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Nobel Science Series

Marie Curie: A Scientific Life

⏱️ A2 Reading • 12 Mins

📋 How to Use This Lesson

👩‍🏫 For Teachers

Give learners 12 minutes to read the passage and solve the 8 questions.

Guide students to find the exact sentence in the text that proves each answer.

🧑‍🎓 For Learners

Read the complete story first without rushing to the questions.

After you answer, read the explanation.

Reading Passage

137 words

19th century science laboratory with glass equipment, wooden table, vintage style A dedicated female scientist studying books and notes at a wooden desk, illustration style

Marie Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1867. She grew up in a family of teachers. In 1891, she moved to Paris and studied science at the famous Sorbonne university. She worked very hard every day. In 1895, she married a French scientist named Pierre Curie. Together, they studied radiation. In 1898, they discovered two new elements: polonium and radium. Marie chose the name polonium to honor her home country, Poland. In 1903, Marie and Pierre won the Nobel Prize in Physics together with another scientist. Later, in 1911, Marie received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry by herself. She became the first person to win two Nobel Prizes. During World War I, she helped doctors by driving small trucks with X-ray machines to the front line. Marie died in 1934, but her work changed science forever.

💡 Word Helper: Key Vocabulary

A glowing element on a notebook

scientist

A person who works with experiments to learn about nature.

discover

To find or learn about something new that no one knew before.

element

A simple material, like gold or oxygen.

Nobel Prize

A big prize for important work.

radiation

strong invisible energy

front line

the place where soldiers fight

✏️ Practice Questions (1 to 8)

Answer each question based on the facts in the text.

1 True / False

Marie Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1867.

____ True ____ False

2 Short Answer

What job did the people in Marie's family do when she was growing up?

Type one word from the text into the box below:

____ (Your answer here...)

3 Multiple Choice

In 1891, Marie moved to Paris. Which university did she study at?

____ a. Oxford University ____ b. Sorbonne University ____ c. Cambridge University ____ d. Harvard University

4 Multiple Choice

Who did Marie marry in 1895?

____ a. A Polish doctor from Warsaw ____ b. An English professor of history ____ c. A French scientist named Pierre Curie ____ d. A famous French doctor

5 Matching

Match each item with its fact.

Item

Named after Poland

Pierre Curie (a French scientist)

Polonium

____ Named after Poland ____ Pierre Curie (a French scientist)

Marie's husband

____ Named after Poland ____ Pierre Curie (a French scientist)

6 Short Answer

During World War I, what machines did Marie put in small trucks to help doctors?

Type your answer from the passage below:

____ (Type your answer here...)

7 Matching

Match the year with the event:

Year

Found two new elements

Shared the Nobel Prize in Physics

Won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry alone

1903

____ Found two new elements ____ Shared the Nobel Prize in Physics ____ Won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry alone

1911

____ Found two new elements ____ Shared the Nobel Prize in Physics ____ Won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry alone

1898

____ Found two new elements ____ Shared the Nobel Prize in Physics ____ Won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry alone

8 Short Answer

In what year did Marie Curie die?

Type the 4-digit year into the box below:

____ (e.g. 1900)

Marie Curie: A Scientific Life

Marie Curie: A Scientific Life

📋 How to Use This Lesson

Reading Passage

💡 Word Helper: Key Vocabulary

✏️ Practice Questions (1 to 8)

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