Bill Gates

Everyone has heard of Bill Gates, one of the richest and most successful people in the world. Microsoft, the business he started with a friend in 1975, has become the world’s largest computer software company, and Gates was the world’s youngest billionaire at the age of 31.

His full name is William Henry Gates III, and he was born on 28th October, 1955, in Seattle, USA. At school, Bill soon showed that he was very intelligent, and especially good at Maths and Science. His parents decided to send him to Lakeside, the private school where he first began to use computers. 13-year-old Bill Gates and his schoolfriend Paul Allien were soon spending all their time writing programs and learning about computers instead of doing their schoolwork!

After finishing school in 1973, Bill went to Harvard, America’s most famous university. The next year, he and Paul Allien wrote an operating program for the Altair, one of the world’s first microcomputers. The two friends started Microsoft in 1975, and Gates left Harvard. Before long, Microsoft was a major business success. Since then, the company has continued to grow, producing most of the world’s leading PC software. One reason for his success is that Gates has always been very ambitions and hardworking. This has not left him much time for a normal personal life, but in 1994 he married Melinda French, a Microsoft employee, and in 1995 he wrote a best-selling book, The Road Ahead.

Bill has mixed feelings about spending so much time running Microsoft. “There are a lot of experiences I haven’t had, but I do like my job,” he says. When he does find time to relax, he likes puzzles, golf and reading about science. For such a rich person, his life is simple, and he spends little on himself and his family. When it comes to helping others, though, Gates is very generous. He has already given huge amounts of money to charity, and says that he plans to give away almost all of his wealth when he retires.

8.14. Answer the questions, then tell about Bill Gates, his life and activity.

1. Who is Bill Gates?

2. What have he and Paul Allien done together?

3. Why has Gates been so successful?

4. What does he do in his free time?

5. What does he plan to do with all his money?

8.15. Read the following sentences and see how punctuation changes meaning. Enjoy yourself!

a) Am I looking at my dinner or the dogs?

Am I looking at my dinner or the dog’s?

b) A woman, without her man, is nothing.

A woman: without her, man is nothing.

c) Punctuate properly the sentence:

Charles the First walked and talked half an hour after his head was cut off.

8.16. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense.

Dear Anita,

I … (have) a lovely time here in Egypt. I … (stay) in Cairo in a nice hotel with my family. I … (see) many wonderful things so far. Yesterday morning I … (go) to see Pyramids. They … (be) amazing. In the evening we … (go) to a restaurant and we … (taste) traditional food. Tomorrow we … (visit) Alexandria. I’m sure I … (like) it very much. Egypt is an exciting country!

Are you having a good time at home, too? See you soon.

Best wishes,

Vanessa.

8.17. If – clauses.

I. If the new device is introduced, the plan will be carried out ahead of time.

Если новый проект будет внедрен, план будет выполнен досрочно.

II. If the new device were introduced, the plan would be carried out ahead of time.

Если бы новый проект был внедрен (сейчас), план был бы выполнен досрочно.

III. If the new device had been introduced, the plan would have been carried out ahead of time.

Если бы новый проект был внедрен (тогда), план был бы выполнен досрочно.

Inversion:

II. Were the new device introduced, the plan would be carried out ahead of time.

Если бы новый проект внедрили (сейчас), план был бы выполнен досрочно.

III. Had the new device been introduced, the plan would have been carried out ahead of time.

Если бы новый проект внедрили (тогда), план был бы выполнен досрочно.

8.18. Translate the following sentences.

1. If I had known that you were ill last week, I’d have gone to see you. 2. If Tom had missed the train, he would have been late for his interview. 3. I’d have sent you a postcard while I was on holiday if I had had your address. 4. If she had been hungry, she would have eaten something. 5. I wish it would stop raining. 6. I wish you wouldn’t drive so fast. 7. She didn’t buy the coat because she didn’t have enough money on her. If she had had enough money, she would have bought the coat. 8. Ann gave me this book. She would be terribly upset if I lost it.

8.19. Complete each of the following sentences with an appropriate form of the verb.

1. If it (be) warmer in Britain, people wouldn’t go abroad so much. 2. You (be able to) run a lot faster if you were slimmer. 3. If she (stop) smoking, her cough would get better. 4. What a pity I haven’t got my car. If I had, I (take) you to the airport. 5. If we didn’t go to their party next week, they (be) angry. 6. Tom would be angry if I (not/visit) him. 7. What would you do, if you (be) on a desert island?

8.20. Discuss the situations.

a) What would happen

if everybody who told a lie turned green?

if people could get a driver licence at 14?

if girls had to do military service?

if men were not allowed to become doctors or pilots?

if children over 10 were allowed to vote?

if gold was found in your area?

if headmasters had to be elected by teachers and pupils?

b) What would you do

if you were invited to the Queen’s garden party?

if a photograph of yours won first prize at an exhibition?

if you got a love letter from somebody you did not know?

if you suddenly found out that you could become invisible by eating spinach?

if you invited somebody to dinner at your house but they forgot to come?

if you forgot you had asked four people to lunch and did not have any food in the house when they arrived?

if you could not sleep at night?

8.21. Compare different meanings of “if”.

1. If you come to see me, I’ll be glad. 2. If my father returned early, we would watch football on TV together. 3. I asked him if he was going to the University the next day. 4. If I had not worked systematically, I would have failed the exams. 5. If you are in trouble, I’ll help you. 6. I was asked by the teacher if I had taken the book from the library. 7. He was asked if he would play football on Sunday. 8. If we had known English better, we would have tried to speak at the conference in English. 9. An Englishman asked my sister if she had been to London before.

8.22. If I were …. A joke.