A scientist builds a very powerful and dangerous bomb — and later feels very guilty. This is a true story.
Want more detail? Read this lesson at B2/C1 level →
These are the new words. Match each word (1–10) to its meaning (A–J). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is A" — then check.
1 = C (a scientist) · 2 = E (a bomb) · 3 = G (a desert) · 4 = A (a secret) · 5 = H (a war)
6 = J (to build) · 7 = D (dangerous) · 8 = I (a mistake) · 9 = B (guilty) · 10 = F (a test)
Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023). Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one. (There are spoilers — that is fine, we want to talk about it. This is a true story about real events, so we will talk about it seriously.)
It is 1942. There is a big war. Some countries are trying to build a new, very dangerous bomb. The American army is afraid that Germany will build it first. A general called Leslie Groves chooses a scientist, Robert Oppenheimer, to lead a secret project. It is called the Manhattan Project.
Oppenheimer builds a secret town in the desert of New Mexico. It is called Los Alamos. Many clever scientists move there with their families. Nobody outside can know about it. For years, they work hard to build the first atomic bomb.
The work is exciting, but also frightening. These scientists love science. But now they are building a weapon that can destroy whole cities. Oppenheimer leads them all, but he has many doubts inside.
1. Why does the American army start this secret project?
2. What is Los Alamos, and why is it built in the desert?
1. They are afraid that Germany will build an atomic bomb first, so they start their own secret project to build one before Germany does.
2. Los Alamos is a secret town where scientists live and work on the bomb, far from other people, so nobody finds out about it.
After years of work, the bomb is ready. Early one morning in the desert, the scientists test it. It is called the Trinity test. The explosion is huge — much bigger than they expected. Oppenheimer watches it and thinks of an old religious book. He remembers a line: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."
Weeks later, the American government decides to use the bomb. They drop it on two cities in Japan. Thousands and thousands of people die. Japan stops fighting, and the war ends. At first, everyone at Los Alamos is happy — they won! But Oppenheimer starts to feel very different.
He learns how many people really died. He begins to feel deep guilt about what he helped to create.
1. What happens at the Trinity test, and what does Oppenheimer think about?
2. What happens after the government uses the bomb on Japan?
1. The bomb explodes and is much more powerful than expected; Oppenheimer thinks of an old religious quote about becoming "death, the destroyer of worlds."
2. The bombs kill huge numbers of people in two Japanese cities, and the war ends — but Oppenheimer soon feels terrible guilt about it.
After the war, Oppenheimer becomes famous. But he also speaks against building an even bigger, more dangerous bomb. This makes some powerful people angry. In 1954, they organise a hearing — like a kind of trial — about Oppenheimer. They use his old friendships and old political ideas against him.
The hearing takes away Oppenheimer's security clearance. This means he can no longer help the government with nuclear science. He loses his power and his influence. Many people think this was very unfair.
Oppenheimer spends the rest of his life thinking about what he did. He never stops feeling the weight of the bomb he helped to build.
1. Why do some powerful people become angry with Oppenheimer after the war?
2. What happens to Oppenheimer at the 1954 hearing?
1. He speaks publicly against building a bigger, more powerful bomb, which makes him enemies among people who want stronger weapons.
2. The hearing takes away his security clearance, using his old friendships and beliefs against him; he loses his influence and power.
This film tells us about the past, so we need two easy ways to talk about it.
Read the meaning in brackets and complete the sentence.
1. In 1945, the scientists (test) the bomb in the desert. (one clear event)
2. Oppenheimer (believe) the government would always act fairly — but after 1954, he changed his mind. (a past belief, not true now)
3. The war (end) a few days after the bombs. (one clear event)
1. tested (past simple — one event)
2. used to believe (a past belief, no longer true)
3. ended (past simple — one event)
Put the verb in the correct form after used to or in the past simple. Then read it out loud.
1. Before the war, Oppenheimer used to (teach) physics at university.
2. The bomb (explode) at 5:30 in the morning.
3. He used to (feel) proud of his work, but later he felt only guilt.
1. teach (used to + base verb)
2. exploded (past simple)
3. feel (used to + base verb)
Fill each gap with the past simple or used to. Read it aloud when you finish.
Before the war, Oppenheimer (be) just a university teacher. In 1945, the scientists (test) the first atomic bomb. And for years afterwards, he (think) about what he had done.
used to be · tested · used to think
Use the past simple for one finished event, and used to for a past habit or situation that changed.
The film Oppenheimer (2023) is based on a real book: American Prometheus, by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin. It tells the true story of the scientist who led the Manhattan Project — the secret American plan to build the first atomic bomb.
The secret laboratory, Los Alamos, was real. It was built in the New Mexico desert, led by Robert Oppenheimer. The first nuclear explosion, called the Trinity test, really happened on 16 July 1945. Oppenheimer really did think of the old quote, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds," as he watched it.
Three weeks later, the United States dropped real atomic bombs on two Japanese cities: Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, and Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. Huge numbers of people died. The war ended soon after. Years later, in 1954, Oppenheimer really did lose his security clearance at an unfair hearing. In 2022 — many years later — the American government said this decision had been wrong.
Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of Oppenheimer in your own words. Use these steps to help you: a secret desert town and a race to build a bomb → the huge test explosion and the strange old quote → the bombs on Japan and the end of the war → the unfair hearing and Oppenheimer's guilt.
Try to use some key words (scientist, bomb, desert, secret, war, build, dangerous, mistake, guilty, test) and the past simple / used to.
Was Oppenheimer right or wrong to help build the bomb? What would you have done in his place? Say why.
Talk about the past. Use past simple and used to.
Not sure what to say? Choose one: