F) nas sentenas, de acordo com o texto:
a) Thomas Edison era um dos melhores alunos da escola.
b) A me de Thomas Edison decidiu dar aulas para ele em casa, porque a
escola era fraca.
c) Thomas Edison era curioso e queria saber como as coisas funcionavam.
d) Thomas Edison tinha um laboratrio s dele.
e) Antes da inveno da lmpada, as pessoas viviam no escuro.
f) Thomas Edison inventou a lmpada em pouco tempo.
g) Thomas Edison tambm inventou o fongrafo e a cmera filmadora.
h) Thomas Edison dizia que inventar era fruto de pura inspirao.
2. Qual o gnero deste texto? Qual a finalidade dele?
3. Thomas Edison disse que inventar era one percent inspiration and ninetynine percent perspiration. Explique essa frase.
4. Observe as palavras a seguir, todas retiradas do texto: decided, died,
invented, loved, tried, used, wanted, worked. Agora responda: Em que tempo
verbal esses verbos esto conjugados? So verbos regulares ou irregulares?
Por qu?
5. Quando Thomas Edison nasceu e quando ele morreu?
6. Quais foram as invenes de Thomas?

7. O que Thomas amava fazer?

8. Onde podemos encontrar tetos como este?
9. Onde Thomas fazia seus experimentos?
10. Qual foi a inveno mais famosa de Edison?

Complete as lacunas abaixo com o verbo que est entre parnteses. No vale
olhar no texto!
Thomas Edison was born in 1847 and ________ (die) in 1931. Young Tom wasn't
a good student in school, so his mother ________(decide) to teach him at home.
Tom was a curious boy. He always _______ (want) to know how things
__________ (work). Tom __________ (try) out his ideas and __________
(invent) lots of things in his own laboratory. Edisons most famous invention was
the light bulb. At the time, people ____________(use) gas or oil lamps to light
their homes. He ___________(work) on his idea a long time. He ____________
(try) a lot of things that ___________(work - negative). Finally, one day it
___________ (work)! Today, you can flip a switch and have light any time you
want it. Edison also ____________(invent) the phonograph and the movie
camera. When you go to the movies and watch TV, you can thank him for his
ideas and hard work. Inventing things was what Edison _________ (love) to do.
He said that invention was one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent
perspiration.