Learn about Marie Curie, one of the most famous scientists in history.
Discover her discoveries, fun facts, and contributions to science with this kid-friendly educational resource.
Marie Curie — Reading Comprehension Practice
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Read the passage, then try the questions. Every answer is in the text above them — if you are not sure, go back and look rather than guessing. The last question asks for the order the passage tells things in.
Marie Curie — Chemist and physicist — pioneer of radioactivity
Marie Curie was one of the most brilliant and courageous scientists who ever lived. Born in Warsaw, Poland on November 7, 1867, she grew up in a time when women were not allowed to attend university in her country. Determined to learn, she secretly attended an underground school called the ‘Flying University.’
She eventually moved to Paris, France, where she earned degrees in both physics and mathematics — becoming the first woman to graduate at the top of her class. In Paris, she met and married fellow scientist Pierre Curie, and together they made world-changing discoveries.
Marie discovered two new chemical elements: polonium (named after her homeland) and radium. She coined the term ‘radioactivity’ to describe how certain elements emit energy from their atoms. Her work opened an entirely new branch of science.
She became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and the first person ever to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences — Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911. No one else has ever matched this achievement.
Marie Curie’s research on radioactivity led to the development of X-ray machines used in hospitals today. Sadly, years of exposure to radiation damaged her health, and she died in 1934. Her courage and dedication remain an inspiration to scientists everywhere.
Question 1
Why did Marie Curie attend the ‘Flying University’?
Women were barred from university in her country. The Flying University was an underground school — attending it was itself a risk, which is part of why the passage calls her courageous.
Question 2
Which two elements did Marie Curie discover?
Polonium and radium. She named polonium after Poland, the country that would not let her study — which is worth pausing on.
Question 3
What made her Nobel Prize achievement unique?
Two different sciences — Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911. She was also the first woman to win at all, and the passage says no one has matched the double since.
Question 4
What word did Marie Curie invent?
Radioactivity — her term for the way certain elements give off energy from their atoms. Naming a thing is often the first step to studying it.
Question 5 — select all that apply
Select every statement the passage supports about Marie Curie, then press Check.
She studied in Paris, married Pierre Curie, and her work led to X-ray machines. She was born in Warsaw, won two Nobel Prizes, and died in 1934 — her health damaged by the radiation she had spent her life studying.
Question 6 — put them in order
Click these in the order the passage tells them.
Warsaw and the underground school, then Paris, then the discoveries, then the second Nobel Prize in 1911 — the passage follows her life in order.
Think about it — from the worksheet
What obstacles did Marie Curie face in getting an education, and how did she overcome them?
What two elements did Marie Curie discover, and what is special about one of them?
Why is Marie Curie’s Nobel Prize achievement unique? What does this tell us about her work?