An artist’s impression of Avion III, made in 1897 by Clément Ader (1841–1925), who in addition to being a sports pioneer in French cycling, and establishing the telephone network in Paris, was an imaginative aviation engineer. His steam-powered aeroplane Avion III was given a trial before the French Army in October 1897. It was made of linen and wood, with a wingspan of 48 feet, and powered by two 30 hp steam engines, each one spinning a four-bladed tractor propeller. The aircraft had not gone beyond taxiing when it was blown off-course by a gust of wind, spooking the military who pulled their funding. In 1933, Americans George D. Besler and William J. Besler managed to fly a steam-powered Travel Air 2000 biplane at Oakland airport.
An artist’s impression of Avion III, made in 1897 by Clément Ader (1841–1925), who in addition to being a sports pioneer in French cycling, and establishing the telephone network in Paris, was an imaginative aviation engineer. His steam-powered aeroplane Avion III was given a trial before the French Army in October 1897. It was made of linen and wood, with a wingspan of 48 feet, and powered by two 30 hp steam engines, each one spinning a four-bladed tractor propeller. The aircraft had not gone beyond taxiing when it was blown off-course by a gust of wind, spooking the military who pulled their funding. In 1933, Americans George D. Besler and William J. Besler managed to fly a steam-powered Travel Air 2000 biplane at Oakland airport.
Erasmus Darwin, father of pioneering zoologist Charles Darwin, wrote these lines in his poem The Botanic Garden, published in 1789 but written as many as twenty years earlier, when steam-powered vehicles were still decades away.
Soon shall thy arm, unconquer’d Steam! afar
Drag the slow barge, or drive the rapid car;*
Or on wide-waving wings expanded bear
The flying-chariot through the fields of air.
Fair crews triumphant, leaning from above,
Shall wave their fluttering ’kerchiefs as they move
Or warrior-bands alarm the gaping crowd,
And armies shrink beneath the shadowy cloud.
* Samuel Johnson in his dictionary (1755) defined a car as “a small carriage of burden, usually drawn by one horse or two,” that is, a freight waggon; or else as a poetical word for a chariot.
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author
aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that
strike you. How do they help the author communicate his
ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you?
How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939)
by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at
Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn,
Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University,
USA.
Précis
In 1789, or maybe earlier, Erasmus Darwin was already predicting that steam engines would move beyond factories. He envisaged steam-powered ships, carriages, and even aeroplanes with their cabin-crew smiling down on spectators; but he did not forget to introduce a sombre note, when he imagined the skies dark with steam-powered warplanes.(51 / 60 words)
In 1789, or maybe earlier, Erasmus Darwin was already predicting that steam engines would move beyond factories. He envisaged steam-powered ships, carriages, and even aeroplanes with their cabin-crew smiling down on spectators; but he did not forget to introduce a sombre note, when he imagined the skies dark with steam-powered warplanes.
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Variations:
1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words.2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words.3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, besides, if, since, unless, until, whereas, whether.
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1Crow.Move.Wave.
2Car.Field.Wing.
3Afar.Air.Flutter.
Variations:1.include direct and indirect speech2.include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who3.use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Variations:
1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms).2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence.3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding im-.
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
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