RE-1011'SP He was born in Milan, Ohio and he was always an inquisitive boy. By the time he was 10, he had set up a small chemical laboratory in his house after his mother had shown him a science book. He soon became fascinated with electrical currents and it remained the main interest of his life. In 1869, he borrowed a small amount of money and became a freelance inventor. In the same summer, there was a crisis in the New York financial district called Wall Street when the new telegraphic gold-price indicator broke down. Edison was called in to repair it and he did it so well that he was given a job as supervisor with the Western Union Telegraph Company. They later commissioned him to improve the Wall Street stock ticker that was just coming into use. He did so and produced the Edison Universal Stock Printer, which immediately brought him a fortune of $40,000. With this money, he set up himself as a manufacturer in order to produce electrical machines. In 1876, he built a new laboratory so that he could spend all his time inventing. He planned to turn out minor inventions every ten days and a 'big trick' every six months. Before long, he had 40 different inventions going at the same time and was applying for as many as 400 patents a year. The following year, Edison moved to New Jersey in order to build the Edison Laboratory (now a national monument) which was 10 times bigger than his first laboratory. In time it was surrounded by factories employing 5,000 people and producing many new products. Edison died on 18 October, 1931 having a remarkably productive life. 4.1 Match the meanings in Column 'A' with the correct words in Column 'B'. One word does not have a match. I. Column A a room, building for scientific research and experiment II. to be attracted to (5x1=5) Column B A. genius B. laboratory III. someone who sells his service without a C. inquisitive long term contract D. fascinated IV. officially charged someone to do something E. freelance V. someone possessing extraordinary F. commissioned intelligence 4 Contd...​