She believed that hard work and curiosity could change the world — and she proved it, as the first woman to do so much.
Look at the name “Marie Curie”. Have you heard it before? What do you know about her?
Can you name any other famous scientists? What did they do? Just talk for a minute.
Marie Curie was born in 1867 in Warsaw, in Poland. At that time, women were not allowed to study at university there. But Marie loved learning. So she worked hard, saved money, and travelled to Paris to study at a famous university, the Sorbonne.
Life in Paris was hard. She had very little money and often felt cold and hungry. But she studied science with all her energy. There she met another scientist, Pierre Curie. They fell in love, got married, and began to work together.
Marie and Pierre studied a strange new energy that comes out of special materials. Marie gave it a name: “radioactivity”. They discovered two new elements, polonium and radium. This work changed science, but it also slowly hurt her. She worked with dangerous materials for years and almost certainly died because of them, in 1934. Even so, she never stopped believing in her work.
She believed there was nothing in life to fear, only things we need to understand better.
Marie Curie's big idea is simple but powerful: curiosity, hard work, and never giving up can change the world. She always asked questions about how things worked. She was never afraid to spend years on one hard problem.
What makes her story even more special is that she did all this as a woman, at a time when many people believed women should not be scientists. Doors were closed to her again and again, but she opened them anyway. In 1903 she won the Nobel Prize in Physics, and in 1911 she won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and she is still the only person ever to win it in two different sciences. She also became the first woman to teach as a professor at the Sorbonne.
She showed the world that a woman could be just as great a scientist as any man — and that no closed door has to stay closed.
Some people say: “Hard work is more important than talent.” Do you agree or not?
Pick one side and tell me why. Give me a real example from your own life. I will then say the opposite, and you defend your answer.
Eight useful words for this topic and for good conversation. Tap a card to see the meaning and an example.
Pick four of these words. Say four full sentences out loud about Marie Curie or about your own life. Don't move on until you have used all four.
Answer this question aloud: “Who is one person you really admire, and why?”
Use at least one phrase from each box above: give your opinion, talk about the past, and tell a short story.
When we tell Marie Curie's story, we use two important tenses. We use the past simple for her life and the things she did (her life is finished). We use the present perfect for things that are still true and still matter today.
Use the past simple for actions that started and finished in the past. We often say when they happened.
She was born in 1867. (finished — a fact in the past)
She discovered radium with her husband. (a finished action)
She died in 1934. (finished)
Use the present perfect for things from the past that are still important today. We usually do not say exactly when they happened.
| Past simple (finished) | Present perfect (still true now) |
|---|---|
| She won the Nobel Prize in 1903. | She has won two Nobel Prizes. (the record still stands) |
| She was the first woman professor at the Sorbonne. | She has become a symbol for women in science. (still true today) |
| Her work helped doctors during the war. | Her work has changed science forever. |
A simple test: if you can say the exact year, use the past simple. If it is about the lasting result or a “first” that still matters, use the present perfect.
1. Marie Curie ____ (be) born in Poland in 1867.
2. She ____ (win) two Nobel Prizes, and no other person has done this in two sciences.
3. In 1891, she ____ (move) to Paris to study.
4. Her discoveries ____ (change) science, and they are still important today.
1. was (past simple — exact year)
2. has won (present perfect — still true now)
3. moved (past simple — exact year)
4. have changed (present perfect — still important)
1. She ____ (become) the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne. (still a famous fact)
2. During the war, she ____ (build) special X-ray cars to help doctors. (finished, in the past)
3. Marie Curie ____ (inspire) millions of women, even now. (still happening)
4. Pierre and Marie ____ (get) married in 1895. (exact year)
1. has become (present perfect)
2. built (past simple)
3. has inspired (present perfect)
4. got (past simple — exact year)
Finish each sentence so it is true about your own life. There are no “answers” — just speak.
Tell me about your job, your studies, or a hobby you love. Talk for one minute.
Use the past simple for finished moments (“Last year I started…”, “In 2020 I…”). Use the present perfect for things that are still true now (“I have done…”, “I have always…”). Try to use both at least twice.
Three speaking tasks. Take your time — the timer is just there to help you keep going, not to rush you. Try to use the past simple and the present perfect, and the phrases from the earlier tabs.
Marie Curie kept going through many difficulties. Tell me about a person you know who worked hard and did not give up — a family member, a friend, or even yourself.
What did they do? What problems did they have? Use the past simple to tell the story, and the present perfect to say why it still matters: “She has always…”
Marie had a big dream and travelled far to follow it. Think about a goal or dream in your own life.
What have you done so far to reach it? What do you still want to do? Use “I have…” for what you have already done, and the past simple for the moments along the way.
Marie's curiosity led her to great discoveries. What are you curious about? What would you love to learn or understand better?
Tell me about something you have always wanted to learn, and something you tried to learn in the past. Did it go well?
“I have always believed that…”