Unit THEME: Science and Technology

3 Inventions

RE AD ING SoW Lessons 30–35

The microwave oven is an appliance found in most modern homes. It is mostly used in the kitchen
for reheating food. It uses microwaves, which are radio waves that heat up molecules inside the food.
It has an automatic shut-off timer which enables food to be heated more evenly, safely and quickly.
At the touch of a few buttons, this device can boil water, reheat leftovers, cook rice and defrost frozen
food in only a few minutes!
The microwave oven was an accidental invention by Percy Spencer. Spencer worked for a
company that developed microwave radar transmitters during World War II. One day in 1945, he
noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket was beginning to melt. He discovered that the microwaves
from the radar set he was working on were heating the chocolate bar in his pocket! He did some
experiments and figured out that the microwaves could be concentrated to heat food. He created
the first working microwave oven in 1945, and the first food he cooked in it was popcorn. The early
microwave ovens were too large, too heavy and too expensive. It was many years before microwave
ovens were produced and sold cheaply. They were finally introduced to the marketplace in 1967.

A Read the passage above. Then, for each of the following statements, underline TRUE or
FALSE. Correct the statements that are false. LS 3.1.2

1 The microwave oven is mainly used for reheating food. TRUE/FALSE

2 Percy Spencer invented the microwave oven in 1967. TRUE/FALSE

3 At first, microwave ovens were too expensive to be sold commercially. TRUE/FALSE

B Match these words or phrases from the passage above with their correct meanings.
LS 3.1.3

WORD/PHRASE MEANING
1 transmitters thought about something until you understood it
2 figured out equipment used for sending electronic signals
3 concentrated brought together in one place

LS 3.1.2 Understand specific details and information in simple longer texts on a range of familiar topics
LS 3.1.3 Guess the meaning of unfamiliar words from clues provided by other known words and by context on a range of
familiar topics

© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T) 2018 13 Drill in KSSM English Form 2 (Unit 3)
UN IT 3

L ANG U AG E AWA R E N E SS
Simple Past Tense and Past Continuous Tense

Examples:

Simple Past Tense • Spencer worked for a company that developed microwave radar
transmitters during World War II.
• It was many years before microwave ovens were produced and
sold cheaply.
Past Continuous • One day in 1945, he noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket was
Tense beginning to melt.
• He discovered that the microwaves from the radar set he was
working on were heating the chocolate bar in his pocket!

A Complete the following passage with the simple past or past continuous form of the word
in brackets.
One day, Joseph Friedman was 1 (sit) in a soda shop with his daughter. He
was 2 (watch) as his daughter 3 (struggle) to drink a milkshake
through a straight paper straw. Joseph 4 (decide) to find a way to help her out.
He 5 (insert) a screw into the straw and 6 (wrap) it with floss.
When he 7 (remove) the straw, it 8 (bend) over the rim of the
glass. His daughter 9 (drink) her milkshake easily. Friedman 10
(patent) his idea in 1937 and 11 (start) the Flexible Straw Corporation.

B Complete the following sentences with the past continuous form of the word in brackets.

1 I (return) home from the Science Exhibition when I saw an accident on

the road.
2 Joseph (play) video games while I (do) my homework.
3 The girls (talk) on the phone for an hour about their Science project.
4 The astronauts (prepare) for their mission in space.

C Rewrite these sentences using the past tense.

1 Joel is unhappy because he cannot go to the Science Fair.

2 Nik borrows the book because he wants to read more about life under the sea.

3 The boys buy a new video game and give it to Justin.

© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T) 2018 14 Drill in KSSM English Form 2 (Unit 3)