Buzz
During his time at the City of London School, Perkin deeply engaged in the study of chemistry. His teacher, Thomas Hall, recognized his talent and encouraged him to attend lectures by the renowned scientist Michael Faraday at the Royal Institution. These lectures further fueled Perkin’s enthusiasm, leading him to join the Royal College of Chemistry at just 15 years old in 1853.
Upon enrolling at the Royal College of Chemistry, which was then led by the distinguished chemist August Wilhelm Hofmann, Perkin quickly drew attention for his scientific aptitude. Within two years, he became the youngest assistant to Hofmann. Shortly thereafter, Perkin achieved a significant scientific breakthrough that would bring him both fame and wealth.
At that time, quinine was the primary treatment for malaria, derived from the bark of the cinchona tree native to South America. By 1856, the demand for quinine had surpassed supply. When Hofmann mentioned the need for a synthetic substitute for quinine, Perkin took up the challenge.
During his 1856 holiday, Perkin spent time in the laboratory on the top floor of his family's house. He attempted to produce quinine from aniline, an inexpensive and readily available by-product of coal tar. Despite his efforts, he did not obtain quinine. Instead, he created a mysterious dark sludge. Fortunately, Perkin's scientific training and curiosity prompted him to investigate further. By incorporating potassium dichromate and alcohol at various stages of the experiment, he finally produced a deep purple solution. This unexpected discovery proved Louis Pasteur's words true: 'Chance favors only the prepared mind'. Perkin recognized the potential of his accidental finding.
Historically, textile dyes were derived from natural sources such as plants and animal secretions. Some, like the glandular mucus of snails, were difficult to obtain and prohibitively expensive. The purple dye extracted from a snail was so costly that only the wealthy could afford it. Moreover, natural dyes tended to have muddy hues and faded quickly. Perkin made his breakthrough against this backdrop.
Perkin quickly realized that his purple solution could dye fabrics, marking it as the world's first synthetic dye. Recognizing the significance of his discovery, he promptly patented it. One of Perkin's most notable reactions to his finding was his immediate recognition of its commercial potential.
Initially named Tyrian Purple, Perkin later renamed his dye mauve (from the French for the plant that produces violet color). Seeking advice, he consulted Robert Pullar, a Scottish dye works owner, who assured him that manufacturing the dye would be profitable if it retained its color fastness and was cost-effective. Despite objections from his mentor Hofmann, Perkin left college to pioneer the modern chemical industry.
With support from his father and brother, Perkin established a factory near London. Using the abundant and inexpensive coal tar residue from London's gas street lighting, the dye factory began producing the world's first synthetic dyed materials in 1857. The dye gained commercial momentum when Empress Eugénie of France favored the new color, making mauve a must-have for fashionable women in her country. Soon after, Queen Victoria of England also appeared in public wearing a mauve dress, solidifying its popularity in England. The dye was vibrant and colorfast, causing public demand to soar. Perkin continued to innovate.
Despite achieving fame and financial security through his initial discovery, Perkin continued his research. In addition to his first dye, he developed and introduced other colors such as aniline red (1859), aniline black (1863), and Perkin’s green in the late 1860s. Importantly, Perkin’s synthetic dyes had far-reaching implications beyond mere decoration. They also revolutionized medical research by enabling the staining of previously invisible microbes and bacteria, thus aiding in the identification of bacilli such as tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax. Artificial dyes remain essential today and notably contribute to the search for a malaria vaccine, a prospect that would have greatly pleased Perkin.
Question 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet, write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this more than once.
Michael Faraday was the first to recognize Perkin’s talent in chemistry during his studies.
Michael Faraday proposed that Perkin should register at the Royal College of Chemistry.
Perkin engaged August Wilhelm Hofmann as his aide.
Perkin was still youthful when he made the discovery that brought him wealth and renown.
The trees yielding quinine are exclusively found in South America.
Perkin aimed to produce a medication from a by-product of coal tar.
Perkin drew inspiration from the discoveries of the renowned scientist Louis Pasteur.
Question 8-13
Respond to the following questions:
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer
Write your answers in boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet.
8. Prior to Perkin’s discovery, which societal group associated with the color purple?
9. What did Perkin immediately recognize as the potential of his new dye?
10. What was the eventual name given to the first color Perkin created?
11. Who did Perkin consult before establishing his own dye works?
12. In which country did Perkin's newly invented color initially become fashionable?
13. According to the passage, which disease are researchers now targeting using synthetic dyes?Answer
- FALSE (Đoạn 2, “His talent and devotion to the subject were perceived by his teacher, Thomas Hall,…” → Người phát hiện ra tài năng của Perkin là Thomas Hall, không phải Faraday.)
- NOT GIVEN (Không có thông tin về người nào đã khuyến khích Perkin đi học đại học).
- FALSE (Đoạn 3, “Perkin’s scientific gifts soon caught Hofmann’s attention and within two years, he became Hofmann’s youngest assistant.” → Perkin là trợ lý của Hofman chứ không phải ngược lại)
- TRUE (Đoạn 3, “Perkin’s scientific gifts soon caught Hofmann’s attention and within two years, he became Hofmann’s youngest assistant. Not long after that, Perkin made the scientific breakthrough that would bring him both fame and fortune.” → thành công từ khi còn rất trẻ)
- NOT GIVEN (Không có thông rằng cây Cinchona chỉ trồng ở Nam Mỹ)
- TRUE (Đoạn 5, “He was attempting to manufacture quinine from aniline, an inexpensive and readily available coal tar waste product.”)
- NOT GIVEN (Không có thông tin về việc Perkin được truyền cảm hứng bởi Pasteur)
- (the/only)rich (Đoạn 6, “Indeed, the purple colour extracted from a snail was once so costly that in society at the time only the rich could afford it.”)
- Commercial (possibilities) (Đoạn 7, “But perhaps the most fascinating of all Perkin`s reactions to his find was his nearly instant recognition that the new dye had commercial possibilities.”)
- Mauve (Đoạn 8, “Perkin originally named his dye Tyrian Purple, but it later became commonly known as mauve…”)
- (Robert) Pullar (Đoạn 8, “He asked advice of Scottish dye works owner Robert Pullar”)
- (in) France (Đoạn 9, “The company received a commercial boost from the Empress Eugenio of France,…”)
- malaria (is) (Đoạn 10, “And, in what would have been particularly pleasing to Perkin, their current use is in the search for a vaccine against malaria.”)
