III BIZARRE INVENTIONS

Task 1.Answer the following questions.

1. What is an invention? Try to explain the meaning in your own words or find definition in an English-English dictionary if necessary.
2. What does the word 'bizarre' mean? Find definition in a dictionary if necessary.

Task 2. Work with your partner. Try to think of some really bizarre inventions you have ever heard of. You have about 10 minutes to prepare. Then present your ideas to the class.

Task 3.Check your knowledge of the following words and word combinations.

gadgets

a slightly surreal world

to persuade

rubbish dumps

a little bit weird

a lever

possessions

eccentric

Task 4.Readthe article and answer the questions.

1. What is so peculiar about Maurice’s hobby?

2. How long has Maurice been collecting his strange gadgets?

3. What is Maurice intrigued by?

4. What is the pride of his collection?

5. Are all of the Maurice’s possessions completely eccentric?

6. What do you personally think about Maurice’s hobby? Would you also like to possess one of those strange things? Do you have any eccentric things at home? If you do what are they?

BIZARRE INVENTIONS

Sadie Nine meets a man who has become a world authority on strange devices and gadgets...

Maurice Collins lives in a slightly surreal world. He's the authority on strange devices, in particular, antique gadgets. He's even written two books about the items that were designed to make life a little easier, for people living over a hundred or more years ago.

"I've just bought this item; it's a match holder and striker, a cigar cutter and also a bell! "

Maurice explains as he persuades Sadie to demonstrate how it works. Maurice has been collecting these strange items for more than thirty years. He started off when his son was small, wondering around Victorian rubbish dumps looking for the ultimate antique lemonade bottle. "When I got the bottle, I began to look at other things. There were other bottles that were painted and the concept of items being sold across the shop counter in that period began to fascinate me. "I looked around and found a Victorian knife cleaner, a lemon squeezer, all very, very peculiar..."

Maurice is intrigued by the look of the items he collects. He likes objects that look very sculptural, are mechanical and also a little bit weird. He's not even sure what some items are, so spends his time doing research at the Patent Office to try to identify them. Sometimes he has bought things that turn out to be totally different to what he thought they were.

Maurice's collection is made up of time saving devices. "The pride of my collection is a teasmaid. To work it you set the alarm. The alarm goes off - it pushes a lever, which pushes a lever, which pushes another lever - causing a match to strike some sandpaper which then lights the heater and then boils the water. When it's boiled, it pours into the teapot..!"

He has hundreds of contraptions in his north London home, which make it feel a bit like an antique parlour.

Many of his best items have now been lent out to museums. However not all of Maurice's prized possessions are completely eccentric. Bletchley Park Museum in Milton Keynes boasts some of his more practical gadgets such as a mangle and one of the first ever food processors.

But collectors who have it all still want more; something very, very rare and very, very strange. Maurice talks of a 'machine that tattooed deserters in 1810, with the letter 'D' on their forehead' that he would like to own. Quite by surprise he hears news that suggests this machine has shown up... some where in Portobello Market.

Maurice could easily be way-laid by lots of curious items and strange knick knacks that Portobello market is famous for, but there is still no sign of the rare 'Deserter Tattooing' machine....until he suddenly gets a tip off. A specialist who deals in antique scientific instruments says he's got one of them. Maurice tracks the machine down and sees a demonstration on how it works. It costs £2,800. So, for now, Maurice says: "I think I'll have to start saving up my pennies..."

Date: 2016-01-05; view: 871