A Lucky Accident

10/10/2020 6:04:00 PM

Safety glass invented accidentally by Edouard Benedictus. Image: factsc.com

Do you know?

History has witnessed plenty of inventions that were accidentally created, and each has its own story.
Laminated Glass or safety glass was not an exception. It was invented through a stroke of luck by chemist Edouard Benedictus.

Let's explore more about this accident!

Listen and choose the correct answer.

Did the glass break after it was knocked over?
What led to the situation in which the glass didn't break?

Did the glass break after it was knocked over?

No Information
Yes
No

What led to the situation in which the glass didn't break?

Some chemicals leaving a light coating on the glass
Several sharp pieces of glass
The stable workbench of Edouard

Complete the text you are listening to by dragging the correct word to each blank.

It was 1903. Edouard Benedictus had an accident. A glass was on his 3.1. He knocked it over. It fell to the floor. His accident was lucky. How come?

The glass did not break. It did not break into sharp pieces. Edouard was surprised. Why didn't the glass break? Why wasn't there a 3.2? Why weren't there sharp pieces of glass all over the floor?

Edouard picked up the glass. He looked at it. It was empty. Then Edouard remembered something. He had been working with some chemicals. The 3.3 had left a light coating on the glass. The 3.4 had kept the glass from breaking.

What did Edouard's lucky accident 3.5 to? It led to safety glass! A coating is put on windows. It is put on car glass. The coating keeps the windows from breaking into sharp pieces.

Read and answer the following questions.

Safety glass was invented by accident. Image: historycollection.com

It was 1903. Edouard Benedictus had an accident. A glass was on his workbench. He knocked it over. It fell to the floor. His accident was lucky. How come?

The glass did not break. It did not break into sharp pieces. Edouard was surprised. Why didn't the glass break? Why wasn't there a mess? Why weren't there sharp pieces of glass all over the floor?

Edouard picked up the glass. He looked at it. It was empty. Then Edouard remembered something. He had been working with some chemicals. The chemicals had left a light coating on the glass. The coating had kept the glass from breaking.

What did Edouard's lucky accident lead to? It led to safety glass! A coating is put on windows. It is put on car glass. The coating keeps the windows from breaking into sharp pieces.

Source: Daily Warm-ups Reading Grade 2

Safety glass makes it

more likely someone will get cut.
less likely someone will get cut.
more likely someone will knock over a glass.
less likely someone will knock over a glass.

Why was Edouard's accident lucky?

It was in 1903.
It coated the glass.
It surprised Edouard.
It led to something new.

Where was the glass before it got knocked over?

on the floor
on the chemicals
on his workbench
on his car window

Put the right word in each blank. The sentences are from the text.

It was 1903. Edouard Benedictus had an accident. A glass was on his 7.1.
Why didn't the glass break? Why wasn't there a 7.2?
The 7.3 had left a light coating on the glass.
The 7.4 had kept the glass from breaking.
What did Edouard's lucky accident 7.5 to?

Put the right word in each blank. These are new sentences for the words in the text.

There was a 8.1 of snow on the ground.
A substance made from 8.2 is used to make some drinks taste sweet.
The robot is fixed on a 8.3.
I had to agree that my room was a 8.4.
Hard work often 8.5 to success.