The electric light bulb has influenced
the world greatly. Today, they are everywhere. When you walk into a
room, the first thing you do is put your hand on the wall to find the
light switch. However, it wasn't really so long ago that nighttime meant most activities came to a stop. Light bulbs have changed the way we work and play. Where did this amazing invention come from?
Most of us were taught that American Thomas Edison invented
the light bulb in 1879. This is not true because electric light had
been around since the early 1800s. Edison just made it better and
created bulbs that would glow for over 1,500 hours. These incandescent light bulbs produce light when the thin wires inside are heated to high temperatures. They give off a warm, yellow light, but they are not energy efficient.
Over the years, incandescent bulbs have been replaced by other types of electric lights. The most common are fluorescent lights. These produce light by using electricity to excite a special gas inside the tubes. They create a cool, blue light and are more energy efficient. However, the world is now turning to LEDs.
电灯泡已大大影响了这个世界。如今电灯泡随处可见。您在走进房间所做的第一件事就是把手放在墙壁上找电灯开关。但就在不久以前，夜晚的来临即意味著大部份活动都必须暂告一段落。灯泡已改变了我们工作和玩乐的方式。但这项惊人的发明是打哪儿来的呢？
我们多数人所受的教育告诉我们，美国的汤玛斯．爱迪生在1879年发明了灯泡。不过这并不正确，因为电灯自十九世纪初期以来就已经存在了。爱迪生只是将它改良，创造出可以发光超过一千五百小时的灯泡。这种钨丝灯泡里的细金属丝被加热到高温时，它们就可以产生光。这些钨丝灯泡虽能发出温暖的黄光，但却不节能。
多年来，钨丝灯泡已被其他类型的电灯所取代。最常见的就是日光灯。它们透过电力来活化管内的特殊气体，藉此来发光。它们散发的是温度不高的蓝光，而且更为节能。然而，目前世界的潮流正朝LED转变。
- influence vt. 影响
I don't want to influence how you do things because my way is not always the best.
我不想影响你做事的方法，因为我的做法不一定都是最好的。 - come to a stop（活动、物体等）停止，停下来
The company's new project came to a stop because of financial problems.
该公司的新企划因遭逢财务困难而停摆。 - invention n. 发明物；发明
invent vt. 发明，创造
A group of researchers invented a new type of drug for treating Type II diabetes.
一群研究员发明了一种治疗第二型糖尿病的新药。 - glow vi. 发光
Johnny lit a cigarette, and its red tip glowed in the darkness.
强尼点燃了一根菸，菸头在黑暗中闪著红光。 - heat vt. 加热，使变热
Stacy heated the leftovers in the microwave before she sat down to eat.
史黛西先用微波炉热了一下剩菜，然後再坐下用餐。 - give off...发出……（气味、光、热、声音等）
The homeless man hadn't bathed in a long time, so he gave off a strong odor.
那个流浪汉很久没洗澡了，所以身上散发出一股很浓的臭味。 - efficient a. 高效能的；有效率的
The boss likes Cherry because he thinks she is an efficient worker.
老板很喜欢雀莉，因为他认为她是一个很有效率的员工。 - replace vt. 取代，替代
Nowadays, bar codes have replaced traditional price tags on most items.
如今大部份的商品都以条码来取代传统的价目标签。 - excite vt. 使活化；刺激
All the sights and sounds of the night market excited my senses.
那个夜市中所有的声声色色在在刺激著我的感官。
- light bulb n. 灯泡（亦可只称 bulb）
- switch n. 开关
- incandescent light bulbn.（传统）钨丝灯泡
incandescent a. 白热的 - wire n. 金属线
- fluorescent light tuben. 日光灯
fluorescent a.（发）萤光的 - tube n. 管
- LED n. 发光二极体（light-emitting diode 的缩写）
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"the first thing..."的句型用法
the first thing (that) + 人 + (has to/should/ can) do is (to) + 原形动词
人（必须 该 能）做的第一件事就是……
在此句构中，由於修饰主词的形容词子句中含有动词 do，故 be 动词 is 後应接不定词片语（to + 原形动词）作主词补语，但此不定词片语中的 to 通常予以省略，而直接接原形动词。其他类似的用法还有"all/what + 某人 + has to/should/can do is (to) + 原形动词"（某人所必须 应该 能做的就是……）。
When you move to a foreign country, the first thing you should do is get to know the area.
（你搬到异国时该做的第一件事就是熟悉当地。）
There is not much we can do to change the situation, so all we can do now is pray.
（想改变这个局势我们能做的也不多，所以我们现在只能祷告了。）
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