Unit 18

What are these inventions? What are they used for?

printing

gun-powder

paper-making

zipper

microscope

bicycle

There are four ideal inventions:(Match them with the proper names on the book.)

Electric shoes

Inflatable bicycle Edible chopsticks

Nose-top computer

Analyze these inventions

• How does it work?

• What are the advantages of the invention?

• Is it useful, in your opinion?

• If you were a patent officer, would you give the invention a patent?

Listen carefully and answer the following questions.

You are going to hear two inventors describe their new inventions to a patent officer.

• Why does Frank Jones invent such a thing?

• What are the advantages of his invention?

• What is his invention?

• Why does the patent officer not want to give Mr. Jones a patent?

• Why does Jack Butler invent such a thing?

• What is his invention?

• How does it work?

• Will the patent officer give him a patent?

• Is there anything that you would like to invent?

• If so, what is it? And why would you like to invent it?

Work in group of five. Four of the group act as inventors, and one acts as a patent officer. The inventors should explain their inventions and give reasons why they are useful. The patent officer should listen to each inventor, ask questions, and decide if the idea is good or not.

Ways of asking questions about new

inventions

• This invention can help people … • This is a new way of …• This new invention will make it possible for people to …• I think … is much more useful than …• It can make / help people …• I’d like to invent … because it can …• I’d like to invent … which can …• If people can create …• I suppose …• It must be very convenient if people could invent …• I dreamed I could invent …• What does it look like?• How does it work?• What is it made of?• How would people use it?• What are the advantages of it?

Ways of describing inventions