Unit 6
Video scripts
START IT!
6.1
Behind the invention
Inventions are part of our daily life and help us do
things we didn’t think possible. How did we get from
here ... to here? Nowadays, we couldn’t imagine life
without the fridge, the car, the toilet, or what about the
light bulb? Before the car, we used ... the horse. And
before the light bulb ... candles. Before the toilet, well,
let’s skip that one!
Lots of inventions have made our lives better and
easier. But where does the idea come from? Well, when
you think differently, you discover new things.
Like Benjamin Franklin who went out with his kite one
stormy afternoon. For his experiment, he attached a key
to a kite and when lightning and rain came suddenly
there was a flash .... electricity! Ideas for inventions are
often unexpected, and things don’t always work the first
time you try or the second or even the hundredth time!
Take Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb.
When things went wrong, he said ‘I have not failed.
I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’ He never
stopped trying, and that was the key to his success.
It’s easy to see how new inventions have improved our
lives, well, sometimes … But not all of them are new. Did
you know that central heating is not a recent invention?
We can thank the Romans for that. And ice skates have
been around for thousands of years! The Finnish made
them from animal bones almost 5,000 years ago!
So how can you create an invention? Well, always be
open to new ideas. Try them out. Then be prepared to
fail. You might discover something extraordinary.
After all, even the word for ‘teenager’ didn’t exist until
1940! Before that, you were just a child or an adult. And
now we can’t imagine a world without teenagers!
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LANGUAGE IN ACTION 1
6.2
Today’s top tips
Oh no! The button is about to fall off this shirt
and I don’t have time to sew it back on!
Has this ever happened to you? Well, I have
the solution! Clear nail polish!
Nail polish isn’t meant to be used as glue,
but you can use it to stop a shirt button from
falling off when you’re in a hurry.
Just apply the nail polish. There! Nail polish is
made to dry quickly so you only have to wait
a few minutes.
This isn’t meant to be a permanent fix, but
it can help until you have the time to sew the
button on. See?
Oh no! Crumbs on my keyboard!
Has this ever happened to you? Well, I have
the solution! Sticky notes!
Sticky notes aren’t designed for cleaning, but
they’re perfect for cleaning your keyboard!
Just press the corner along the edge of the
keys, and the dirt comes out! See!
That’s all for today but new tips are posted
every week.
Share your tips in the comments section!
Language in action
The present passive
Let’s talk about the vlog.
Which language did the vlogger use to talk about the
objects she used?
We use the present passive when the object is the main
focus.
Nail polish is made to dry quickly.
Here the subject, or the person who ‘made’ the nail
polish is not important.
We use am / is / are + past participle to form the present
passive.
New tips are posted every week.
Nail polish isn’t meant to be used as glue.
Own it! 3 Unit 6 – Video scripts
 We form the past passive with was / were (not) and the
Sticky notes aren’t designed for cleaning. past participle.

Notice the word order to form questions. Ruth was given a lifetime supply of chocolate.
How is nail polish used in the video?
How are sticky notes used to clean a keyboard?
Chocolate chip cookies were invented by Ruth
Use it!
Wakefield.
Change the sentences into the present passive.
Sticky notes are used for cleaning. The butter cookie wasn’t invented by Ruth Wakefield.
Now you try.
New videos are posted every week. They weren’t invented until 1939.
Why is nail polish put on a button?
How was the chocolate chip cookie invented?
LANGUAGE IN ACTION 2 Where were the cookies created originally?
Notice: We use by + name when we want to say who did
B
 est inventions: Chocolate chip the action (the subject).
cookies!
6.3

Use it!
Change the sentences to the past passive with
Mmm, I love chocolate chip cookies. They are was / were and the past participle.
one of the best inventions ever. The cookies were invented by accident.
But, you might be surprised to know that they
weren’t invented until 1939! And guess what? Now you try.
They were made by accident. Baker’s chocolate wasn’t used.
So, how was the chocolate chip cookie Chocolate chips were created for the new recipe.
invented? Well, I’m glad you asked. Where were chocolate chip cookies invented?
Chocolate chip cookies were invented by Ruth
Wakefield in Massachusetts in the 1930s.
One day, Ruth was preparing her usual butter
cookie recipe, when she decided to add
chocolate but didn’t have time to melt it. So,
she cut up a chocolate bar, expecting it to melt
and make the mixture chocolate-coloured.
But the chocolate chunks didn’t melt and
dessert history was made.
Ruth was given a lifetime supply of chocolate
in exchange for her cookie recipe.
Imagine having enough chocolate for the rest
of your life!
Enjoy!

Language in action
The past passive
Let’s talk about the vlog.
Which language did the vlogger use to talk about
processes in the past?
We use the past passive to describe processes in
the past or to make the object the main focus of the
sentence.

PHOTOCOPIABLE © Cambridge University Press 2020 Own it! 3 Unit 6 – Video scripts