Голицынский, 6-е издание – Артикль – Упражнение 62

Mr Jones was a teacher of physics at school. He was fond of the experimental method in physics and often told his pupils to use this method. One day Mr. Jones came to school on a new bicycle. The bicycle had a pair of pneumatic tyres, which had just been invented, and none of the pupils had ever seen them. During a lesson the teacher took the pupils into the school yard and showed them the new invention. “Now, children,” he said, “who can tell me what is inside this tyre that makes it so hard and yet so elastic?” The boys touched the tyres. “Cotton wool,” said one of them. “Steel springs,” said another. “Oh no,” said the teacher, “you are wrong.” Suddenly a little boy, who was standing beside the bicycle, cried out, looking very happy, “I know what it is! There’s wind inside.” Mr Jones smiled and said, “You are right: there’s air inside. But how did you find it out?” “Well, I used the experimental method,” said the boy, “I stuck a nail into the tyre, and some wind came out of it”. For the first time in his life Mr Jones did not like the use of the experimental method.