1. Read the passage carefully:
1. Marie Curie was one of the most accomplished scientists in history. Together with her husband,
Pierre, she discovered radium, an element widely used for treating cancer and studied uranium and
other radioactive substances. Pierre and Marie’s amicable collaboration later helped to unlock the
secrets of the atom.
2. Marie was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, where her father was a professor of physics. Curie was
the youngest of five children, following siblings Zosia, Jozef, Bronya and Hela. When she was
only 10, Curie lost her mother, Bronislawa, to tuberculosis. As a child, Curie took after her father.
She had a bright and curious mind and excelled at school. But despite being a top student in her
secondary school, Curie could into attend the men’s-only University of Warsaw. At an early age,
she displayed a brilliant mind and a blithe personality. Her great exuberance for learning prompted
her to continue with her studies after high school. She became disgruntled, however, when she
learned that the university in Warsaw was closed to women. She instead continued her education in
Warswa’s “floating university”, a set of underground, informal classes held in secret. Determined to
receive a higher education, she defiantly left Poland and in 1891 entered the Sorbonne, a French
university, where she earned her master’s degree and doctorate in physics.
3. Both Curie and her sister Bronya dreamed of going abroad to earn an official degree, but they lacked
the financial resources to pay for more schooling. Undeterred, Curie worked out a deal with her
sister. She would work to support Bronya while she was in school, and Bronya would return the
favour after she completed her studies. For roughly five years, Curie worked as a tutor and a
governess. She used her spare time to study, reading about physics, chemistry and math. In 1891,
Curie finally made her way to Paris and enrolled at the Sorbonne. She threw herself into her studies,
but this dedication had a personal cost: with little money, Curie survived on buttered bread and tea
and her health sometimes suffered because of her poor diet. Curie completed her master’s degree in
physics in 1893 and earned another degree in mathematics the following year.
4. Marie was fortunate to have studied at the Sorbonne with some of the greatest scientists of her day,
one of whom was Pierre Curie. Marie and Pierre were married in 1895 and spent many productive
years working together in the physics laboratory. A short time after they discovered radium, Pierre
was killed by a horse-drawn wagon in 1906. Marie was stunned by the horrible misfortune and
endured heart breaking anguish. Despondently she recalled their close relationship and the joy that
they had shared in scientific research. The fact that she had two young daughters to raise by herself
greatly increased her distress.2
5. Curie’s feeling of desolation finally began to fade when she was asked to succeed her husband as a
physics professor at the Sorbonne. She was the first woman to be given a professorship at the world
famous university. In 1911 she received the Nobel Prize in chemistry for isolating radium.
Although Marie Curie eventually suffered a fatal illness from her long exposure to radium, she never
became disillusioned about her work. Regardless of the consequences, she had dedicated herself to
science and to revealing the mysteries of the physical world.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY TEN of the following
questions by choosing the most appropriate option:
i) The Curies’ ………… collaboration helped to unlock the secrets of the atom.
a) friendly
b) competitive
c) courteous
d) industrious
ii) Marie had a bright mind and a …………… personality.
a) strong
b) light hearted
c) strange
d) humorous
iii) Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the correct sequence of
the events in Marie’s life.
1. She used her spare time to study, reading about physics, chemistry and maths.
2. Curie completed her master’s degree in physics in 1893 and earned another degree in
mathematics the following year.
3. Marie and Pierre were married in 1895 and spent many productive years working together in the
physics laboratory.
4. At an early age, Marie displayed a brilliant mind and a blithe personality.
a) 2, 1, 4, 3
b) 3, 2, 4, 1
c) 4, 1, 2, 3
d) 2, 3, 4, 1
iv) Marie ………… by leaving Poland and travelling to France to enter the Sorbonne.
a) challenged authority
b) short intelligence
c) was distressed
d) was happy
vi) Who was Marie Curie’s husband?
a) Peter Curie
b) Pierre Curie
c) Perrie Curie
d) Pirre Curie
vii) How many siblings did Curie have?
a) five
b) two
c) three
d) four
wrong answer will be reported
Answers
Answered by
1
Answer:
4. c)4,1,2,3
Explanation:
I think this answer correct
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