Listen&Learn: Nikola Tesla

Learn about the man whose invention powers the world today

Pre-listening vocabulary

• inventor: someone who creates new technology
• alleged: claimed by someone, but not yet proven to be true
• dispute: an argument or disagreement
• motor: a device that powers a machine
• fund: to provide money for a project
• promote: to gather public support for something
• ominous: scary or disturbing

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor. He was born in Austria* in 1856. In 1884, Tesla moved to New York and began working for Thomas Edison. Tesla helped Edison improve his electrical motors, but he eventually left the after an alleged dispute about payment. Later, Tesla invented an electrical motor that ran on alternating current, or AC. This was different from Edison’s direct current motors, where electricity flowed in only one . An inventor and named George Westinghouse funded and promoted Tesla’s project, and eventually AC made it possible to send electricity over long distances. Although Tesla was a inventor, he struggled with mental illness and financial difficulties throughout his life. As he grew older, he began to mention more ominous inventions, such as a “death ray.” The FBI investigated his possessions after his death, but found nothing .

*Correction: Tesla was actually born in the village of Smiljan, formerly in the Austrian Empire and now in Croatia

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Tesla was born in the
   a. 19th century
   b. 20th century
   c. 21st century
   
2. In 1884, Tesla moved to New York to work for
   a. George Westinghouse
   b. Thomas Edison
   c. Alexander Graham Bell
   
3. The motor that Tesla invented used
   a. alternating current (AC)
   b. direct current (DC)
   c. high-voltage direct current (HVDC)

Discussion/essay questions

1. Today, Tesla is a very well-known inventor. But for years, his work was not widely acknowledged. Do you know any other people from history who were not originally recognized for their accomplishments? Why do you think this happens?

Transcript

Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor. He was born in Austria* in 1856. In 1884, Tesla moved to New York and began working for Thomas Edison. Tesla helped Edison improve his electrical motors, but he eventually left the company after an alleged dispute about payment. Later, Tesla invented an electrical motor that ran on alternating current, or AC. This was different from Edison’s direct current motors, where electricity flowed in only one direction. An inventor and businessman named George Westinghouse funded and promoted Tesla’s project, and eventually AC made it possible to send electricity over long distances. Although Tesla was a brilliant inventor, he struggled with mental illness and financial difficulties throughout his life. As he grew older, he began to mention more ominous inventions, such as a “death ray.” The FBI investigated his possessions after his death, but found nothing dangerous.

*Correction: Tesla was actually born in the village of Smiljan, formerly in the Austrian Empire and now in Croatia

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2b 3a