| Benjamin Franklin was one of the most famous people in American history. |
| He was never a President of the United States, |
| but he made great achievements in many areas of life, |
| including business, literature, science, and politics. |
| Benjamin Franklin was born in the city of Boston, during the year 1706. |
| In his early years, Franklin was very poor. |
| As a young man, he worked for his older brother, who was a printer. |
| However, the two brothers soon argued with each other. |
| Benjamin decided to leave, and he moved to the city of Philadelphia. |
| He worked very hard and soon became a successful printer. |
| He published his own newspapers, |
| and he also published books called almanacs, |
| which contained many wise sayings. |
| Many of the wise sayings in Franklin’s almanacs are still repeated today. |
| Franklin’s printing business was very successful, |
| but he was also very interested in science. |
| He performed experiments on the topic of electricity. |
| Some of these experiments were very dangerous. |
| In one experiment, Franklin was almost killed |
| when he went outside during a lightning storm |
| and flew a kite that had a metal key attached. |
| However, Franklin was lucky enough to avoid injury, |
| and he learned new facts about electricity. |
| In addition to scientific research, Franklin was also an inventor. |
| He invented a new kind of eye-glasses called “bifocals”. |
| Bifocals are eye-glasses that allow people to see things that are far away, |
| but also allow them to read things that are very close. |
| Another invention was a new kind of stove for burning wood. |
| This new stove was much more efficient than the older stoves had been. |
| He also invented a lightning rod, which keeps houses safe from lightning. |
| Franklin was also interested in making his city a better place to live. |
| He started a public library, and he helped to organize a hospital and a fire department. |
| In addition, he supervised the postal service, |
| which operated profitably under his command. |
| In his later years, Franklin became heavily involved in politics. |
| For most of Franklin’s life, the United States was not yet a country. |
| Instead, the united states were still colonies of England, |
| but Franklin encouraged other Americans to become an independent country. |
| When the United States became a country, |
| Franklin became the American ambassador to France. |
| The French people liked Franklin very much. |
| Franklin later returned to the United States, and he died in 1790. |
| Today, many Americans still admire the brilliant achievements of Benjamin Franklin, |
| who did so much to improve people’s lives. |
| The picture of Benjamin Franklin can be seen on the American hundred-dollar bill. |
More English listening lessons for intermediate level:
Lesson 42: George Washington Carver
