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4. THOMAS ALVA EDISON

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

Perhaps the most important and useful invention of Thomas

Alva Edison was the electric bulb. He worked for nearly two
years to invent the first electric bulb. He spent about 40,000
dollars to find out the best material for making the filament. He

tried many kinds of material for the filament. At last, in 1879, he

was able to produce the first electric bulb.

Three years later, many homes in New York had electric lights.
Edison worked hard till the very end of his life to make the

world a happier place to live in. He improved telegraphy, Bell’s
telephone, and the Remington typewriter. He invented the

electric fan and, in 1913 he also produced the first ‘talkie’ or talking picture. And before his death
in 1931, this wonderful inventor had produced and improved a thousand things. When he died, the

electric lights were turned off for a while in many American homes as a mark of respect for the man
who had given the world, the electric bulb.

1. What was the most important invention of Thomas Alva Edison?

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2. How long did it take for him to invent the electric bulb?

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3. What were the devices he improved?

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4. Why did Edison work hard?

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5. What did people do when Edison died?

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