bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

The First Steam Engines
Choose the right antonym (opposite):
downward, blow, safe
French physicist Denis Papin was among the first inventors to create a working steam engine.
Papin's invention was very simple. Papin used steam to force a piston upward. He then took the heat source away and let the piston drop back down.
In 1698 English engineer Thomas Savery invented a steam pump that sucked water out of flooded mine shafts. However, it could only move water about six metres, and often exploded!
In 1769 Scottish engineer and inventor James Watt began making lots of small improvements. By 1819 these additions made the steam engine much more efficient - and much less dangerous.
The Father of Railways
Choose the correct alternative:
George Stephenson  (June 9, 1781 -  August 12, 1848) never went to school but in 1814 he built/build a locomotive, the Blucher. Stephenson's work was so good, he was given a contract to built/build the world's first public railway line in 1822. The track ran between two English towns: Stockton and Darlington.
The railway was so successful that Stephenson was asked to built/build more.
Stephenson's Rocket was the first 'modern' locomotive. It won the Rainhill trials - a competition sponsored by the railway to find a locomotive for carrying both passengers and freight.
Because he spent his life building/built railways, George Stephenson is nicknamed the Father of Railways.
Puffing Devil
Fill in the gaps with the following words:
destroyed, transported, cheated, exploded
Lots of inventors worked on creating the train, but one of the most important people was an English engineer, Richard Trevithick.
Trevithick became famous on Christmas Eve 1801 when his Puffing Devil locomotive ________ a group of friends from one village to another.
Unfortunately when Trevithick went for another trip three days later, he parked  his locomotive on the road. While he was having lunch, the Puffing Devil caught fire and was ________.
In 1803 another of Trevithick's locomotives _________, killing four people. But the inventor kept working.
On  February 21, 1804 Trevithick's improved locomotive carried 10 tonnes of iron, five wagons and 70 men 16 kilometres  in 4 hours and 5 minutes.
Although Trevithick was a clever engineer, he was not good with money. He was ________ by his partner and died in poverty.
Heron's Aeolipile
Find words that mean:
strong, understand, useful
When you see steam pushing up  the lid of a pot when you're boiling rice, you'll see that steam is powerful stuff.
The first person to realise the power of steam  was Heron of Alexandria who lived in  first century AD.
Heron invented the world's first steam engine. His 'wind machine' or aeolipile (pronounced ee-OL-uh-pahyl) used steam to spin a ball around in the air.
Although the aeolipile was a popular toy, it had no practical use. It wasn't until the late 17th century that the power of steam was discovered again.
fab fact!
Hong Kong's first rail service in 1888 was the Peak Tram that connected The Peak to the city centre. Today the MTR has more than 80 railway stations.
fab fact!
There are more than 1,187,000 kilometres of railroad lines around the world today.
fab fact!
The fastest train on rails is the French TGV or Train a Grande Vitesse (French for High Speed Train). It can travel at 574.8 km/h.
fab fact!
The world's earliest train system was built in Crete about 2,600 years ago. The Diolkos railway consisted of carts set on an 8km-long track carved out of rock. The carts were pulled by horses - and sometimes people!
Quiz
Answer the following questions. To test your memory, try answering without referring to the text. If you can't remember the details, read the piece again.
1. Trevithick's first locomotive was called:
a. The Fire Dragon
b. The Puffing Devil
c. The Steaming Beast
2.  Trevithick's improved locomotive carried how many  tonnes of iron?
a.  20
b.  10
c.  30
3. The world's fastest train travels at about:
a. 375 km/h
b. 475 km/h
c. 575 km/h
4. Heron's aeolipile:
a. Had no practical use
b. Pumped water from mine shafts
c. Powered a locomotive
5. The Diolkos railway track was:
a. Carved out of rock
b. Made of wood
c. Made of metal rails
Answers
Correct alternative: built, build, build, building
Antonyms: upward, suck, dangerous
Fill in the gaps: transported, destroyed, exploded, cheated
Synonyms: powerful, realise, practical
Quiz: 1. b, 2. b, 3. c, 4. a, 5. a



Iran allows 2 French former detainees to leave country

Iran ‘does not forget its friends’ as Malaysia ships pass Hormuz amid selective access

China starts work on solar plant built under extreme conditions, amid global energy crisis

Singapore set to be hit by global energy crisis as it unveils countermeasures

Energy

Steaming ahead