Step 1 Revision

1 Check the homework exercises.

2 Ask a few quick questions on the passage in Lesson 3.

Name the two minerals which Madame Curie discovered. (Radium and polonium.) Which disease is sometimes cured by radium? How many Nobel Prizes did Madame Curie win ? How did Pierre Curie die? Which job did Madame Curie get after Pierre‘s death? Who gave her a gram of radium for her future work? Where were the two Radium Institutes set up ? How old was Madame Curie when she died?

Step 2 Preparation for listening

SB Page 6, Part 1. Wb Listening, Unit 1. Tell the Ss We’re going to listen to a radio interview with Madame Curie. Then read the introduction aloud and read through the task in Ex. 1 and make sure the Ss understand what to do.

Step 3 Listening

Listening Cassette Unit 1. Do each exercise in turn. Play the tape, then let Ss discuss their answers in pairs. Play the tape again if necessary, then check the answers with the whole class.

Listening Text

Madame Curie

In this radio interview recorded on her 60th birth­day, Marie Curie talks about her life.

(MC: Marie Curie; J: Journalist)

J:　　 As well as your scientific discoveries, what in your life has given you particular pleasure?

MC: I am very pleased that the discovery of

radium has helped doctors in the treatment of cancer. I had no idea that this might be one of the results of doing research on radioactive matter. Another thing that I am pleased with is the development of X-rays. I was able to see how useful this was in my war work during the First World War. In my opinion, the use of X-rays is one of the most important medical developments this century.

J:　 How has your life been up till now?

MC: Good, hard, exciting, and sad.

J:　　 Could you say a little more about that?

MC: Yes. My early family life in Poland was good. But I regret that I had to leave my country and my family behind in order to study in France.

J:　　 What else was hard?

MC: That‘s easy to answer. Studying in Paris was hard. For months on end I was cold and hungry. It was very hard in the early days of my research too. The work of separating radium seemed to go on and on.

J:　　 Has there been much sadness in your life?

MC: Yes. The death of my husband made me feel very sad. And I was greatly shocked at the damage and loss of life in the First World War.

J:　 What do you consider to be your greatest victory?

MC: Curiously it was not the discovery of radium. I think it was being made Professor of Physics at the University of Paris and being given two Nobel Prizes. You see, when I was young, I was not able to go to university in my country because people thought it was not suitable for women to study. But now I think I have proved that women should be allowed to study what­ever they like and are able to become university professors.

8 She asked me to help her in her research,... I was happy to do.

9 There was only one speech ... I found disap­pointing.

10 The thing ... I found shocking was that he died

so young. Answers:

1 where 2 who 3 whom 4 where 5 whose 6 who 7 whom 8 which 9 that / which 10 that / which