Reading Passage

Marie Curie is probably the most famous woman scientist who has ever lived. Born Maria Sklodowska in Poland in 1867, she is famous for her work on radioactivity, and was twice a winner of the Nobel Prize. With her husband, Pierre Curie, and Henri Becquerel, she was awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize for Physics, and was then sole winner of the 1911 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

From childhood, Marie was remarkable for her prodigious memory, and at the age of 16 won a gold medal on completion of her secondary education. Because her father lost his savings through bad investment, she then had to take work as a teacher. From her earnings she was able to finance her sister Bronia’s medical studies in Paris, on the understanding that Bronia would, in turn, later help her to get an education.

In 1891 this promise was fulfilled and Marie went to Paris and began to study at the Sorbonne (the University of Paris). She often worked far into the night and lived on little more than bread and butter and tea. She came first in the examination in the physical sciences in 1893, and in 1894 was placed second in the examination in mathematical sciences. It was not until the spring of that year that she was introduced to Pierre Curie.

Their marriage in 1895 marked the start of a partnership that was soon to achieve results of world significance. Following Henri Becquerel’s discovery in 1896 of a new phenomenon, which Marie later called ‘radioactivity’, Marie Curie decided to find out if the radioactivity discovered in uranium was to be found in other elements. She discovered that this was true for thorium.

Turning her attention to minerals, she found her interest drawn to pitchblende, a mineral whose radioactivity, superior to that of pure uranium, could be explained only by the presence in the ore of small quantities of an unknown substance of very high activity. Pierre Curie joined her in the work that she had undertaken to resolve this problem, and that led to the discovery of the new elements, polonium and radium. While Pierre Curie devoted himself chiefly to the physical study of the new radiations, Marie Curie struggled to obtain pure radium in the metallic state. This was achieved with the help of the chemist André-Louis Debierne, one of Pierre Curie’s pupils. Based on the results of this research, Marie Curie received her Doctorate of Science, and in 1903 Marie and Pierre shared with Becquerel the Nobel Prize for Physics for the discovery of radioactivity.

The births of Marie’s two daughters, Irène and Eve, in 1897 and 1904 failed to interrupt her scientific work. She was appointed lecturer in physics at the École Normale Supérieure for girls in Sèvres, France (1900), and introduced a method of teaching based on experimental demonstrations. In December 1904 she was appointed chief assistant in the laboratory directed by Pierre Curie.

The sudden death of her husband in 1906 was a bitter blow to Marie Curie, but was also a turning point in her career: henceforth she was to devote all her energy to completing alone the scientific work that they had undertaken. On May 13, 1906, she was appointed to the professorship that had been left vacant on her husband’s death, becoming the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne. In 1911 she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the isolation of a pure form of radium.

During World War I, Marie Curie, with the help of her daughter Irène, devoted herself to the development of the use of X-radiography, including the mobile units which came to be known as ‘Little Curies’, used for the treatment of wounded soldiers. In 1918 the Radium Institute, whose staff Irène had joined, began to operate in earnest, and became a centre for nuclear physics and chemistry. Marie Curie, now at the highest point of her fame and, from 1922, a member of the Academy of Medicine, researched the chemistry of radioactive substances and their medical applications.

In 1921, accompanied by her two daughters, Marie Curie made a triumphant journey to the United States to raise funds for research on radium. Women there presented her with a gram of radium for her campaign. Marie also gave lectures in Belgium, Brazil, Spain and Czechoslovakia and, in addition, had the satisfaction of seeing the development of the Curie Foundation in Paris, and the inauguration in 1932 in Warsaw of the Radium Institute, where her sister Bronia became director.

One of Marie Curie’s outstanding achievements was to have understood the need to accumulate intense radioactive sources, not only to treat illness but also to maintain an abundant supply for research. The existence in Paris at the Radium Institute of a stock of 1.5 grams of radium made a decisive contribution to the success of the experiments undertaken in the years around 1930. This work prepared the way for the discovery of the neutron by Sir James Chadwick and, above all, for the discovery in 1934 by Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie of artificial radioactivity. A few months after this discovery, Marie Curie died as a result of leukaemia caused by exposure to radiation. She had often carried test tubes containing radioactive isotopes in her pocket, remarking on the pretty blue-green light they gave off.

Her contribution to physics had been immense, not only in her own work, the importance of which had been demonstrated by her two Nobel Prizes, but because of her influence on subsequent generations of nuclear physicists and chemists.

Hints

• 1: Check if she was the first overall to win two Nobel Prizes.
• 2: Where did her sister study medicine?
• 3: Who discovered radioactivity first?
• 4: Did motherhood interrupt her scientific work?
• 5: Who directed the Radium Institute in Warsaw?
• 6: When did her daughter discover artificial radioactivity, and when did Marie die?
• 7: What job did she take before studying in Paris?
• 8: What food did she live on apart from bread and tea?
• 9: What was the second element she discovered?
• 10: What teaching method did she introduce?
• 11: What type of mobile medical units did she help develop?
• 12: Which country gifted her radium?
• 13: What particle discovery was enabled by radium storage?

Reading Passage

Paragraph A
In recent years, vertical farming has emerged as a cutting-edge solution to the growing global food crisis. This method involves growing crops in stacked layers, often integrated into urban structures like warehouses, shipping containers, or high-rise buildings. It uses artificial lighting, climate control, and hydroponic or aeroponic systems instead of soil. The key benefit is that vertical farming allows crops to be produced year-round with minimal land use, offering a promising future for densely populated urban areas.

Paragraph B
The technology behind vertical farming is sophisticated. LED lighting provides the precise light spectrum for photosynthesis, while sensors monitor nutrients, temperature, and humidity in real time. Using hydroponics, plants are grown in nutrient-rich water, while aeroponics involves misting plant roots. These techniques greatly reduce the need for water—up to 95% less than traditional farming—and eliminate the use of pesticides. Despite its potential, the high energy costs of artificial lighting and climate systems remain a major challenge.

Paragraph C
Supporters argue that vertical farming is the answer to sustainable urban agriculture, reducing the carbon footprint of food transport, and reclaiming land for reforestation. However, critics point to the economic viability of large-scale vertical farms. Since setup and operational costs are high, profit margins are narrow unless technological efficiency improves. Some also argue that not all crops are suitable for vertical systems, as large or deep-rooted plants struggle in these confined spaces.

Paragraph D
In response to these concerns, startups and researchers are exploring hybrid models—combining natural sunlight with artificial light, or integrating vertical farms into existing buildings to save costs. Governments and private investors are also funding research into automation and renewable energy solutions to lower operating expenses. As innovation continues, vertical farming may yet prove to be a vital component in global food security strategies.

Hints

• 14: Look for the introduction and overview.
• 15: Focus on tools and environmental data systems.
• 16: Which paragraph presents drawbacks and economic challenges?
• 17: What solutions or adjustments are being tested?
• 18–19: Which benefits are described clearly?
• 20–21: Look for crop types and financial challenges.
• 22–23: What innovations are being tried?
• 24: What kind of areas are vertical farms built in?
• 25: What technique replaces soil?
• 26: What makes this system costly to run?

Reading Passage

The Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) suggests that there is a biologically determined window during which language acquisition occurs most easily and effectively. This concept was first introduced by neurologist Wilder Penfield and psychologist Lamar Roberts in the 1950s and was later expanded by linguist Eric Lenneberg in 1967. According to the hypothesis, children are particularly receptive to language input during early childhood, and this sensitivity significantly declines after puberty. The theory has sparked extensive research in both first and second language acquisition.

One of the most well-known cases supporting the CPH is that of Genie, a girl who was severely abused and isolated during her early years. Discovered at the age of 13, she had been deprived of normal linguistic interaction. Despite intensive language training following her rescue, Genie never acquired full grammatical competence in English, which many researchers interpret as evidence that the critical period had passed.

Further support for the hypothesis comes from studies of second language learning. Research shows that people who begin learning a second language in early childhood are more likely to achieve native-like fluency compared to those who start as adults. This trend is especially clear in pronunciation, with younger learners typically acquiring accents that are difficult to distinguish from those of native speakers.

However, some scholars argue against the strict interpretation of CPH. They point to adult learners who, although rare, have achieved near-native proficiency in a second language, suggesting that motivation, exposure, and learning strategies can compensate for age-related decline. Moreover, cognitive neuroscientists have found that the brain remains plastic throughout life, even if the degree of plasticity is greater in early years.

Recent perspectives suggest that there may be not one but multiple sensitive periods for different aspects of language. For example, the window for phonological acquisition may close earlier than for vocabulary or syntax. This view has led researchers to refine the original hypothesis, acknowledging that while age is a major factor, it interacts with social, psychological, and environmental variables in complex ways.

Hints

• 27: Who expanded the hypothesis?
• 28: Did Genie learn full grammar?
• 29: Any mention of children vs adults in vocabulary learning?
• 30: Are there adult success cases?
• 31: What do neuroscientists say about brain plasticity?
• 32: Do all aspects of language close at the same time?
• 33: What other influences are mentioned besides age?
• 34: When does the brain become less flexible?
• 35: Who is the child case example?
• 36: What did she fail to fully acquire?
• 37: What type of language learning is used as evidence?
• 38: What can help adults succeed?
• 39: What kind of periods exist for different skills?
• 40: What linguistic system is mentioned with pronunciation?