CROSSROADS Language StudioÊs Newsletter March,
March , 2024
202 4

Some havesaid that the “backbone”
of the Industrial Revolution
in the 18th century rested on the invention ofthe steam engine. In 1698 Thomas Savery
patented a hand-operated steam-pump to
use in removing water from coal and tin
mines. This was the first practicalapplication of steam for industrial usage. In
1712
anotherEnglishman,
ThomasNewcomen, developed a more efficientengine using steam-power to deal with thechallenge of draining water from mines. In
1769, a Scot by the name of James Watt,patented a much improved version of thesteam engine and in 1776 two of his steamElla
powered engines were installed at industrialsites, one to pump water out of a colliery andone to blow air into the furnaces at anJanisironworks
factory. Now, the Industrial
Revolution was in full swing!
But long before the Industrial Revolutionof the 18th century, inventors, designers,engineers, mathematicians, or just plain
old amateur hobbyists were tinkering
around with steam-driven contraptions.
In 1606, a Spaniard, Jeronimo de Ayanz
y Beaumont, developed and patented asteam-powered pump that was successfully
deployed to drain inundated mines in
Guadalcanal, Spain. Could his invention
have been the inspiration for the British
gentlemen mentioned above? And what
inspired Beaumont to create his pump,apart from an actual need for the device?

Or could other rudimentary steam-based
gadgets like Italian Giovanni Branco’s 1629
cylindrical escapement device, or Taqi alDin’s simple impact steam turbine from 1551
Ottoman Egypt, have done the trick ofinspiringtheIndustrial
Revolution’s
inventors a century or more later? Even
Leonardo da Vinci thought of a design for asteam-powered cannon in the 15th century!
Back even further and we have theEnglish historian, William of Malmesbury, in1125 describing a church organ in Reims,
France that was powered by heating water tocompress air. Indeed, the first recorded use ofsteam to transfer heat into movement goes
all the way back to Archytas, amathematician in ancient Greece, whosedevice entertained by propelling small
wooden birds along wires using steam. That
was way back in 400 BCE!
The earliest steam contraption that might beidentified as an engine was invented by Heronof Alexandra in the 1st century CE in Roman
Egypt. His design, a novelty, consisted of asealed caldron containing water placed over aheat source. As the water boiled, steam roseand entered a suspended cylinder through twopipes on either side. The cylinder had two
additional bent pipes allowing the steam toescape and, by doing so,
causing it to rotate –the first steam engine
is created!
Mankind, it would
seem, doesn’t really evolve.
We mostly just copy andimprove on the past.

NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
…. Try our lessons on the net!
For some more about Heron’s invention try this site:
https://explorable.com/herons-aeolipileJoshua Says: “I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may
learn how to do it”. This is a quotation from Pablo Picasso. Picasso was one ofthose rare individuals that have cropped up throughout history, and who havecontributed something unique to the world. But, you do not have to be a“Picasso” to understand the wisdom in the message from this quote.
Junko Says: What are “phytochemicals”? Plants, produce phytochemicals
that help protect from viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Phytochemicals
have antioxidant properties that can decrease the risk of many diseases andcan help neutralize free radicals, which can damage DNA. It can be found in
fruit, vegetables, beans and grains. Eating colorful vegetable soup is an easy
and convenient way to get all types of phytochemicals into your body.
Marek Says: I remember the times in Wales when it took 4 attempts topass a driver’s license test. On My first practical test, I was gathering steam,performing various city manoeuvres, but I would soon begin to steam up
trying to navigate roundabouts of Welsh countryside and ultimately fail thetest. On my fourth attempt, just as I was starting to lose steam, I finallypassed it and, to blow off steam, I went on holiday abroad, by car.
Mandcy dit: Ça y est, le printemps est arrivé !! Il fait froid, il fait chaud, on ne
sait pas comment s'habiller. Aussi, cette année, les fleurs de cerisiers vont fleurir
plus tôt, j'espère donc profiter agréablement du pique-nique. De plus, Le 31mars, c'est la fête de Pâques, donc les français mangent de l'agneau et beaucoup
trop de chocolat. Je dois donc faire regume en avril !!! Félicitations aussi aux deux
films japonais qui ont gagné un oscar, Godzilla et le film d'animation des studios
Ghibli. Maintenant, je suis très motivée pour les regarder.
1ACROSS
6 the result of creative thinking
8 in the earliest stages ofdevelopment
10 a rotating engine
12 a very large pot
78
13 doing unpaid, idle, randomwork
10
15 pressed tightly together
17 covered with water
12
18 people pursuing pleasure activities
19 hang freely
DOWN
1 machine or tool used for a particular purpose15
2 set in place for use
3 causing to move forward
4 useful machines, devices
5 skillful, avoiding waste
7 striking one body against another9 something original, new and surprising
11 mechanical device to regulate movement
14 useful tools
15 a coal mine and connected buildings
16 the creation of a new device or process (print version here)

2
5

3

4

6

911131416171819

An Acronym is an abbreviation made from the first letters of a multi-word
term, name or phrase. Sellect the correct wording for each of the following:
1. ASAP- Active Support After Purchase- As Soon As Possible- Adjust Speed After Passing

7. LOL- Lap Of Luxury- Levy On (a) Loan
- Laugh Out Loud

2. GMT- Greenwich Mean Time
- General Management Team- Give Me Time

8. ABC- American Broadcasting Company- Anti-Bullying Campaign- American Bicycle Club

3. BBC- British Breakfast Club
- Buy Before Cancelation- British Broadcasting Corporation

9. WIP- Walk In Peace- Work In Progress- With Implied Purpose

4. TESL
10. SCUBA- Testing English Slows Learning- Special Case Under Bureau Assessment- Teaching English As a Second Language - Special Clause Under Basic Agreement- Try Easy Self-Learning- Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
5. NGO- Not (a) Good Offer- Non-Government Organization- Nothing Going On

11. PIN- Personal Identification Number- Please Insert Now- Personal Information Number

6. CEO- Chief Executive Officer- Children’s Educational Organization- Celebrity’s Evening Out

12. RIP- Real Intention Perceived- Ran Into (a) Problem- Rest In PeaceO B S C U R ESOP R I M A R I L YU N I Q U EMVPM U S K YI
G E R M I N A T I O NLNLTCM A N U A L L YAISINIF I N I C K YCNENGNO U T R A G E O U STNTUAHQESTA B A N D O N E DULISIYAA P P L I C A T I O N SBSTC U R R E N T L YPEAEC O M P O U N DDDOS
A S T R O N O M I C A L

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution

ACROSS
1 hard to see, unclear
4 being the most important
5 distinctive one-of-a-kind
7 a type of smell
8 grow or sprout (from seeds, etc)
9 by hand
12 over fussy about details
14 greatly exceeding normal limits
15 left behind, given up
16 usages
17 at this time, now
19 two or more parts mixed together
20 unbelievably large

DOWN
2 persuasive, believable
3 st the same time
6 to fertilize a flowering plant
10 created artificially
11 impossible to satisfy
13 a Spanish adventurer
18 they contain the seeds of plants

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