Stephen Hawking: Doctors Gave Him Two Years… He Lived 55 More
At twenty-one, doctors gave him about two years to live. He lost the use of his body, but his mind explored black holes and the universe for fifty-five more years. Learn five B1 words with the true story of Stephen Hawking.
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
At twenty-one, doctors gave him about two years to live.
Slowly, he lost the use of his body.
But his mind the .
How long did he really live?
This is the story of Stephen Hawking.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. The is everything that exists: all of space and time, with every star and planet.
He went to Cambridge to study the .
. A is a place in space where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape, not even light.
He showed that are not completely black.
. When doctors an illness, they find out what is wrong with a person.
The past is .
Doctors him with motor neurone disease.
. A is one single example of a book, a newspaper or a film.
One , two .
His book sold millions of .
. To means to travel through a place, or to study something, to learn about it.
He spent his life the biggest questions.
Now, one pattern: be able to.
It means can, and it works in every tense.
He couldn't walk.
He wasn't able to walk.
He wasn't able to walk, but he was able to the .
Ready? Let's begin.
Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford, England, in 1942, exactly three hundred years after Galileo died.
As a boy, he loved taking things apart to see how they worked.
His friends called him Einstein.
He studied at Oxford, then went to Cambridge to study the .
But he started to fall over for no reason.
In 1963, at twenty-one, doctors him with motor neurone disease.
They gave him two years.
The disease slowly stopped his muscles from working.
But he fell in love with Jane, and in 1965 they got married.
He kept working.
Soon, he wasn't able to walk, but he was able to the .
He spent his life the biggest questions.
What happens inside a ?
Scientists believed that nothing could ever escape from one.
Nothing at all.
But Hawking wasn't so sure.
In 1974, he shocked the world of science.
He showed that are not completely black.
They give out a tiny glow, and slowly, they can disappear.
Today, scientists call it Hawking radiation.
In 1985, after an operation, he wasn't able to speak at all.
So he used a .
He chose each word with a small switch, and later with a muscle in his cheek.
He still gave around the world.
In 1988, he wrote a book about the for ordinary people: A Brief History of Time.
It sold millions of .
It stayed on a British list for more than four years.
At sixty-five, he floated in zero gravity on a special plane.
For a few minutes, he was able to move freely again.
In 2009, he held a party for time travellers.
But he sent the invitations after the party.
Nobody came. So, remember the two years?
He died in 2018, at seventy-six, fifty-five years after the doctors' warning.
Today, he rests in Westminster Abbey, near Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.
Let's review. He went to Cambridge to study the .
He showed that are not completely black.
Doctors him with motor neurone disease.
His book sold millions of .
He spent his life the biggest questions.
And remember: he wasn't able to walk, but he was able to the .
Hawking's story teaches us: never stop being curious.
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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.
universe noun
everything that exists: all of space and time, with every star and planet
“He went to Cambridge to study the universe.”
black hole noun
a place in space where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape, not even light
“He showed that black holes are not completely black.”
diagnose verb
to find out what illness a person has (past: diagnosed)
“Doctors diagnosed him with motor neurone disease.”
copy noun
one single example of a book, newspaper or film (plural: copies)
“His book sold millions of copies.”
explore verb
to travel through a place, or study something, to learn about it
“He spent his life exploring the biggest questions.”
computer voice noun
a voice made by a computer that speaks the words you choose
“So he used a computer voice.”
lecture noun
a talk about a subject to a group of people, often at a university
“He still gave lectures around the world.”
bestseller noun
a book that very many people buy
“It stayed on a British bestseller list for more than four years.”
Grammar in the story
be able to + verb
We use it for: ability, like can, but it works in every tense, especially the past
- was able to / wasn't able to + verb
- will be able to + verb
- He couldn't walk. → He wasn't able to walk.
From the story
- He wasn't able to walk, but he was able to explore the universe.
- For a few minutes, he was able to move freely again.
Find it in the story 7 times
Your turn
After the operation, he speak at all.
In zero gravity, he move freely again.
After this lesson, you will talk about Hawking's life.
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.
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Take it further
Before you watch: What do you know about black holes? What questions would you like to ask about the universe?
After you watch: Write three sentences about Hawking with was able to and wasn’t able to. For example: After 1985, he wasn’t able to speak, but he was able to write books.
Think about it: Hawking said he wanted people to “look up at the stars and not down at your feet.” What helps you keep going when something is hard?
