Steve Jobs has died.

Apple announced that their company's co-founder, Steve Jobs, died on Wednesday evening. He was 56 years old. "Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being," the company said in a statement on their Web site. "His spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple”.

Jobs had long been suffering from health complications related to pancreatic cancer. He first publicly announced his diagnosis in 2004, then took a six-month leave of absence from Apple in 2009 in order to undergo a liver transplant. More rumours began circulating about his decline in health in January of this year, when he took yet another medical leave. Jobs remained enthusiastic, however, and told the media he hoped "to be back as soon as I can." But on August 24, he resigned as chief executive of Apple. "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," he said in his resignation letter. "Unfortunately, that day has come."

Jobs is survived by his wife of 20 years, Laurene, and four children, including one from a prior relationship.

Steven Paul Jobs was born on February 24, 1955. As an infant, he was adopted by Clara and Paul Jobs and named Steven Paul Jobs. Clara worked as an accountant and Paul was a Coast Guard veteran and machinist. The family lived in Mountain View within California's Silicon Valley. As a boy, Jobs and his father would work on electronics in the family garage.

While he was at high school, Jobs spent his free time at Hewlett-Packard. It was there that he befriended computer club guru Steve Wozniak. Wozniak was a brilliant computer engineer, and the two developed great respect for one another.

After high school, Jobs enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Lacking direction, he dropped out of college after six months and spent the next 18 months dropping in on creative classes. Jobs later recounted how one course in calligraphy developed his love of typography.

In 1974, Jobs took a position as a video game designer with Atari. He left it six months later. In 1976, when Jobs was just 21, he and Wozniak started Apple Computers. The duo started in the Jobs family garage, and funded their venture after Jobs had sold his Volkswagen bus and Wozniak had sold his beloved scientific calculator.

Jobs and Wozniak are credited with revolutionizing the computer industry by democratizing the technology and making the machines smaller, cheaper, intuitive, and accessible to everyday consumers. Their first model, the Apple I, earned them $774,000. Three years after the release of their second model, the Apple II, sales increased 700 percent to $139 million dollars.

In 1985, Jobs resigned as Apple's CEO to begin a new hardware and software company called NeXT, Inc. The following year Jobs purchased an animation company from George Lucas, which later became Pixar Animation Studios. Apple eventually bought the company in 1997 for $429 million. That same year, Jobs returned to his post as Apple's CEO.

With a new management team, altered stock options, and a self-imposed annual salary of $1 a year, Jobs put Apple back on track. His ingenious products such as the iMac, effective branding campaigns, and stylish designs caught the attention of consumers once again. Apple introduced such revolutionary products as the Macbook Air, iPod, and iPhone, all of which have dictated the evolution of modern technology. In 2008, iTunes became the second biggest music retailer in America.

A.  Answer these questions using your own words.

1. What caused Steve Jobs’ death?

2. How did Jobs begin getting interested in computers?

3. How did Jobs and Wozniak get the money to start Apple Computers?

4. Why did their computers succeed?

5. How did Jobs get Apple “back on track”?

B. Find synonyms in the text for the following words:

Surprising

Gave up

Purchased

Available

C. Rewrite the following sentences from the text without changing their meaning.

1. He was adopted by Clara and Paul Jobs.

    Clara and Paul Jobs …………………………………………………………..

2. "Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being," the   

    company said in a statement on their Web site.

The company said that Apple …………………………………………………………………………………………