Key Concepts in History, Culture, and Scientific Achievement

Immigration and Early American Prosperity

Reasons for Irish Emigration

1. Due to a great famine and severe poverty in Ireland, living conditions were extreme. Immigrants decided to leave their country to seek better opportunities and conditions abroad.

The Price of American Prosperity

2. The narrator suggests that current American prosperity is built upon the hard work and suffering of early immigrants. Prosperity in America was achieved at the cost of significant hardship for these newcomers.

Protagonist's Achievements

3. The protagonist achieved American citizenship, acquired a small farm, and raised a large family. He participated in politics, and several of his children graduated from high school.

True/False Statements and Vocabulary

4. FALSE (lines 1-2): "My great...life"

5. FALSE (lines 10-11): "However...droughts"

Vocabulary:

• 6. Famine
• 7. Furthermore
• 8. Deathly
• 9. Lend
• 10. Had taught

Grammar Exercises

11. Have you met the girl who/that is going out with Ted?
12. How long has she been waiting for Mark?
13. Although it is snowing, she wants to go for a walk.

Afternoon Tea: A British Cultural Tradition

The Origins of Tea Consumption

1. In the mid-17th century, only wealthy individuals could drink tea. This was due to tea being imported from foreign countries, resulting in high shipping expenditures and import taxes that only the rich could afford.

The Introduction of Afternoon Tea

2. The Duchess of Bedford introduced the habit of afternoon tea because she frequently felt hungry mid-afternoon.

Tea Time as a Social Event

3. Tea time evolved into a fashionable social event when affluent ladies began dressing smartly in long dresses and accessories for this afternoon gathering.

True/False Statements and Vocabulary

4. TRUE (lines 1-2): "the custom...China"

5. TRUE (lines 15-16): "in the average...sacrilege"

Vocabulary:

• 6. Poor
• 7. Average
• 8. Of
• 9. Friendly
• 10. They grow tea in India.

Grammar Exercises

11. When did tea first appear in England?
12. Anna, who introduced traditional afternoon tea, was the seventh Duchess of Bedford.
13. This tea is not hot enough for me to drink.

The Human Brain and Scientific Discovery

Reasons for Human Success

1. We have achieved survival and increased our population to nearly 7 billion. Despite our inherent fragility and vulnerability, we have thrived as a species compared to the rest of the animal kingdom.

The Brain's Capacity for Problem Solving

2. Our brain's development is highly advanced, enabling us to find clever solutions to all the problems we encounter. The text emphasizes the brain's capacity to overcome potentially fatal issues.

The Importance of Antibiotics

3. The discovery of antibiotics has been one of the most important scientific breakthroughs in human history. It has significantly lowered the probability of death due to epidemics and diseases.

True/False Statements and Vocabulary

4. TRUE (11): "one...alone"

5. FALSE (14/15): "one...patients"

Vocabulary:

• 6. Risk
• 7. Development
• 8. Weak
• 9. Physician
• 10. Have hidden your phone

Grammar Exercises

11. Fleming, who discovered that mold prevented the growth of bacteria, was a physician.
12. Going
13. It is believed that antibiotics were discovered by Fleming at the beginning of the 20th century.