We know the famous ones—the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells —but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper(雨刮器)？Shouldn’t we know who they are?
Joan Mclean think so. In fact, Mclean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range, feels so strongly about this matter that she’s developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning “who” invented “what”, however, Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the “why” and ”how” questions. According to Mclean,” When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try.”
So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights, so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield, she found herself wondering why there couldn’t be a built-in device for cleaning the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever(操作杆)on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside, became the first windshield wiper.
Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations，It’s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A. Morgan’s traffic light. It’s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J. Blodgett’s innovation that makes glass invisible, Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?
小题1:By mentioning “traffic light” and “windshield wiper”, the author indicates that countless inventions are .
A．beneficial, because their inventors are famous
B．beneficial, though their inventors are less famous
C．not useful, because their inventors are less famous
D．not useful, though their inventors are famous小题2:Professor Joan McLean’s course aims to_____.
A．add colour and variety to students’ campus life
B．inform students of the windshield wiper’s invention
C．carry out the requirements by Mountain University
D．prepare students to try their own invention小题3:Tommy Lee’s invention of the unbreakable umbrella was _________.
A．not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer
B．inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper
C．due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm
D．not related to Professor Joan McLean’s lectures小题4:Which 0f the following can best serve as the title of this passage?
A How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers?
B How to Design a Built-in Device for Cleaning the Window?
C Shouldn’t We Know Who Invented the Windshield Wiper?
D Shouldn’t We Develop Invention Courses in Universities?
