Listen&Learn: History of radio

Learn about the invention that transformed news and entertainment.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• electromagnetic radiation: waves of energy that travel over distances
• transmit: to move something from one place to another
• telegraph: a device that communicates coded messages
• broadcast: a public radio transmission
• instantly: without any time passing

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

In the 1880s, a German physicist named Heinrich Hertz radio waves, a type of invisible electromagnetic radiation. Hertz proved that the waves could travel through the air, just like light, and transmit information. Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi created the first that used radio transmissions in the 1890s. It was a telegraph that could transmit Morse code without wires. In the years before World War I, inventors developed radio devices that could communicate more complex , including spoken words and music. Radios were originally used for military communication. However, many people began to buy radios for use during the 1920s, when radio companies built for news and entertainment broadcasts. This allowed people to receive information about politics, the world, and important events almost instantly.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. The person who discovered radio waves was
   a. Heinrich Hertz
   b. Guglielmo Marconi
   c. Thomas Edison
   
2. Marconi’s radio device was
   a. a wireless telegraph
   b. a music player
   c. an early television
   
3. Radios were originally used for
   a. news broadcasts
   b. entertainment
   c. military communication

Discussion/essay questions

1. Today, it is easier than ever to receive instant information due to the Internet and social media. What are some of the benefits and drawbacks of this?

Transcript

In the 1880s, a German physicist named Heinrich Hertz discovered radio waves, a type of invisible electromagnetic radiation. Hertz proved that the waves could travel through the air, just like light, and transmit information. Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi created the first device that used radio transmissions in the 1890s. It was a telegraph that could transmit Morse code without wires. In the years before World War I, inventors developed radio devices that could communicate more complex messages, including spoken words and music. Radios were originally used for military communication. However, many people began to buy radios for personal use during the 1920s, when radio companies built stations for news and entertainment broadcasts. This allowed people to receive information about politics, the world, and important events almost instantly.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2a 3c