These tasks can help you to practise The Past Simple Tense (See Appendix 1 p. 214 – 218) and do the following exercises.

- what the robot is for

- how it works

- what it is made from

- how much it costs

- why it is useful.

GRAMMAR IN USE

These tasks can help you to practise The Past Simple Tense (See Appendix 1 p. 214 – 218) and do the following exercises.

14. Change the verbs in the following sentences into the Past Simple Tense.

1. There are many types of robots in the world.

2. Robots can make and package drugs, textiles, and foods.

3. Touch sensors also help otherwise blind robots navigate.

4. They can detect vibration, impact, and even heat.

5. Robots do more and more things humans can't.

6. Ninety percent of robots work in factories.

7. Robots assemble car body panels and weld them together, finish and paint the car bodies.

 

15. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Simple Tense.

Sir William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824 - 1907).

Born in Belfast, Thomson 1) ….. (to move) to Glasgow as a child, and 2) ….. (to enter) university there when he 3) ….. (to be) only 11 years old. During his long career, he 4) ….. (to make) many important discoveries about heat, movement, electricity and magnetism. He 5) ….. (to work out) a new way of measuring temperature – the Kelvin Scale – and 6) ….. (to become) famous for over 50 inventions. These 7) ….. (to include) insulated cables and a compass for use at sea. The cables 8) ….. (to be) used to send messages by newly invented telegraph.

 

16. Fill in the gaps with the proper item.

1. Jacques Cousteau ….. the oceans.

a) explores                    b) explored               c) has explored

2. He ….. a bicycle, but now he drives a car.

a) is riding                    b) used to ride          c) rides

3. I ….. an interesting magazine at the moment.

a) don’t read                 b) am reading           c) read

4, Mr. Jones ….. but he does now.

a) used to travel      b) didn’t use to travel c) travelled

5. I ….. a noise, so I went to see what it was.

a) heard                   b) hear                c) have heard

6. She ….. how to use computer at present.

a) learnt                        b) is learning            c) learns

7. The ferry boat ….. every day at quarter past two.

a) leaves                        b) is leaving                       c) leave