ЕГЭ: Reading Part 2 #1

It was during a radar-related research project around 1946 that Dr. Percy Spencer, while working for Raytheon Corporation, noticed that a candy bar in his pocket melted during the testing of a new vacuum tube called a magnetron. This intrigued Dr. Spencer, (A) ________ .

This time he placed some popcorn kernels near the tube and watched (B) ________ .

The next morning Spencer decided to put the magnetron tube near an egg. Spencer and a colleague both watched (C) ________ . Spencer’s colleague moved in for a closer look just as the egg splattered yolk all over his face.

Dr. Spencer concluded that if you can cook an egg that quickly, (D) ________ . He began experimenting. Dr. Spencer enclosed the food to be cooked in a metal box that he fed the microwaves into. He had invented what was to revolutionize cooking and form the basis of a multimillion dol­lar industry - the microwave oven.

In 1947, Raytheon demonstrated the world’s first microwave oven and called it a Ra- darange. The first microwave ovens cost between $2,000 and $3,000. Around 1952—55, Tappan introduced the first home model priced at $1,295. In 1,967 Raytheon owned Amana Refrigeration introduced the first countertop microwave oven, (E) ________ .

By 1975, sales of microwave ovens had, for the first time, exceeded those of gas ranges. In 1976, the microwave oven became a more commonly owned kitchen appli­ance than the dishwasher, (F) ________ . America’s cooking habits were be­ing dramatically changed by the convenience of the microwave oven. Once considered a luxury, the microwave oven has developed into a practical necessity for a fast-paced world of today.