Marie Curie

Marie Curie was born in 1867. She is one of the greatest scientists ever to have lived. She was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity and discovered the chemical elements radium and polonium. Curie is the only person ever to win two Nobel Prizes in two different sciences. Other achievements include being the first female professor at the University of Paris.

Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland. Her father was a maths and physics teacher and was a big influence on Marie’s early education. From an early age Marie was an exceptional student with an amazing memory. She often went without food and sleep to study. Her brilliant mind led her to Paris to study and conduct her research.

She met her future husband Pierre Curie at the university. He considered Marie to be a genius and instantly wanted to work with her. They got married and spent most of their time together in their laboratory studying radioactive materials. Their research led to the discovery of radium, for which they were honoured with the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.

Pierre was killed in 1906 and Marie was devastated and extremely lonely. She threw herself even deeper into her work and won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911. She spent the 1920s raising funds for more research into radium. In 1934 she died from a condition caused by decades of exposure to radiation. No one knew how deadly radium was until years later.

245 words

 

Аудио

 

 

 

SYNONYM MATCH: Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?

Paragraphs 1 and 2

 

 

1.

pioneer

a.

role model

2

field

b.

groundbreaker

3.

achievements

c.

carry out

4.

influence

d.

outstanding

5.

exceptional

e.

successes

6.

conduct

f.

area

Paragraphs 3 and 4

 

 

7.

genius

g.

lethal

8.

instantly

h.

crushed

9.

discovery

i.

gifted person

10.

devastated

j.

money

11

funds

k

immediately

12

deadly

l

finding

 

PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article.

1.

one of the greatest scientists 

a.

materials

2

She was a pioneer in the field 

b.

to Paris to study

3.

Marie was an exceptional 

c.

food and sleep to study

4.

She often went without 

d.

of exposure to radiation

5.

Her brilliant mind led her 

e.

of radioactivity

6.

He considered Marie 

f.

ever to have lived

7.

radioactive 

g.

radium was until years later

8.

She threw herself even 

h.

to be a genius

9.

died from a condition caused by decades 

i.

student 

10.

No one knew how deadly 

j.

deeper into her work

 

LISTENING GAP FILL:

Marie Curie was born in 1867. She ______________ greatest scientists ever to have lived. She was a pioneer ______________ radioactivity and discovered the chemical elements radium and polonium. Curie is the only person ______________ Nobel Prizes in two different sciences. Other achievements include ______________ female professor at the University of Paris.

Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland. Her father was a maths and physics teacher ______________ influence on Marie’s early education. From ______________ Marie was an exceptional student with an amazing memory. She often went without food ______________. Her brilliant mind led her to Paris ______________ conduct her research.

She ______________ husband Pierre Curie at the university. He considered Marie to be a genius and instantly wanted ______________. They got married and spent ______________ time together in their laboratory studying radioactive materials. Their research led to the discovery of radium, ______________ were honoured with the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.

Pierre was killed in 1906 and Marie was devastated ______________ lonely. She threw herself ______________ her work and won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911. She spent the 1920s raising ______________ research into radium. In 1934 she died from a condition caused by decades of exposure to radiation. No one ______________  radium was until years later.

 

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD:

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics.

Marie Curie was born in 1867. She is one of the greatest science / scientists ever to have lived. She was a pioneer in / on the field of radioactivity and discovered the chemical elements radium and polonium. Curie is the only person ever to win / won two Nobel Prizes in two different sciences. Other achievements include was / being the first female professor at the University of Paris.

Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland. Her father was a maths and physics teacher and was a big / tall influence on Marie’s early education. From an early old / age Marie was an exceptional student with an amazing memories / memory. She often went without food and sleep to study. Her brilliant mind led her to Paris to study and conduct / conductor her research.

She met her future husband Pierre Curie at the university. He considered Marie to be a genie / genius and instantly wanted to work with her. They got married and spent / spending most of their time together in their laboratory / lavatory studying radioactive materials. Their research led to the discovery of radium, for which / who they were honoured with the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.

Pierre was killed in 1906 and Marie was devastated and extremely lone / lonely. She threw herself even deepest / deeper into her work and won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911. She spent the 1920s raising finds / funds for more research into radium. In 1934 she died from a condition caused by decades of exposure to radiation. No one knew how deadly / dead radium was until years later.

 

SPELLING:  

These jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.

Paragraph 1

1.

one of the greatest tinictssse

2.

She was a reinoep in the field of radioactivity

3.

discovered the lcechmia elements radium and polonium

4.

the first female serorpfos

Paragraph 2

5.

iysphsc teacher

6.

a big nefulcien on Marie’s early education

7.

an amazing emomry

8.

Her ibllitrna mind

Paragraph 3

9.

her ufreut husband

10.

He considered Marie to be a enusig

11.

studying radioactive mritsaela

12.

Their research led to the vdsyrieco of radium

Paragraph 4

13.

extremely lneoyl

14.

She wethr herself even deeper into her work

15.

niarigs funds for more research

16.

No one knew how dydela radium was

 

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

memory. She often went without food and sleep to study. Her brilliant mind led her to Paris to study and conduct her research.

(    )

deeper into her work and won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911. She spent the 1920s raising

(    )

to win two Nobel Prizes in two different sciences. Other achievements

(    )

funds for more research into radium. In 1934 she died from a condition caused by decades of

(    )

genius and instantly wanted to work with her. They got married and spent most of their time together in their

(    )

influence on Marie’s early education. From an early age Marie was an exceptional student with an amazing

(    )

She met her future husband Pierre Curie at the university. He considered Marie to be a

(    )

laboratory studying radioactive materials. Their research led to the discovery of

( 1 )

Marie Curie was born in 1867. She is one of the greatest scientists ever to have lived. She was a pioneer

(    )

exposure to radiation. No one knew how deadly radium was until years later.

(    )

radium, for which they were honoured with the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.

(    )

Pierre was killed in 1906 and Marie was devastated and extremely lonely. She threw herself even

(    )

in the field of radioactivity and discovered the chemical elements radium and polonium. Curie is the only person ever

(    )

include being the first female professor at the University of Paris.

(    )

Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland. Her father was a maths and physics teacher and was a big

 

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With your partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.

a   of   pioneer   radioactivity   in   She   the   was   field

2.

professor   Paris   at   the   the   first   University   female   of

3.

early   a   influence   Marie’s   education   big   on

4.

student   Marie   with   was   an   an   amazing   exceptional   memory

5.

study   food   She   and   often   sleep   went   to   without

6.

Marie   be   genius   considered   to   a   He

7.

time   spent   together   most   in   of   their   their   laboratory

8.

her   into   deeper   even   herself   threw   She   work

9.

caused   to   by   radiation   decades   a   of   condition   exposure

10.

knew   deadly   was   one   how   radium   No

 

MARIE CURIE DISCUSSION:

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS 

1.

What do you know about Marie Curie?

2.

Would you like to have met Marie Curie?

3.

What would you like to know about Marie Curie and why?

 

 

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS 

1.

What did you learn from this text about Marie Curie?

2.

What questions would you like to have asked Marie Curie?

3.

What would her answers have been to those questions?

 

ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH:

Paragraphs 1 and 2

 

 

1.

pioneer

a.

groundbreaker

2

field

b.

area 

3.

achievements

c.

successes 

4.

influence

d.

role model 

5.

exceptional

e.

outstanding 

6.

conduct

f.

carry out 

Paragraphs 3 and 4

 

 

7.

genius

g.

gifted person

8.

instantly

h.

immediately

9.

discovery

i.

finding 

10.

devastated

j.

crushed 

11

funds

k

money 

12

deadly

l

lethal 

 

PHRASE MATCH:

1.

one of the greatest scientists 

a.

ever to have lived

2

She was a pioneer in the field 

b.

of radioactivity

3.

Marie was an exceptional 

c.

student

4.

She often went without 

d.

food and sleep to study 

5.

Her brilliant mind led her 

e.

to Paris to study 

6.

He considered Marie 

f.

to be a genius 

7.

radioactive 

g.

materials 

8.

She threw herself even 

h.

deeper into her work 

9.

died from a condition caused by decades 

i.

of exposure to radiation 

10.

No one knew how deadly 

j.

radium was until years later