| George Washington Carver is possibly the most famous agricultural scientist of all time. |
| He invented hundreds of products that could be made from crops such as peanuts and sweet potatoes, |
| and he changed the methods of farming in the southern United States. |
| The story of George Washington Carver’s life is interesting and inspiring, |
| as it shows how some people can achieve success despite adversity. |
| George Washington Carver was born in a small town in the American state of Missouri, in 1864 or 1865. |
| He was named after the first President of the United States. |
| George’s parents were slaves. |
| His father was killed in an accident, |
| and his mother was kidnapped and later died. |
| George and his brother were raised by a married couple, the Carvers, who had owned George’s mother. |
| George was often sick during his childhood, but he showed an intense interest in nature. |
| The Carvers taught George to read and write, and he became known locally as an expert on plants. |
| Later, the Carvers sent George to a school for African-American children in a nearby town. |
| After his graduation, George Washington Carver continued his education in the state of Iowa. |
| While a student in Iowa, Carver had very little money |
| and had to work at many jobs to afford the costs of his education. |
| However, his knowledge of plants was very impressive, |
| and after receiving his Master’s degree, |
| he became a teacher at the college he had attended as a student. |
| Soon, however, Carver moved south to the state of Alabama, |
| where he worked as a teacher and researcher at a college for African-American students. |
| It was here that Carver stayed for the rest of his life, |
| and it was here that he performed his important agricultural research. |
| One problem for farmers in the southern United States |
| was that the most widespread crops, cotton and tobacco, |
| tended to remove nutrients from the soil. |
| Carver realized that this problem could be solved, to some extent, |
| by “rotating” the cotton and tobacco crops with other kinds of crops, |
| such as peanuts and sweet potatoes, |
| which could help to preserve the nutrients in the soil. |
| Carver’s discoveries made the peanut, the sweet potato, |
| and the soybean very useful to southern farmers. |
| He invented the food product known as peanut butter, plus hundreds of other products. |
| For example, Carver found ways to produce plastics, ink, |
| cooking oil, paints, and cosmetics from peanuts and other crops. |
| Carver also developed a new variety of cotton. |
| Carver received many awards for his scientific research, |
| but he was never interested in fame or fortune. |
| When Carver died, in 1943, |
| the American government made his birthplace a national monument. |
| Today, Carver is still known as a great agricultural scientist. |
More English listening lessons for intermediate level:
Lesson 43: Two great artists: Leonardo and Michelangelo
