Part I. The telephone. A glimpse of history

A GLIMPSE OF HISTORY

The telephone is a much younger invention than the telegraph. Fifty telegraph companies were already operating in the United States alone, when the French mechanic Charles Boursel first suggested the idea of transmitting speech electrically. The first to put his idea into practice was the German Philipp Reis, but his telephone was too primitive to find practical application. A telephone that did find application was invented by the American Graham Bell. On March 10, 1876, he made an instrument that successfully transmitted a complete sentence. To his assistant in another room, Bell conveyed the message: "Mr Watson, come here, I want you".

Телефон, которым пользовался А.С. Попов. Находится в мемориальном музее А.С. Попова при Санкт-Петербургском государственном электротехническом университете. (Фото автора)

Bell's telephone was very simple. It consisted of a metal diaphragm placed in the field of a horseshoe magnet. The diaphragm, vibrating, under the impact of sound waves, produced oscillations in the electric current transmitted along the wires. A similar device at the other end of the line turned the electric oscillations into sound.

Russian inventors made several important improvements in the telephone. In 1879 a Russian engineer Mikhalsky made a microphone with powdered carbon, a prototype of the present-day microphone. In this microphone the diaphragm, vibrating under the influence of the sound waves, exerted a pressure on the powdered carbon in proportion to the intensity of the sound. The consequent changes in the density of the powder changed its electrical resistance accordingly.

Another Russian inventor, Golubitsky, in 1880 improved the receiver. His receiver was far more sensitive than Bell's.

These and other inventions extended the range of telephone communications to distances of up to 350 kilometres. St. Petersburg was soon linked by telephone to Gatchina and Petergof.

In 1880 a Russian military communications expert G. Ignatyev invented a device that made it possible to use the same wire simultaneously for a telephone conversation and for telegraph communication. Today the method of frequency modulation makes it possible to transmit several hundred telephone conversations over the same wire simultaneously.

The telegraph and the telephone were both hailed as the "final" solution to the communications problem. But they were soon followed by an even more wonderful invention, which made possible communication without wires...

WORDS AND PHRASES

glimpse, n – быстрый взгляд, некоторое представление

invention, n – изобретение

a glimpse of history – немного истории

suggest, v – предлагать

the idea of transmitting speech electrically – идея передачи речи посредством электричества

was too primitive to find practical application – был слишком примитивным, чтобы найти практическое применение

complete, a – полный, завершенный

convey, v – сообщать, передавать

successfully, adv – успешно

consist (of), v – состоять (из)

horseshoe, n – подкова

vibrate, v – колебаться

under the impact of sound waves – под воздействием звуковых волн

oscillation, n – колебание

diaphragm, n – диафрагма, мембрана

wire, n – провод

current, n – ток

consequent, a – последовательный

density, n – плотность

resistance, n – сопротивление

accordingly, adv – соответственно

sound, n – звук

similar, a – подобный

device, n – устройство

improvement, n – усовершенствование

powder, n – порошок

carbon, n – уголь

range, n – дальность

exert, v – оказывать

receiver, n – приемник

sensitive, a – чувствительный

extend, v – продлевать

that made it possible to use the same wire simultaneously – который позволял использовать один и тот же провод одновременно

the method of frequency modulation – метод частотной модуляции

solution, n – решение

hail, v – приветствовать

ACTIVITIES

Exercise 1. Read the text and try to understand it.

Exercise 2. Find the English equivalents in the text:

предлагать, применение, прибор, передавать, успешно, влияние, ток, провод, звуковые волны, прибор, изобретатель, плотность, расстояние, сопротивление, связывать, одновременно, приемник, частотная модуляция, чувствительный, порошок, состоять из, подкова, усовершенствование, подобный.

Exercise 3. Pick up the words with the similar meanings:

to operate	influence
to convey	device
vibration	oscillation
full	to transmit
to produce	range
to connect	to work
instrument	to make
impact	to link
to invent	to make up
distance	complete

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions:

1. Who suggested the idea of transmitting speech electrically first?

2. Who put this idea into practice?

3. Who invented the telephone that found practical application?

4. What was the first message conveyed over the telephone?

5. What did the Bell's telephone consist of?

6. What improvements did the Russian inventors make?

7. How far was the range of telephone communications extended as a result of these improvements?

8. What city was linked by telephone first in Russia?

9. What device did G. Ignatyev invent?

10.What are the new methods of transmission nowadays?

Exercise 5. Speak on the following situation using the following words and phrases:

a) The first inventors of the telephone.

To suggest; idea; to transmit; to put into practiсe; primitive; to find practical application; to invent; a complete sentence; successfully; to convey; message.

b) The operating principles of the first telephone.

Simple; to consist of; diaphragm; horseshoe; to vibrate; impact; sound waves; oscillations; to produce; current; to transmit; sound; along the wires; similar.

c) The improvements of the Russian inventors.

Important; microphone; powdered carbon; diaphragm; to vibrate; under the influence of; wave; to exert; pressure; intensity; sound; density; consequent changes; resistance; accordingly; for more sensitive; receiver.

d) The further development of the telephone.

To extend; the range; to link; military; expert; device; wire; simultaneously; frequency modulation; to make possible; to transmit; conversation; final solution; communication problem.

Exercise 6. Make up the plan of the text.

Exercise 7. Retell the text, using the above plan.

Exercise 8. Speak on the following topics:

1. The history of the telephone.

2. The development of the telephone communications in Russia.

3. Telephone in our life.

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