English Lesson on Tim Berners-Lee

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THE LESSON ON TIM BERNERS-LEE

Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Tim Berners-Lee. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:


READ

Sir Timothy Berners-Lee is a British computer scientist who invented the World Wide Web. He received a knighthood from the British Queen for his efforts (so he is called ‘Sir’). He is director of W3C, which looks after the Web’s development. A leading British newspaper ranked him as the world’s greatest living genius. Today’s world would be very different without his discovery.

Berners-Lee was born in 1955 to parents who were mathematicians and computer scientists. He grew up with numbers and electronics and managed to build his own computer. He went to Oxford University and was banned from using the computers for hacking. Berners-Lee graduated with a degree in physics. His first jobs after graduating were as a computer programmer and software developer.

Berners-Lee spent the 1980s on a project based on sharing and updating information online. In 1991, he put the first website online. It explained what the World Wide Web was and how it was used. He gave his idea to the world for free. In 1994, Berners-Lee founded W3C to set standards and improve the quality of the Web.

Berners-Lee now spends his time between W3C and as a professor of computer science in England. He also writes about the future of the Web. In 2004, he was named as the first ever winner of the Millennium Technology Prize. He has a string of other awards and is listed as one of ‘Time’ magazine’s 100 most important people of the 20th Century.

245 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

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SYNONYM MATCH

Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?

Paragraphs 1 and 2
 

 

 

1.

received

a.

invention

2

leading

b.

attended

3.

discovery

c.

top

4.

build

d.

stopped

5.

went to

e.

got

6.

banned

f.

make


Paragraphs 3 and 4
 

 

 

7.

based on

g.

Internet

8.

set

h.

presently

9.

improve

i.

put down

10.

now

j.

centred around

11

Web

k

series

12

string

l

upgrade

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article:

1.

the world’s greatest

a.

world for free

2

Today’s world would be very different

b.

a degree in physics

3.

He grew up with

c.

the future of the Web

4.

banned from using the computers

d.

living genius

5.

Berners-Lee graduated with

e.

of other awards

6.

a project based on sharing

f.

numbers and electronics

7.

He gave his idea to the

g.

for hacking

8.

set standards and improve

h.

and updating information

9.

He also writes about

i.

without his discovery

10.

He has a string

j.

the quality of the Web

LISTENING GAP FILL

Sir Timothy Berners-Lee is a British computer scientist ____________ the World Wide Web. He ____________ knighthood from the British Queen for his efforts (so he is called ‘Sir’). He is director of W3C, which ______________ Web’s development. A leading British newspaper ranked him as the world’s greatest ____________. Today’s world would be very different without his discovery.

Berners-Lee was born in 1955 to _________________ mathematicians and computer scientists. He grew ______________ and electronics and managed _______________ computer. He went to Oxford University and was banned from using the computers for hacking. Berners-Lee graduated ______________ physics. His first jobs after graduating were as a computer programmer and software developer.

Berners-Lee spent the 1980s on a _________________ sharing and updating information online. In 1991, ______________ website online. It explained what the World Wide Web was and how it was used. He gave his idea to the ______________. In 1994, Berners-Lee founded W3C _______________ and improve the quality of the Web.

Berners-Lee now ______________ between W3C and as a professor of computer science in England. He also writes about ______________ Web. In 2004, ______________ the first ever winner of the Millennium Technology Prize. He ______________ other awards and is listed as one of ‘Time’ magazine’s 100 most important people of the 20th Century.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics.

Sir Timothy Berners-Lee is a British / Briton computer scientist who invented the World Wide Web. He received a nightcap / knighthood from the British Queen for his efforts (so he is called ‘Sir’). He is director of W3C, which looks up / after the Web’s development. A leading British newspaper ranked him as the world’s greatest living genius. Today’s world would be very different without his discovered  / discovery.

Berners-Lee was born in 1955 to parents who were mathematics / mathematicians and computer scientists. He grown / grew up with numbers and electronics and managed to build his own computer. He went to Oxford University and was banned / binned from using the computers for hacking. Berners-Lee graduated with a degree in physics. His first jobs after graduating were as a computer programmer and software development / developer.

Berners-Lee spent the 1980s as / on a project based on sharing and updating information online. In 1991, he put / took the first website online. It explained what the World Wide Web was and how it was using / used. He gave his idea to the world for free. In 1994, Berners-Lee founded W3C to / by set standards and improve the quality of the Web.

Berners-Lee now spending / spends his time between W3C and as / was a professor of computer science in England. He also wrote / writes about the future of the Web. In 2004, he was named as the first ever winner of the Millennium Technology Prize. He has a string / rope of other awards and is listed as one of ‘Time’ magazine’s 100 most important people of the 20th Century.

SPELLING

The underlined, jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.

Paragraph 1
 

1.

computer sectstiin

2.

eenitndv the World Wide Web

3.

the world’s greatest living gnesui

4.

very different without his svyoedirc


Paragraph 2
 

5.

He grew up with rumenbs and electronics

6.

anbedn from using the computers

7.

graduated with a regede in physics

8.

teorwsfa developer


Paragraph 3
 

9.

a toejprc based on sharing and updating information

10.

he put the first website lenoin

11.

Berners-Lee oedfndu W3C

12.

improve the liaytuq of the Web


Paragraph 4
 

13.

a prsefsoor of computer science

14.

He also writes about the futeru

15.

the first ever wiennr

16.

He has a rnigts of other awards

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

 

numbers and electronics and managed to build his own computer. He went to Oxford University and was banned

(    )

 

physics. His first jobs after graduating were as a computer programmer and software developer.

(    )

 

from using the computers for hacking. Berners-Lee graduated with a degree in

(    )

 

Berners-Lee spent the 1980s on a project based on sharing and updating information online. In 1991, he put the first

(    )

 

Web’s development. A leading British newspaper ranked him as the world’s greatest living

(    )

 

genius. Today’s world would be very different without his discovery.

(    )

 

Berners-Lee was born in 1955 to parents who were mathematicians and computer scientists. He grew up with

(    )

 

Berners-Lee now spends his time between W3C and as a professor of computer science in England. He also writes

( 1 )

 

Sir Timothy Berners-Lee is a British computer scientist who invented the World Wide Web. He received

(    )

 

website online. It explained what the World Wide Web was and how it was used. He gave his idea to the world

(    )

 

one of ‘Time’ magazine’s 100 most important people of the 20th Century.

(    )

 

a knighthood from the British Queen for his efforts (so he is called ‘Sir’). He is director of W3C, which looks after the

(    )

 

winner of the Millennium Technology Prize. He has a string of other awards and is listed as

(    )

 

for free. In 1994, Berners-Lee founded W3C to set standards and improve the quality of the Web.

(    )

 

about the future of the Web. In 2004, he was named as the first ever

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With your partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.

is    computer    Timothy    British    Sir    a    scientist    Berners-Lee

2.

greatest    the    living    world’s    genius

3.

his   be   discovery   very   Today’s   different   world   without   would

4.

electronics    grew    with    and    He    up    numbers

5.

using    computers    hacking    from    the    for    banned

6.

a    information    updating    and    sharing    on    based    project

7.

for    idea    free    to    He    the    gave    world    his

8.

Web    the    set    quality    standards    of    and    the    improve

9.

writes    the    about    Web    the    He    future    also    of

10.

of    awards    has    string    other    He    a

TIM BERNERS-LEE DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1.

What do you know about Tim Berners-Lee?

2.

Would you like to meet Tim Berners-Lee?

3.

What would you like to know about Tim Berners-Lee and why?

4.

___________________________________________________

5.

___________________________________________________

6.

___________________________________________________

7.

___________________________________________________

8.

___________________________________________________

------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1.

What did you learn from this text about Tim Berners-Lee?

2.

What questions would you like to ask Tim Berners-Lee?

3.

What would his answers be to those questions?

4.

___________________________________________________

5.

___________________________________________________

6.

___________________________________________________

7.

___________________________________________________

8.

___________________________________________________

TIM BERNERS-LEE SURVEY

Write five questions about Tim Berners-Lee in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out.  Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Tim Berners-Lee for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Tim Berners-Lee. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. TIM BERNERS-LEE POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Tim Berners-Lee. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Tim Berners-Lee. Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he does every day and what he thinks about.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Tim Berners-Lee. Ask him three questions about his life. Give him three suggestions on what he should do in his future. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Tim Berners-Lee expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH:

Paragraphs 1 and 2
 

 

 

1.

received

a.

got

2

leading

b.

top

3.

discovery

c.

invention

4.

build

d.

make

5.

went to

e.

attended

6.

banned

f.

stopped


Paragraphs 3 and 4
 

 

 

7.

based on

g.

centred around

8.

set

h.

put down

9.

improve

i.

upgrade

10.

now

j.

presently

11

Web

k

Internet

12

string

l

series

PHRASE MATCH:

1.

the world’s greatest

a.

living genius

2

Today’s world would be very different

b.

without his discovery

3.

He grew up with

c.

numbers and electronics

4.

banned from using the computers

d.

for hacking

5.

Berners-Lee graduated with

e.

a degree in physics

6.

a project based on sharing

f.

and updating information

7.

He gave his idea to the

g.

world for free

8.

set standards and improve

h.

the quality of the Web

9.

He also writes about

i.

the future of the Web

10.

He has a string

j.

of other awards

ALL OTHER EXERCISES:

Look at the text in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.

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