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Toothbrush
Invention
Sparkling
Survey
Undisputed
Update
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Dental floss
The toothbrush is the most important invention
Sparkling teeth and minty-fresh breath are the most important things for American people. So the toothbrush is, of course, the king of inventions.
A new survey released Wednesday by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which asked which of five inventions Americans could not live without, showed the toothbrush as the undisputed champion – more important than the car, the personal computer, the cell phone and the microwave – in that order.
"It makes a lot of sense," said American Dental Association spokesman Dr. Richard Price. "Your teeth will always be with you. ... You can always update your car or a computer, but you just can't update teeth."
The people who run the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index spend a lot of money every year asking hundreds of people across the country what they think about inventions.
The latest survey sampled 1,000 adults and 400 teenagers across the country. Fifty-six percent of teens and 60 percent of adults said they thought a cure for cancer would be found in their lifetime. About a quarter of the teenagers and over a third of the adults thought solar-powered cars would replace gas-powered cars.
But the toothbrush finding received the most attention because it shows that the public knows that great inventions don't have to be complicated.
"Those of us here (at MIT) know the simple things are very important," said Merton Flemings, an inventor with 29 patents to his name who runs the Lemelson-MIT Index.
It's been a long road to the top for the toothbrush. The first was built in 1498 by a Chinese emperor. In the 19th century, it became popular in Europe, but because it cost so much, poor families often shared the same brush.
But Price, a dentist for 33 years, says it's not enough for Americans to be happy to have their toothbrushes.
"I don't think many people will say dental floss is one of the great inventions of all time," he said. "But the toothbrush alone will not do the job."
Questions
Are the following statements correct?
1. The toothbrush is very important, but the car is more important than that for American people.
2. The toothbrush is a European invention.
3. Simple things are sometimes more important than the complicated ones.
4. Lemelson-MIT index shows importance of inventions to people.
5. Dr Price says the Dental Floss is as important as the toothbrush.
6. Most people think that solar-power cars will replace gas-power cars.
7. Many people think that there will be a cure against cancer soon.
8. For Dr Richard Price the result of the survey is surprising.
9. Many families often had only one toothbrush because it was too expensive.
10. Clean teeth are very important for American people.