How a walk with a dog gave us Velcro
A Swiss engineer kept coming home from walks with his dog covered in tiny seeds.
Before you read
This is the story of an engineer from Switzerland and his dog. After their walks in the countryside, something small always comes home with them. Read to find out how this small problem became an invention.
Key words: perro · semillas · ganchos · invento
A1 · Spanish from Spain: Un perro, unas semillas y una idea
A dog, some seeds and an idea
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Georges de Mestral es de Suiza. Es ingeniero. Con doce años, hace un avión de juguete.
Show English
Georges de Mestral is from Switzerland. He is an engineer. At twelve, he makes a toy airplane.
En su tiempo libre, sale a pasear. Va al campo con su perro. Después del paseo, siempre hay un problema. Tiene semillas pequeñas en la ropa. El perro tiene semillas en el pelo.
Show English
In his free time, he goes out for walks. He goes to the countryside with his dog. After the walk, there is always a problem. He has small seeds on his clothes. The dog has seeds in its fur.
Georges mira las semillas con un microscopio. ¿Qué ve? Ve muchos ganchos muy pequeños. Se agarran a la ropa y al pelo.
Show English
Georges looks at the seeds under a microscope. What does he see? He sees lots of very small hooks. They grab on to clothes and fur.
Entonces Georges tiene una idea. En 1941 inventa un cierre con ganchos. En 1951 registra su invento. Hoy lo llamamos velcro.
Show English
Then Georges has an idea. In 1941 he invents a fastener with hooks. In 1951 he registers his invention. Today we call it Velcro.
Source: Spanish Wikipedia, “Georges de Mestral” (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts only, our own wording). How we make our texts.
Published: · Text and voice prepared with AI and checked automatically.
Words from the text 15
- suiza
- Switzerland
- ingeniero
- engineer
- invento
- invention
- juguete
- toy
- pasear
- to go for a walk
- campo
- countryside
- perro
- dog
- paseo
- walk
- semillas
- seeds
- ropa
- clothes
- pelo
- hair; on an animal, fur
- ganchos
- hooks
- agarran
- grab on; «se agarran a» — they hold on to
- cierre
- fastener
- registra
- registers; here, he gets a patent for it
Check yourself
What does Georges make when he is twelve?
- A toy airplane
- A fastener with hooks
- A microscope
Show the answer
Answer: A toy airplane
The text says «Con doce años, hace un avión de juguete» (at twelve, he makes a toy airplane).
What problem does Georges have after his walks?
- His dog runs away
- Small seeds stick to his clothes and to the dog’s fur
- His clothes get wet
Show the answer
Answer: Small seeds stick to his clothes and to the dog’s fur
The text says «Tiene semillas pequeñas en la ropa» and «El perro tiene semillas en el pelo» (small seeds on his clothes and in the dog’s fur).
What does Georges see under the microscope?
- Small loops
- Tiny insects
- Lots of very small hooks
Show the answer
Answer: Lots of very small hooks
The text says «Ve muchos ganchos muy pequeños» (he sees lots of very small hooks).
Practice the words
Think of the meaning, then turn the card.
- suizaSwitzerland
Georges de Mestral es de Suiza.
Georges de Mestral is from Switzerland. - ingenieroengineer
Es ingeniero.
He is an engineer. - juguetetoy
Con doce años, hace un avión de juguete.
At twelve, he makes a toy airplane. - pasearto go for a walk
En su tiempo libre, sale a pasear.
In his free time, he goes out for walks. - campocountryside
Va al campo con su perro.
He goes to the countryside with his dog. - perrodog
Va al campo con su perro.
He goes to the countryside with his dog. - paseowalk
Después del paseo, siempre hay un problema.
After the walk, there is always a problem. - semillasseeds
Tiene semillas pequeñas en la ropa.
He has small seeds on his clothes. - ropaclothes
Tiene semillas pequeñas en la ropa.
He has small seeds on his clothes. - pelohair; on an animal, fur
El perro tiene semillas en el pelo.
The dog has seeds in its fur.
