The electric light bulb has influenced
the world greatly. Today, they are everywhere. When you walk into a
room, the first thing you do is put your hand on the wall to find the
light switch. However, it wasn't really so long ago that nighttime meant most activities came to a stop. Light bulbs have changed the way we work and play. Where did this amazing invention come from?
Most of us were taught that American Thomas Edison invented
the light bulb in 1879. This is not true because electric light had
been around since the early 1800s. Edison just made it better and
created bulbs that would glow for over 1,500 hours. These incandescent light bulbs produce light when the thin wires inside are heated to high temperatures. They give off a warm, yellow light, but they are not energy efficient.
Over the years, incandescent bulbs have been replaced by other types of electric lights. The most common are fluorescent lights. These produce light by using electricity to excite a special gas inside the tubes. They create a cool, blue light and are more energy efficient. However, the world is now turning to LEDs.
電燈泡已大大影響了這個世界。如今電燈泡隨處可見。您在走進房間所做的第一件事就是把手放在墻壁上找電燈開關(guān)。但就在不久以前，夜晚的來臨即意味著大部份活動都必須暫告一段落。燈泡已改變了我們工作和玩樂的方式。但這項驚人的發(fā)明是打哪兒來的呢？
我們多數(shù)人所受的教育告訴我們，美國的湯瑪斯．愛迪生在1879年發(fā)明了燈泡。不過這并不正確，因為電燈自十九世紀(jì)初期以來就已經(jīng)存在了。愛迪生只是將它改良，創(chuàng)造出可以發(fā)光超過一千五百小時的燈泡。這種鎢絲燈泡里的細金屬絲被加熱到高溫時，它們就可以產(chǎn)生光。這些鎢絲燈泡雖能發(fā)出溫暖的黃光，但卻不節(jié)能。
多年來，鎢絲燈泡已被其他類型的電燈所取代。最常見的就是日光燈。它們透過電力來活化管內(nèi)的特殊氣體，藉此來發(fā)光。它們散發(fā)的是溫度不高的藍光，而且更為節(jié)能。然而，目前世界的潮流正朝LED轉(zhuǎn)變。
- influence vt. 影響
I don't want to influence how you do things because my way is not always the best.
我不想影響你做事的方法，因為我的做法不一定都是最好的。 - come to a stop（活動、物體等）停止，停下來
The company's new project came to a stop because of financial problems.
該公司的新企劃因遭逢財務(wù)困難而停擺。 - invention n. 發(fā)明物；發(fā)明
invent vt. 發(fā)明，創(chuàng)造
A group of researchers invented a new type of drug for treating Type II diabetes.
一群研究員發(fā)明了一種治療第二型糖尿病的新藥。 - glow vi. 發(fā)光
Johnny lit a cigarette, and its red tip glowed in the darkness.
強尼點燃了一根菸，菸頭在黑暗中閃著紅光。 - heat vt. 加熱，使變熱
Stacy heated the leftovers in the microwave before she sat down to eat.
史黛西先用微波爐熱了一下剩菜，然後再坐下用餐。 - give off...發(fā)出……（氣味、光、熱、聲音等）
The homeless man hadn't bathed in a long time, so he gave off a strong odor.
那個流浪漢很久沒洗澡了，所以身上散發(fā)出一股很濃的臭味。 - efficient a. 高效能的；有效率的
The boss likes Cherry because he thinks she is an efficient worker.
老板很喜歡雀莉，因為他認(rèn)為她是一個很有效率的員工。 - replace vt. 取代，替代
Nowadays, bar codes have replaced traditional price tags on most items.
如今大部份的商品都以條碼來取代傳統(tǒng)的價目標(biāo)簽。 - excite vt. 使活化；刺激
All the sights and sounds of the night market excited my senses.
那個夜市中所有的聲聲色色在在刺激著我的感官。
- light bulb n. 燈泡（亦可只稱 bulb）
- switch n. 開關(guān)
- incandescent light bulbn.（傳統(tǒng)）鎢絲燈泡
incandescent a. 白熱的 - wire n. 金屬線
- fluorescent light tuben. 日光燈
fluorescent a.（發(fā)）螢光的 - tube n. 管
- LED n. 發(fā)光二極體（light-emitting diode 的縮寫）
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"the first thing..."的句型用法
the first thing (that) + 人 + (has to/should/ can) do is (to) + 原形動詞
人（必須 該 能）做的第一件事就是……
在此句構(gòu)中，由於修飾主詞的形容詞子句中含有動詞 do，故 be 動詞 is 後應(yīng)接不定詞片語（to + 原形動詞）作主詞補語，但此不定詞片語中的 to 通常予以省略，而直接接原形動詞。其他類似的用法還有"all/what + 某人 + has to/should/can do is (to) + 原形動詞"（某人所必須 應(yīng)該 能做的就是……）。
When you move to a foreign country, the first thing you should do is get to know the area.
（你搬到異國時該做的第一件事就是熟悉當(dāng)?shù)?。?br>
There is not much we can do to change the situation, so all we can do now is pray.
（想改變這個局勢我們能做的也不多，所以我們現(xiàn)在只能禱告了。）
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