A truly international writing instrument
鉛筆的歷史淵源 -
Pencils, pencils, everywhere!
Most of us have so many of them that we take them for granted. But these common writing tools have a long and interesting history.
It started in Rome
The first example of a pencil-type instrument probably came from ancient Rome. There, a thin piece of metal was used to scratch words onto an early form of paper.
Long, skinny pieces of lead were also used to make marks on the page. But writers had to wait until the 16th century for a much better writing instrument.
England's find
Around 1564 a huge deposit of graphite was discovered near Cumbria, England. The solid graphite was mistakenly considered to be a type of lead. Locals happily realized it provided a perfect way to mark their sheep. The graphite was also easily sawed into sticks but was very soft. People tried wrapping them in string or other materials to provide a covering. But then a couple form Italy thought of a better idea.
Italian and German changes
The Italian couple hollowed out a wooden stick and then placed a graphite stick inside it. This created a wooden holder for the graphite. In the late 1500s, someone in Germany glued two wooden halves together around a graphite stick. The concept still used today.
German improvements
In 1839 Germany's Lothar von Faber devised a way to make graphite sticks all the same width. He also invented a machine to cut the pencil wood.
American production
By the late 1860s in America, pencils were in great demand. American companies began designing machines to mass-produce them. It helped meet the need and cut the cost of pencils by 50 percent.
Japanese ideas
Several people are said to be responsible for inventing the mechanical pencil. In 1915, however, Japan's Tokuji Hayakawa created a mechanical pencil similar to the one used now.
Today both kinds of pencils are very popular with the wooden pencil being number one. More than 6 billion wooden pencils are manufactured in 40 different countries each year.
Grammar Gym:
'It helped meet the need.....'
'to meet the need' -to satisfy the need.
'to meet a need = to meet the need.'
The school encourages students to volunteer and help meet the different needs in the community.
After a natural disaster strikes, relief organizations will send helpers to meet the different needs of the disaster victims.
Vocabulary Tips:
take for granted -always have and enjoy it, not appreciated.把某个事或物的给予， 视为理所当然的。
grant -give.给予，授予。
*Charles tends to take other people's help or kindness for granted. 帮助和恩惠。
take someone for granted -对某人不重视，不关心。
*Susie complains that her husband takes her for granted.
scratch - not smooth, is rough to touch the surface. 刮伤，刮，抓痒，。
*The CD was scratched so badly that I can't play it now.
scratch - 刮伤，刮痕。
*The victim of the car accident has a few scratches on his face.
deposit - large amount of something was stored. 沉淀物，矿床。
*Some geologists found a large deposit of coal in this area. 煤矿的矿床。
deposit -存款
*Janet made a deposit of $500 at this ATM.
deposit -定金。
*They paid $1000 as a deposit for the apartment they wanted to rent.
wrap -包裹，缠绕。
wrapped/ wrapping.
*Alison wrapped her gift and decorated it with a ribbon.
wrap - 环绕。
*The man wrapped his arms around his wife. 用他的膀臂环绕他的妻子。
wrapping (n) -包裹的材料。
*The boy tore the wrapping off his gift excitedly.
instrument -tool. 工具，器材。。
hollow - the center is empty. 挖空，挖空（某东西）
*The tribesman hollowed out a canoe from a log.
hollow (adj) -中空的，空心的。
*The tree trunk is hollow inside. 树干
*The patient's eyes and cheeks are hollow. 栓眼和面颊是凹陷的。
devise (v) -invented, coming up something. 想出，设计出。
*Chelsea devised a method to keep herself awake during night shifts.
*The engineers devised a new kind of TV which reacts to human voices.
demand - needed, ask, require. 需求，要求。
in demand - 有需求的。
*The demand for organic products has increased in recent years.
*Smartphone chips are still in great demand.
mechanical -机械的。 'mechan'-有‘机器’之意。
*These mechanical clocks need constant maintenance.
mechanic (n) - 技师。器械师。
*The mechanic charged me $500 to replace the air conditioner in my car.
devise (v.)-(发z 音) away - invented a way, to devised a plan.
device (n) - (发s 音) -a thing.
concept - idea, thinking, a create thought.观念，想法。
to hollow out - to take out, to remove the things out. 挖空。
graphite - a material that is in the center of the pencil, not a lead, but look like a lead.
manufactured - have making, produced.
Language Tips:
sheep /goat - 绵羊/山羊。
sheep (n) - 绵羊，不可数名词。不能加‘s‘。
one sheep, two sheep, 200 sheep.
goat (n) -山羊。普通名词，可数名词，要加‘s‘。
two goats, five goats, one goat.
mutton - 一般吃的羊肉。
lamb - 羔羊，羊羔的肉。
ram - male sheep. 公绵羊。
ewe -（eu) -female sheep we call it ewe.母绵羊。
billy goat - male goat called billy goat. 公山羊。
nanny - female goat.母山羊。
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pencil (n) -铅笔
pencil (v) - to pencil.-用铅笔写。
to pencil -用铅笔写或画。（铅笔写是可以擦去重写或更改的）
pencil in - 暂定的约会。（暂时先定下来，铅笔写下，可擦拭并变更的。）
I will pencil you in. - 我先帮你暂定下来，不能的话，可以改的。
Notes taking of StudioClassroom
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