The Life And Work Of Marie Curie Reading Answers - IELTS Reading Answers Explanation!

Candidates preparing for the IELTS test to study abroad, scoring a high band in the Reading test, can benefit from improving their overall performance. "The Life and Work of Marie Curie" is one of the three important passages asked in the IELTS test frequently. The passage focuses on the remarkable journey of Marie Curie’s early life, her scientific contributions, and the impact of her research in the fields of physics and chemistry.

The passage mainly includes two types of questions: True/False/Not Given and Complete Notes. The total number of questions in the passage is 13. Whether you're aiming for a band 7 or higher in the IELTS test, these solved answers will help you improve both accuracy and speed.

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IELTS Reading Answers: "The Life and Work of Marie Curie" Passage

The passage below, "The Life And Work Of Marie Curie," is a very common Reading passage in the IELTS exam. Read the passage to answer questions 1—13, which are given below. 

The Life And Work Of Marie Curie

A. Marie Curie is widely regarded as the world’s most famous female scientist. Maria Sklodowska, who was born in Poland in 1867, is best known for her radioactivity research. She was awarded the Nobel prize twice. She and her husband, Pierre Curie, shared the nobel prize in physics in 1903, and she was the sole recipient of the nobel prize in chemistry in 1911. She was the first female recipient of the Nobel prize. 

B. Marie was known for her exceptional memory since childhood, and when she was 16, she was awarded a gold medal for completing her secondary education. She was forced to work as a teacher because her father’s savings were lost due to poor investment. Her earnings allowed her to pay for her sister Bronia’s medical studies in Paris, with the understanding that Bronia would later help her get an education.

C. In 1891, Marie kept her promise and moved to Paris to study at the Sorbonne(the university of Paris). She frequently worked late into the night, subsisting on bread, butter, and tea. In 1893, she won first place in the physical sciences examination and second place in the mathematical sciences examination. She didn’t meet Pierre Curie until the spring of that year. 

D. Their marriage in 1895 marked the start of the partnership that would soon have world-changing consequences. Following the discovery of a new phenomenon in 1896 by Henri Becquerel, which Marie later dubbed “ radioactivity,” Marie Curie decided to investigate whether the radioactivity discovered in uranium could also be found in other elements. She discovered that thorium behaved similarly.

E. She was drawn to pitchblende, a mineral with radioactivity higher than pure uranium, which could only be explained by the presence of trace amounts of an unknown substance with extremely high activity in the ore. Pierre Curie worked with her to solve this problem, leading to the discovery of the new elements polonium and radium. Marie Curie worked tirelessly to obtain pure radium in its metallic state while Pierre Curie focused on the physical properties of the new radiations. This was accomplished with the assistance of Pierre Curie was awarded a Doctorate of science, and in 1903, Marie and Pierre shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Becquerel for discovering radioactivity.

Marie's two daughters, Irène and Eve, were born in 1897 and 1904, respectively, and their births did not disrupt her scientific work. She was appointed physics lecturer at the École Normale Supérieure for Girls in Sèvres, France, in 1900, and introduced an experimental demonstration-based teaching method. In December 1904, she was appointed chief assistant in Pierre Curie's laboratory.

F. The unexpected death of Marie Curie's husband in 1906 was a devastating blow, but it also marked a turning point in her career: she would now devote all of her energy to completing the scientific work that they had begun alone. She was appointed to the professorship left vacant by her husband's death on May 13, 1906, becoming the Sorbonne's first female professor. In 1911, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for isolating a pure form of radium.

G. With the assistance of her daughter Irène, Marie Curie devoted herself to the advancement of X-radiography during World War I, including the mobile units known as 'Little Curies,' which were used to treat wounded soldiers. In 1918, Irène's Radium Institute became a serious operation, evolving into a centre for nuclear physics and chemistry. Marie Curie, an Academy of Medicine member since 1922 and now at the pinnacle of her fame, researched the chemistry of radioactive substances and their medical applications.

H. In 1921, Marie Curie triumphantly travelled to the United States with her two daughters to raise funds for radium research. In support of her campaign, local women presented her with a gram of radium. Marie also lectured in Belgium, Brazil, Spain, and Czechoslovakia, and she got to see the development of the Curie Foundation in Paris as well as the opening of the Radium Institute in Warsaw in 1932, where her sister Bronia became director.

I. Marie Curie's recognition of the need to accumulate intense radioactive sources, not only to treat illness but also to ensure an abundant supply for research, was one of her outstanding achievements. The presence of a 1.5 gram stock of radium at the Radium Institute in Paris was critical to the success of the 1930s experiments. This work paved the way for Sir James Chadwick's neutron discovery and, more importantly, Irène and Frédéric Joliot-discovery Curie's of artificial radioactivity in 1934. A few months after this discovery, Marie Curie died of leukaemia caused by radiation exposure. She'd kept test tubes containing radioactive isotopes in her pocket on a regular basis, remarking on the lovely blue-green light they emitted.

J. Her influence on future generations of nuclear physicists and chemists was enormous, and not just because of her own work, the importance of which was demonstrated by her two Nobel Prizes.

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The Life And Work Of Marie Curie Reading Answers IELTS Sample 

Questions 1-6:

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?

In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE	if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE	if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN	if there is no information on this

(Guidelines/Tip for Answering These Types of Questions: Candidates have to identify the statements that agree with the passage by tallying them with the information provided in the passage. To answer these questions, read the passage carefully before marking it as True or False.)

1. Marie Curie’s husband was a joint winner of both Marie’s Nobel Prizes.

2. Marie became interested in science when she was a child.

3. Marie was able to attend the Sorbonne because of her sister’s financial contribution.

4. Marie stopped doing research for several years when her children were born.

5. Marie took over the teaching position her husband had held.

6. Marie’s sister Bronia studied the medical uses of radioactivity.

Questions 7-13:

Complete the notes below.

Choose ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 7-13 on your answer sheet

(Guidelines/Tip for Answering These Types of Questions: Candidates are asked to answer this type of questions in one word. You can quickly scan the passage to answer these questions.)

7. When uranium was discovered to be radioactive, Marie Curie found that the element called _____ had the same property.

8. Marie and Pierre Curie’s research into the radioactivity of the mineral known as _____ led to the discovery of two new elements.

9. In 1911, Marie Curie received recognition for her work on the element ______.

10. Marie and Irene Curie developed X-radiography which was used as a medical technique for _________.

11. Marie Curie saw the importance of collecting radioactive material both for research and for cases of _______.

12. The radioactive material stocked in Paris contributed to the discoveries in the 1930s of the _________ and of what was known as artificial radioactivity.

13. During her research, Marie Curie was exposed to radiation and as a result she suffered from _________.

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IELTS Reading Answers: "The Life and Work of Marie Curie"

Questions 1–6

1. Marie Curie’s husband was a joint winner of both Marie’s Nobel Prizes.

• Answer: FALSE
• Location: Paragraph A
• Reference: "She and her husband, Pierre Curie, shared the Nobel Prize in physics in 1903... she was the sole recipient... in chemistry in 1911."
• Explanation: Pierre shared only one of the two Nobel Prizes. The second one was awarded only to Marie.

2. Marie became interested in science when she was a child.

• Answer: NOT GIVEN
• Location: Paragraph B
• Reference: Mentions her memory and school achievement, but no mention of her interest in science.
• Explanation: The passage does not mention her interest in science during childhood.

3. Marie was able to attend the Sorbonne because of her sister’s financial contribution.

• Answer: FALSE
• Location: Paragraph B
• Reference: "Her earnings allowed her to pay for her sister Bronia’s medical studies... with the understanding that Bronia would later help her."
• Explanation: It was Marie who helped Bronia, not the other way around, and there is no mention of Bronia helping Marie financially later.

4. Marie stopped doing research for several years when her children were born.

• Answer: FALSE
• Location: Paragraph E
• Reference: "Their births did not disrupt her scientific work."
• Explanation: The passage clearly says she continued working even after her children were born.

5. Marie took over the teaching position her husband had held.

• Answer: TRUE
• Location: Paragraph F
• Reference: "She was appointed to the professorship left vacant by her husband's death."
• Explanation: Marie succeeded Pierre’s academic position after his death.

6. Marie’s sister Bronia studied the medical uses of radioactivity.

• Answer: NOT GIVEN
• Location: Paragraph H
• Reference: "Her sister Bronia became director [of the Radium Institute in Warsaw]."
• Explanation: Bronia’s medical education is mentioned, but not her involvement with radioactivity.

Questions 7–13

7. When uranium was discovered to be radioactive, Marie Curie found that the element called _____ had the same property.

• Answer: Thorium
• Location: Paragraph D
• Reference: "She discovered that thorium behaved similarly."
• Explanation: Thorium was another element Marie confirmed to be radioactive like uranium.

8. Marie and Pierre Curie’s research into the radioactivity of the mineral known as _____ led to the discovery of two new elements.

• Answer: Pitchblende
• Location: Paragraph E
• Reference: "She was drawn to pitchblende, a mineral with radioactivity higher than pure uranium."
• Explanation: Pitchblende led to the discovery of polonium and radium.

9. In 1911, Marie Curie received recognition for her work on the element ______.

• Answer: Radium
• Location: Paragraph F
• Reference: "...awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for isolating a pure form of radium."
• Explanation: The Nobel Prize was for isolating radium.

10. Marie and Irene Curie developed X-radiography which was used as a medical technique for _________.

• Answer: Soldiers
• Location: Paragraph G
• Reference: "...used to treat wounded soldiers."
• Explanation: Mobile X-ray units helped in WWI medical treatment of soldiers.

11. Marie Curie saw the importance of collecting radioactive material both for research and for cases of _______.

• Answer: Illness
• Location: Paragraph I
• Reference: "...to treat illness but also to ensure an abundant supply for research..."
• Explanation: She believed in using radioactive materials for medical and scientific purposes.

12. The radioactive material stocked in Paris contributed to the discoveries in the 1930s of the _________ and of what was known as artificial radioactivity.

• Answer: Neutron
• Location: Paragraph I
• Reference: "...paved the way for Sir James Chadwick's neutron discovery..."
• Explanation: The Paris stock of radium supported research that led to the discovery of the neutron.

13. During her research, Marie Curie was exposed to radiation and as a result she suffered from _________.

• Answer: Leukaemia
• Location: Paragraph I
• Reference: "...Marie Curie died of leukaemia caused by radiation exposure."
• Explanation: Long-term radiation exposure during her research led to her illness and eventual death.

Read more about: Tips For Reading in IELTS Exam | IELTS Academic Reading | IELTS Reading Tips And Tricks | IELTS General Reading Test |

Conclusion

Knowing the Life and Work of Marie Curie reading answers is important for strong performance in the IELTS Reading section. 

Use IELTS reading sample questions and answers to familiarize yourself with common question types, such as True/False/Not Given, and practice skimming and scanning for key information. 

To get expert feedback on your reading skills, connect with upGrad experts. Their guidance can help you master IELTS Reading and achieve your target band score.