The scientist who discovered new things — and changed the world.
Want more detail? Read this lesson at B2/C1 level →
Before we read, let's learn the important words. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = C (a scientist) · 2 = E (to discover) · 3 = H (an element) · 4 = A (radioactivity)
5 = B (a prize) · 6 = D (dangerous) · 7 = G (to allow) · 8 = F (a legacy)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
Marie Curie was born in Warsaw, in Poland, in 1867. Her name at birth was Maria Skłodowska. She was very clever and she loved to learn. But there was a big problem: the university in her city did not allow women to study.
So Maria studied in secret. She went to special classes that students called the "Flying University." These classes changed location all the time, so the police could not find them. Maria also worked hard as a teacher for many years. She saved her money, and finally, in 1891, she travelled to Paris to study science.
In Paris, she studied at a famous university called the Sorbonne. She was very poor and often hungry, but she was the best student in physics. There she met a kind scientist called Pierre Curie. They worked together, they fell in love, and they got married.
1. Why could Maria not study at the university in Warsaw?
2. Where did she go to study science, and who did she meet there?
1. The university in Warsaw did not allow women to study, so she studied in secret at the "Flying University."
2. She went to Paris (to the Sorbonne) and met the scientist Pierre Curie, who became her husband.
Marie and Pierre studied a strange thing: some materials give off invisible rays. Marie made a new word for this — she called it "radioactivity." Then she found something amazing inside a black rock. There were two new elements that nobody knew about!
She gave the first one the name "polonium," after her country, Poland. The second one was called "radium." It even glowed in the dark! To find them, Marie and Pierre worked for four years in a cold, old shed. It was very hard work, but they never gave up.
In 1903, Marie won the Nobel Prize — a very important science prize. She was the first woman in the world to win it. Later, in 1911, she won a second Nobel Prize. Even today, she is the only person who has won this prize in two different sciences.
1. What two new elements did Marie and Pierre discover?
2. Why are Marie's Nobel Prizes special?
1. They discovered polonium (named after Poland) and radium.
2. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and she is the only person to win it in two different sciences.
Radium was exciting, but it was also dangerous. At that time, nobody knew this. Marie held the materials in her hands for many years. She did not know that the rays were slowly making her ill.
When a big war came (the First World War), Marie wanted to help. She built special cars with X-ray machines inside. She drove them to the soldiers, and doctors used them to find bullets inside the men. Marie helped more than a million wounded soldiers.
Marie Curie died in 1934. The dangerous rays, which she had worked with all her life, had made her very ill. But her legacy is everywhere today. Doctors still use her ideas to treat cancer. And here is a strange fact: her notebooks are still dangerous! They are kept in special boxes, and you must wear protection to touch them.
1. How did Marie help in the war?
2. Why are her notebooks still dangerous today?
1. She built cars with X-ray machines and drove them to the soldiers, so doctors could find bullets inside the wounded men.
2. They are still radioactive from her work, so they are kept in special boxes and you need protection to touch them.
When we do two things, we can join them into one sentence with an -ing word. This sounds more natural than two short sentences. There are two easy ways.
Write the -ing form of each verb. Say it out loud.
1. work →
2. study →
3. leave →
1. working
2. studying
3. leaving
Fill the gap with after or before and the -ing word. Then read it out loud.
1. She worked all night. Then she made her discovery.
→ all night, she made her discovery.
2. She studied in Paris first. Then she met Pierre.
→ in Paris, she met Pierre.
3. First she won one Nobel Prize. Then she won a second one.
→ one Nobel Prize, she won a second one.
1. After working all night, she made her discovery.
2. After studying in Paris, she met Pierre.
3. After winning one Nobel Prize, she won a second one.
Join the two ideas. Start the sentence with the -ing word. Then read it out loud.
1. She worked hard every day. She never gave up.
→ hard every day, she never gave up.
2. She lived in Paris. She studied science.
→ in Paris, she studied science.
1. Working hard every day, she never gave up.
2. Living in Paris, she studied science.
There is a real podcast about Marie Curie. It is for native speakers, so it is fast and quite difficult — that is normal! You do not need to understand every word.
From the Noiser podcast network. Hosted by historians, roughly 50 minutes.
Listen on Spotify →Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of Marie Curie in your own words. Use these steps to help you: a clever girl in Poland → no university for women → secret classes → Paris and Pierre → two new elements (polonium and radium) → two Nobel Prizes → helping soldiers in the war → her work made her ill.
Try to join two actions into one sentence with -ing ("After studying in Paris, she…", "Working hard, she…") and use some of the key words (scientist, discover, element, radioactivity, prize, dangerous, legacy).
Do you know any other famous scientists or inventors — from your country or from the world? What did they do? Why are they important?
Tell me about any person you admire — a scientist, an artist, a sports star, or someone in your family. What difficult thing did they do? Why do you admire them? Try to join two actions with -ing ("After working hard, he…", "Training every day, she…").
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: