Marie Curie: The Secret School and Two Nobel Prizes
In her country, girls couldn't go to university, so Marie Curie studied at a secret school. Later, she won two Nobel Prizes. Learn five A2 words with her true story.
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
In her country, girls couldn't go to .
So she studied at a secret school.
Years later, she won two Nobel .
This is the story of Marie Curie.
Hello, and welcome to Bright Lives English.
Real stories. Real English.
Today's level is A2.
In this story, listen for five new words.
. A is something you get when you win, or when you do something very well.
She won a Nobel .
. A is a person who studies the world to learn how it works.
Marie was a great .
. When you something, you find it for the first time.
The past is .
She two new .
. An is one of the simple things that everything is made of, like gold or iron.
Radium is an .
. A is a place where you study after school.
Women couldn't go to in Poland.
Now, one pattern: both… and.
It puts two things together.
She studied and mathematics.
She studied both and mathematics.
And she won in both and .
Ready? Let's begin.
Marie Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1867.
Her first name then was Maria.
She loved books and learning.
But women couldn't go to in Poland.
So Maria studied at a secret school called the Flying .
Later, she worked as a teacher for about five years and saved her money.
In 1891, she moved to Paris and went to .
She had very little money, and she was often cold and hungry.
But she studied both and mathematics.
In Paris, she met a French named Pierre Curie.
They got married in 1895.
Both Marie and Pierre worked in an old, cold shed, day and night.
In 1898, they two new .
They called one polonium, after Poland, and the other radium.
In 1903, they won the Nobel in .
Marie was the first woman to win a Nobel .
But in 1906, Pierre died in a street accident.
Marie was very sad, but she didn't stop working.
In 1911, she won a second Nobel , this time in .
Today, she is still the only person with Nobel in both and .
Let's review. She won a Nobel .
Marie was a great .
She two new .
Radium is an .
Women couldn't go to in Poland.
And remember: she won in both and .
Marie's story teaches us: if one door is closed, find another way to learn.
Want more practice?
Go to brightlivesenglish.com for flashcards, a worksheet and a quiz.
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See you in the next true story!
Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
prize noun
something you get when you win or do something very well
“She won a Nobel Prize.”
scientist noun
a person who studies the world to learn how it works
“Marie was a great scientist.”
discover verb
to find something for the first time (past: discovered)
“She discovered two new elements.”
element noun
one of the simple things that everything is made of, like gold or iron
“Radium is an element.”
university noun
a place where you study after school
“Women couldn't go to university in Poland.”
physics noun
the science of energy, light, heat and how things move
“She studied both physics and mathematics.”
chemistry noun
the science of what things are made of and how they change
“In 1911, she won a Nobel Prize in chemistry.”
husband noun
the man a woman is married to
“Her husband, Pierre, was a scientist too.”
Grammar in the story
both … and
We use it for: putting two things together: two people, two subjects, two places
- both + noun + and + noun
- Both Marie and Pierre…
From the story
- She won prizes in both physics and chemistry.
- Both Marie and Pierre worked in an old, cold shed.
Find it in the story 7 times
Your turn
She studied physics and mathematics.
Both Marie Pierre were scientists.
She is the only person with Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry.
Step 4
Story Challenge
9 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
Well done!
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Bright Facts
Sonia's fun fact
Marie Curie's notebooks are still radioactive!
Lesson complete!
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Take it further
Before you watch: What do you think a “secret school” was? Why was it secret? Guess, then watch and check.
After you watch: Say three sentences about Marie with both … and. For example: She loved both books and science.
Think about it: Marie found another way to learn when the door was closed. What is one way you learn English outside class?
