Humans have sewn by hand for thousands of years. It was said that the first thread was made from animal muscle and sinew (肌腱). And the earliest needles were made from bones. Since those early days, many people have been involved in the process of developing a machine that could do the same thing more quickly and with greater efficiency.
Charles Wiesenthal, who was born in Germany, designed and received a patent on a double-pointed needle that eliminated the need to turn the needle around with each stitch (缝合) in England in 1755. Other inventors of that time tried to develop a functional sewing machine, but each design had at least one serious imperfection.
Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier finally engineered a machine that really worked. However, he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine.
American inventor Elias Howe, born on July 9, 1819, was awarded a patent for a method of sewing that used thread from two different sources. Howe’s machine had a needle with an eye at the point, and it used the two threads to make a special stitch called a lockstitch. However, Howe faced difficulty in finding buyers for his machines in America. In frustration, he traveled to England to try to sell his invention there. When he finally returned home, he found that dozens of manufacturers were adapting his discovery for use in their own sewing machines.
Isaac Singer, another American inventor, was also a manufacturer who made improvements to the design of sewing machines. He invented an up-and-down-motion mechanism that replaced the side-to-side machines. He also developed a foot treadle (脚踏板) to power his machine. This improvement left the sewer’s hands free. Undoubtedly, it was a huge improvement of the hand-cranked machine of the past. Soon the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical. It could be adapted to home use and it could be bought on hire-purchase. The Singer sewing machine became the first home appliance, and the Singer pany became one of the first American multinationals.
However, Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented. As a result, Howe accused him of patent infringement (侵犯). Of course, Elias Howe won the court case, and Singer was ordered to pay Howe royalties (版税). In the end, Howe became a millionaire, not by manufacturing the sewing machine, but by receiving royalty payments for his invention.
【小题1】Barthelemy Thimonnier’s garment factory was burned down because . A．people did not know how to put out the fire B．Elias Howe thought Thimonnier had stolen his inventionC．the sewing machines couldn’t work finally D．workers who feared the loss of their jobs to a machine set fire【小题2】Why did the court force Isaac Singer to pay Elias Howe a lifetime of royalties?A．Because the judge was against Singer for his unfriendly attitude.B．Because Howe had already patented the lockstitch used by Singer. C．Because Singer had borrowed money from Howe and never repaid it. D．Because Singer and Howe had both invented the same machine.【小题3】Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?A．A Stitch in Time Saves NineB．The Case between Howe and SingerC．Patent Laws on the Sewing MachineD．The Early History of the Sewing MachineD
网友回答
(答案→)D
解析：人类最早是用动物的骨头和肌腱做针线来缝制的，很多人梦想发明机器来解放繁重的劳动。法国的Barthelemy Thimonnier发明了能用的缝纫机结果却差一点被裁缝活活烧死。美国的Elias Howe发明并申请了专利双线连锁缝纫法，结果回到英国发现另一个美国人Isaac Singer改用脚工作，使缝纫机走进了百姓家，缝纫法还是他的。最终Howe成了百万富翁，不是因为批量生产缝纫机，而是因为得到了他发明的版税。
【小题1】细节理解题。第三段大意是：Barthelemy Thimonnier 的制衣厂被一群愤怒的裁缝烧了，因为他们担心会因为这个机器而丢了工作。 故选D。
【小题2】细节理解题。 最后一段的大意：法庭强迫Isaac Singer付给Elias Howe专利税。因为Isaac Singer没有经过Elias Howe同意，就使用了他已经申请了专利的双线连锁缝纫法。Howe控告Singer侵权并获胜，而Singer被要求付给Howe版税。故选B。
【小题3】主题归纳题。通读全文判断，全文介绍了缝纫机从无到有，从手动到脚动的过程，以及几个发明人之间的故事。所以最佳题目应该是缝纫机的早期历史。故选D。