Homework

Mary Anderson's Great Invention

Cars were very different along
time ago. They were noisy and slow.
Cars did not even have windshield
wipers!
When it rained, drivers rubbed
their windshields with an onion.
The oil from the onion helped the
rain flow off the windshield. This
was not a perfect solution, but it
helped. Then a woman named Mary
Anderson solved this problem.
It Started with Snow
In the winter of 1902, Mary traveled to
New York City. It was snowing. She was cold
and wet, so she rode a streetcar.
There was snow on the streetcar
windshield. The driver could not see. Mary
watched him push the windshield open.
This helped the driver see, but it let the
cold and snow into the streetcar.
Mary saw cars stop in the street. Drivers
had to get out and wipe snow off their
windshields. The cars behind had to wait
for them. As a result, cars moved slowly.
Solving the Problem
Mary thought hard about what to do.
She had an idea. She drew a picture of it
and wrote notes. Next, she worked on a
design. It looked simple, and she hoped it
would be easy for drivers to use.
Mary built a model. Then she tested her
invention. The driver moved a handle so
that a wiper could move back and forth. It
wiped away rain and snow. Mary's idea
worked!
The wipers began to sell. Driving became
safer and easier because of Mary
Anderson's idea.

Mary Anderson 的伟大发明 很久以前，汽车与现在大不相同。它们

嘈杂而缓慢。汽车甚至没有雨刷！ 下雨时，司机们会用洋葱擦拭挡
风玻璃。洋葱中的油可以帮助雨水流走，虽然这不是一个完美的解
决办法，但起到了一定的作用。然后一个名叫 Mary Anderson 的女
士解决了这个问题。 起源于雪天 在 1902 年的冬天，Mary 前往了纽
 约市。当时正下雪。她又冷又湿，于是她搭乘了有轨电车。 有积雪
在有轨电车的挡风玻璃上。司机看不清路。Mary 看着他推开挡风玻
璃。这帮助司机看清了路，但也让寒冷和雪进入了有轨电车。 Mary
看到汽车在街上停下。司机们不得不下车擦拭挡风玻璃。后面的汽
车不得不等待它们。结果，汽车行驶缓慢。 解决问题 Mary 仔细考
虑该怎么做。她有了一个主意。她画了一个图，并写了一些笔记。
接下来，她着手设计。它看起来很简单，她希望驾驶员能够轻松使
用它。 Mary 建造了一个模型。然后她测试了她的发明。司机转动一
个把手，使雨刷能够来回移动。它能够擦掉雨水和积雪。Mary 的想
法奏效了！ 雨刷开始销售。由于 Mary Anderson 的想法，驾驶变得
更安全、更容易。

. Noisy - 吵闹的
. Windshield wipers - 风挡雨刷
. Rubbed - 摩擦
. Onion - 洋葱
. Flow off - 流走
. Solution - 解决办法
. Simple - 简单的
. Handle - 把手
. Wiper - 雨刷
. Invention - 发明
. Model - 模型
. Tested - 测试
. Safer - 更安全的
. Easier - 更容易的
. Design - 设计

Vocabulary Exercises:
.

Match the following words with their definitions:

.

. A. Invention
. B. Streetcar

. C. Windshield

. D. Wiper

. E. Solution

Definitions:
. A device for wiping away rain, snow, or dirt from a surface.

. A means of public transportation that runs on tracks

embedded in the street.

. A clear glass or plastic screen on the front of a vehicle.

. The act of creating or designing something new.

. A way to solve a problem or difficulty.

Grammar Exercises:
.

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses:
.

 Mary Anderson _______________ (solve) the problem of

windshield wipers.
 She _______________ (travel) to New York City in 1902.

. Mary Anderson _______________ (travel) to New York City in 1902.

. The driver _______________ (not) able to see because of the snow.
. She _______________ (watch) the driver open the windshield.
. Mary _______________ (have) an idea to solve the problem.
. She _______________ (draw) a picture of her invention.
. The wipers _______________ (begin) to sell.
Exercise 2: Rewrite in Different Tenses
. Rewrite the following sentence in present continuous tense: "Mary
built a model."
. Rewrite the following sentence in present perfect tense: "Mary had
an idea."
. Rewrite the following sentence in future tense: "The wipers began
to sell."
. Rewrite the following sentence in past continuous tense: "She was
cold and wet."
. Rewrite the following sentence in present simple tense: "Mary's
idea works."
. Rewrite the following sentence in past perfect tense: "She had
drawn a picture."

Comprehension Questions:
. What did drivers use before windshield wipers were invented?
. Why was it difficult for drivers when it rained or snowed?
. How did Mary Anderson get the idea for windshield wipers?
. Describe the problem Mary observed in cars during the winter.
. What did Mary do after she had her idea for the wipers?
. How did Mary test her invention?
. Why did the driver have to open the windshield of the streetcar?
. What impact did Mary Anderson's invention have on driving?
. What year did Mary Anderson travel to New York City?
. How did the invention of windshield wipers make driving safer?
. What did Mary do after drawing a picture of her invention?
. How did the wipers help drivers during rain and snow?
. How did Mary's invention change the way cars operated?
. Why was Mary's invention important for transportation?
. How did Mary Anderson's idea improve the safety of driving?
Critical Thinking (Bonus):
 Why do you think Mary Anderson's invention of windshield wipers
was significant? How did it impact not only the safety of drivers but
also the efficiency of transportation? Explain your thoughts.

Advanced fun activity

Interactive Storytelling Activity - "Invent a Solution"
Objective: To encourage students to think creatively and come up
with their own inventive solutions to a problem, inspired by Mary
Anderson's story.
Instructions:
. Begin by reading the text about Mary Anderson's invention to the
students.
. Discuss with the students how Mary saw a problem and came up
with a solution to help drivers in the snow and rain.
. Explain that they will now have the opportunity to invent their own
creative solutions to a problem.