IYpe of activity

Reading and speaking. Group and pair work.

Aim

To practise past tense questions.

Task

To exchange information on Albert Einstein.

Preparation

Make one copy of the worksheet for each pair of students. Cut the worksheet in half as indicated.

30 minutes

Procedure

2   Divide the students into two groups. Give worksheet A to each student in group A and worksheet B to each student in group B. Explain that each group has incomplete information about Einstein. Ask the students to read their worksheet and decide in their groups which questions they need to ask to complete the missing information. Circulate and monitor, helping as necessary.

3   When the students have finished, ask them to form pairs with a student from the other group. Ask the students to take turns to ask their questions. Circulate and monitor, noting down any errors.

4   Check the answers with the whole class.

Answers

h split the atom I N S I D E O U T Resource Pack

A Albert Einstein (1879- (l) ) was born in (2) but took out (3) citizenship in his mid-twenties. Surprisingly as a child he wasn't a remarkable student. In fact he failed his first attempt at the entry exam for (4). However two years later he passed and, after his graduation in 1900, he worked as a (5) before getting a job in the Patents office in Bern. He worked there from 1902 to 1909. In 1905 he published three papers on theoretical physics and, in the same year, he obtained his (6)

In 1908, he became a lecturer at the University of Bern. His genius brought him respect and he went on to hold various professorships. In 191 5 he published the final version of his (7) When his theories were verified four years later, he became world famous and was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1921.

However, in 1933, while Einstein was visiting California, Hitler came to power. Being Jewish, Einstein decided to remain in the USA and continued his research at the Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton where he remained until his death.

During the First World War Einstein had been a pacifist, but prior to the Second World War, he abandoned this idea because German scientists had managed to split the atom, and an atomic bomb was now possible. He believed Hitler was a threat to world peace. He therefore persuaded (8) , in i 939, to develop a US atomic research programme.

 ALBERT EINSTEIN

he persuaded President Roosevelt to develop a US atomic research programme.

C Sue Kay and Vaughan Jones, 2001 . Published by Macmillan Publishers Limited. This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.                                                                                                    Photocopiable