Edison is best known as the inventor of the electric light bulb, but it is not entirely true. He did not actually invent the concept of the light bulb, but he played a crucial role in developing a long-lasting, practical, and affordable incandescent light bulb. His invention transformed the way people live and work, making it possible to have safe and reliable indoor lightning. It is worth noting that Edison had to face many setbacks on his journey to inventing the light bulb, but his perseverance finally paid off. However, Edison himself never considered the process of trial and error a failure. On the contrary, he saw it as a stepping stone to success. What matters is not how many times you fall down, but how many times you get back up. Here’s what Edison said about failure:
I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.
How do you understand this quote? In my opinion, it motivates us to achieve success in life and teaches us to learn from our failures. It urges us to view a failure as a springboard to success rather than a final defeat. Indeed, achieving anything worthwhile requires resilience, perseverance, and an unwavering spirit.
Throughout his career, Edison encountered countless setbacks, obstacles, and disappointments, yet they did not prevent him from achieving his goals. Edison is one of the world’s most prolific inventors and successful entrepreneurs. During his lifetime, he acquired a record number of 1903 US patents and 512 patents worldwide for his inventions.
Vocabulary
halfway [ˌhæfˈweɪ] – на полпути
grit [ɡrɪt] – твердость характера, мужество
persistence [pərˈsɪstəns] – упорство
determination [dɪˌtɜːrmɪˈneɪʃn] – решительность
perseverance [ˌpɜːrsəˈvɪrəns] – настойчивость, непоколебимость
hyperactive [ˌhaɪpərˈæktɪv] – гиперактивный
absent-minded [ˌæbsənt ˈmaɪndɪd] – рассеянный, невнимательный
slow learner [sləʊ ˈlɜːrnər] – медлительный ученик (с трудностями в обучении)
rebellious [rɪˈbeljəs] – бунтарский, непослушный
overwhelmed [ˌəʊvərˈwelmd] – ошеломленный, потрясенный
every cloud has a silver lining [ˈevri klaʊd hæz ə ˈsɪlvər ˈlaɪnɪŋ] – нет худа без добра
regret [rɪˈɡret] – сожалеть
deaf [def] – глухой
train conductor [treɪn kənˈdʌktər] – кондуктор; проводник, машинист поезда
entrepreneurial spirit [ˌɑːntrəprəˈnɜːriəl ˈspɪrɪt] – предпринимательская жилка, дух предпринимательства
venture [ˈventʃər] – опасная затея, авантюра, рискованное дело
business acumen [ˈbɪznəs ˈækjəmən] – деловая хватка
unwavering spirit [ʌnˈweɪvərɪŋ ˈspɪrɪt] – непоколебимый дух
Exercises
1) Who was Thomas Edison?
2) What are the most important qualities of a successful person?
3) How did Thomas Edison view failure?
4) What were his parents’ occupations?
5) What was Thomas like as a child?
6) What did he look like?
7) Why did Thomas Edison’s mother decide to homeschool him?
8) At what age did Thomas start making money?
9) Did Thomas Edison save a little kid from drowning?
10) How did this accident change Edison’s life?
11) Why did Thomas Edison get fired so often?
12) What famous company did Thomas Edison work for when he settled in Boston?
13) What is Thomas Edison best known for?
14) How many patents did Thomas Edison have?
слишком много людей ломаются, даже не подозревая о том, насколько близко к успеху они были в тот момент, когда упали духом; никогда нельзя сдаваться, каким бы трудным ни казалось положение; у него была необычная внешность; учителя не могли справиться с ним; нет худа без добра; он вернулся домой в слезах; он неплохо зарабатывал; она отнеслась скептически к этой опасной затее; случайности неслучайны; он овладел системой Морзе; его часто увольняли за то, что он проводил опыты на рабочем месте
Edison’s innovative spirit; never invent something unless there’s a demand for it; it was a turning point in his life; he never regretted the decision; they couldn’t find the right way to teach him; he was upset and overwhelmed; he spent long hours in the noisy telegraph office; he suffered from numerous middle-ear infections; decided to homeschool him without hesitation; an experienced teacher
Creative task No. 7
“The road to success is lined with many tempting parking spaces.” Discuss what this proverb means. State your opinion on the topic.
Colonel Harland Sanders
Everyone has their own path to success. Some people become rich and famous early in life, while others achieve success in their later years. Colonel Sanders’ story serves as a reminder that age should never be a barrier to pursuing personal growth and prosperity. Throughout his long life, he faced numerous setbacks and disappointments, but he never stopped chasing his dreams.
Harland David Sanders, best known as Colonel Sanders, was the founder of KFC restaurant chain. He was born on September 9, 1890, in Henryville, Indiana, and was the oldest of three children to his parents. Sanders’ childhood was really challenging. His father died when he was just 5 years old. His mother had to get a job to make both ends meet, and little Harland had to grow up early and take care of his younger siblings. As the story goes, the boy learned to cook before he was 7 years old. In my opinion, Sanders’ future life was shaped by this circumstance. Besides, Sanders had a natural talent for cooking. He started earning his first money when he was just 10, working on a farm for 2 dollars per month. Two years later, his mother got married again, and the family moved to Greenfield. Unfortunately, Sanders’ relationship with his stepfather did not work out. The man was violent and even beat the little boy. His life became unbearable, and the teen left home and started working on a farm. As it was not easy to balance between work and studies, he dropped out of school in seventh grade. At the age of 15, Sanders forged the date in his birth certificate and volunteered for the U.S. Army. Does this remind you of anyone? I will give you a hint: Walt Disney had a similar episode in his life. Because of his strained relationship with his father, he also wanted to leave home as soon as possible. As a result, he dropped out of school, forged his birth certificate, and volunteered for the Red Cross. But let’s go back to Sanders. If you think Sanders reached the rank of colonel, you are grossly mistaken. In fact, he was not even a junior officer. Much later, he received the honorary title of Kentucky Colonel from the Governor of Kentucky in recognition of his contribution to the state’s public life.
Over the next few decades, our hero worked a variety of jobs, including a farm laborer, a streetcar conductor, a delivery boy, a steam engine stoker, an insurance salesman, a secretary, a lawyer, and even a midwife. If you ask me why the legendary businessman changed so many jobs, I will tell you what I think. In my opinion, he dreamed of finding his true calling and constantly looked for new opportunities to earn money and succeed in life. Everyone has their own way of finding themselves, indeed. Before achieving his goals, Sanders had to face a lot of financial challenges, setbacks, and disappointments. As is known, success does not come overnight.
In 1908, having found a stable job as a fireman and a steady income, Sanders married Josephine King. The couple had three children: two sons and a daughter. However, their relationship was not easy from the very beginning. Sanders’ constant failures and frequent dismissals caused arguments and misunderstandings at home. As the story goes, one day, Josephine left him, and her brother blamed the unlucky businessman for it. According to one version, he wrote Harland a letter where he said: “She had no business marrying a no-good fellow like you who can’t hold a job.” In my opinion, it was a terrible blow for Sanders. He tried to patch things up and reunite the family, but it was not that simple. In the end, the couple divorced, and Sanders continued his journey full of setbacks and misery. To make matters worse, one of his sons died at the age of 20, leaving Sanders in depression and despair.
Colonel Sanders tried a lot of jobs and was able to find his true vocation only in later years. He was disappointed in life but never gave up. Sanders’ first success came when he bought a service station in Corbin, Kentucky, where he began selling homemade meals to travelers. It is worth noting that Sanders took his new work seriously. He realized that the location played a crucial role in the success of a business. Curiously, he was in his 40s back then. His cooking skills earned him a reputation as a great cook, and the flow of customers was endless. His fried chicken recipe became so popular that he was able to expand his business by opening a motel and a restaurant called Sanders Court & Café in the neighborhood. This marked the beginning of the KFC empire. It looked like things were finally getting better for him, but the unthinkable happened: his motel burned to ashes. Fortunately, the incident did not break his spirit. Within a few months, he managed to rebuild his motel. By that time, he had perfected his secret recipe for fried chicken with 11 herbs and spices and developed a new method of cooking in a pressure cooker, which turned out to be a gold mine for him. After being honored with the title of Kentucky Colonel, he started wearing a white suit and a black bow tie – the image that is still portrayed on the logos of KFC.