Longman English Edge JS2B Simplified reading texts Unit 8

Every age has its famous scientists: Galileo, Darwin and

Look at the pictures. What everyday
difficulties do you think this person faces?
Einstein are a few. Who do you think is the most famous
scientist of our time? Many say that it’s this person ...
Skim the text. Who is it about and what
aspects of his life will you read about?

life,
Text 1

Incredible
LISTEN

Incredible
mind VIEW

1 British physicist Stephen Hawking is probably the best-known scientist in the world
today. He’s developed new theories about black holes and the beginning of the universe.
He’s written best-sellers that help the general public to understand the complex world of
modern physics. He’s even become a television star. What’s more, he overcame serious
5 disabilities to do it all.

2 Born in Oxford, England in 1942, Hawking was a bright schoolboy who found
classwork easy. His classmates called him ‘Einstein’. At seventeen, he entered the
University of Oxford where he studied Physics. It was during this time that he began
having trouble walking.

10 3 After graduating from Oxford, he went to the University of Cambridge to study for
a PhD. Meanwhile his walking problem had worsened. In 1963, when he finally got medical
help, he received some terrible news. The doctors told him that he had an incurable
disease.

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Longman English Edge JS2B Simplified reading texts Unit 8

Unit
8

4 At first, people suffering from that disease have

15 difficulty moving. Then moving or speaking gradually
becomes impossible. Eventually they cannot even
breathe by themselves. Doctors in 1963 believed that
Hawking had only a few years to live.

5 Hawking was very sad at first, but when he realised that he still had things to do, he was
20 determined to carry on. He wanted to earn his PhD and he had recently met a fellow student, Jane
Wilde, who would later become his wife. When they got engaged a year later, he felt that it gave him
‘something to live for’.

6 Hawking’s work, particularly on black holes, has changed the way we think
about the universe. Before that, scientists had believed that nothing came out of a
25 black hole. Then Hawking showed that black holes must give off radiation. It is now
known as Hawking Radiation. When Hawking wrote his 1988 book A Brief History
of Time, he explained some of the most difficult concepts in Physics clearly and in a
humorous way. It became a best-seller and brought science to a wider audience.

7 Nowadays, Hawking moves around in a wheelchair and needs special

30 equipment to help him speak. Though he has achieved much, he is still ambitious.
He is passionate about the environment and supports research on ways to live in
space. ‘My goal is simple,’ he says. ‘It is complete understanding of the universe,
why it is as it is and why it exists
at all.’ If anyone can figure that
35 out, he can.

Hawking takes a space flight at age 65.

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 Longman English Edge JS2B Simplified reading texts Unit 8

Check your understanding

A Answer the questions using information from Text 1. For multiple-choice questions, blacken one circle only.

1 What type of scientist is Stephen Hawking?

READ
6

2 Which of the following is NOT a reason why Hawking is famous?

A his best-selling books
B his popularity on TV
C his recovery from illness A B C D
D his scientific theories

3 Why do you think the writer uses the phrase ‘What’s more’ (line 4)?
READ
12

4 Did Hawking’s schoolmates think he was clever? Give a reason for your answer.
READ
13

5 While Hawking was at university, his physical condition .

A affected his studies
B became worse
C remained the same A B C D
D worried him at first

6 Complete the chart to show what happens to a patient with the disease mentioned in paragraph 4.

The patient has (a) The patient (c)

The patient cannot (b)
, e.g. often alone and needs
.
stumbles and falls when walking. medical support to get enough air.

7 According to paragraph 5, what gave Hawking ‘something to live for’ (line 22)?

8 Decide whether the following statements about paragraph 6 are True, False or if the information is
READ
8 Not Given.
T F NG
a) People have a different view of the universe because of Hawking.
b) Hawking proved that nothing comes out of a black hole.
c) A Brief History of Time is read only by scientists.

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 Longman English Edge JS2B Simplified reading texts Unit 8

Unit
8
READ 9 What does ‘It’ (line 28) refer to?
9

10 What is Hawking’s goal? Do you think the writer believes it is possible?

READ
12

B Proofread the following paragraph about Stephen Hawking using information from Text 1. There are six mistakes
in it. Underline each incorrect word and write the correct word above it.

Scientist Stephen Hawking was born in 1942. As a boy, he did poorly at school. Later, he went to study at

both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. While at Oxford, he learnt that he had a

serious disease for which there is a cure. His doctors told him that he would only live a few more months.

However, Hawking lived a long life and did important work on black holes and also wrote a best-selling

5 film about physics. Today he is not only interested in black holes and space, but also the economy.

THINK!
Do you think Hawking would be as
famous if he did not have disabilities?
Why or why not?
Is it important that scientific ideas are
made easy enough for ordinary people
to understand? Why or why not?

C Find words from Text 1 that have the following meanings.

VOCAB

1 succeeded in handling or controlling a serious problem (paragraph 1)

2 clever and able to learn things quickly (paragraph 2)

3 having such a strong desire to do something that you do not let anyone or
anything stop you (paragraph 5)

4 wanting to be successful or to achieve a lot (paragraph 7)

5 believing or liking something very strongly (paragraph 7)

Which of the words above can be used to describe people’s character? Write them below.

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 Longman English Edge JS2B Simplified reading texts Unit 8

People who do important work do not always become famous.

Look at the photos, title and
Read about a brilliant scientist who deserves more attention for
subheadings. What do you expect
to read about in the text? her work.

Scan the text. What type of work LISTEN

did Rosalind Franklin do?

Text 2

Rosalind Franklin
VIEW
and DNA Franklin was born in 1920
in London.

1 The discovery of the structure of DNA is one of the most important scientific
advances in history. The knowledge has helped doctors to treat diseases and the police
to solve crimes.
DNA’s structure
looks like a 2 Although DNA was first discovered in 1869, scientists did not understand
twisted ladder. 5 it well. In the early 1950s, there was a race between an American and a British team to
be the first to discover its structure. However, another key player in the race was
Rosalind Franklin, a chemist at King’s College London.

3 Franklin earned her PhD in Physical Chemistry in 1945. In 1951, while she was
photographing molecules at King’s College, she made an important discovery — one
10 of her X-ray pictures, Photograph 51, showed the structure of DNA .

The credit argument

4 However, without Franklin’s knowledge, a colleague at King’s College showed a
copy of Photograph 51 to James Watson, a scientist in the British team. When he saw
it, Watson knew that the photo held the answer.

15 5 To beat the American team, Watson and his partner quickly published their model
of DNA using information they got from Photograph 51. Later, in 1962, they won a
Nobel Prize for their work. Meanwhile Franklin’s work was mostly forgotten.

6 Why did Franklin not receive credit as well? Some of her colleagues said that she
got on poorly with others. Others have said that Franklin was not treated fairly
20 because she was a woman.

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 Longman English Edge JS2B Simplified reading texts Unit 8

Unit
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Franklin’s final years

7 Franklin left King’s College in 1953 for another laboratory, where she Science and everyday
did important research on viruses. Unfortunately, her career was short. She
life cannot and should
died at the age of 37.
not be separated.
25 8 as she wronged by her fellow scientists? e cannot be sure. However,
— Rosalind Franklin
it is certain that Rosalind Franklin was an incredible scientist and she is
finally getting the recognition she deserves.

Check your understanding

A Answer the questions using information from Text 2. For multiple-choice questions, blacken one circle only.

1 What discovery did Rosalind Franklin play a part in?

2 How did Franklin play a part in this discovery?

READ
8
She took an (a) that showed (b) .

3 The main purpose of paragraph 1 is to .

A give examples of people who use DNA in their work
B introduce important scientific advances in history
C introduce the different types of work that Franklin did A B C D
D show the importance of the discovery that Franklin played a part in

4 What was the ‘race’ (line 5) described in paragraph 2?

READ
9

5 Which phrase in paragraph 2 means ‘important participant’?

READ
7
6 a) In paragraph 4, what did Franklin’s colleague do without letting Franklin know?

b) How did this action help Watson and his partner?

7 Complete the following sentence about the credit argument in paragraphs 4 and 5.
The credit argument is that even though it was Franklin who made the discovery, the part she played was
(a)
, whereas Watson and his partner received a (b) .

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 Longman English Edge JS2B Simplified reading texts Unit 8

8 Decide whether the following statements are True, False or if the information is Not Given.
T F NG
a) Some of Franklin’s co-workers thought she got on badly with others.
b) In the 1950s, men and women were always treated equally at work.
c) Franklin argued with Watson over the credit issue.

9 Match the main points below (A–C) with one of the paragraphs on the left. Write the correct letters in the
spaces provided.

Paragraph no. Main point

i) Paragraph 3 A A scientist realised the importance of Franklin‘s work.

ii) Paragraph 4 B Franklin made an important scientific discovery.

C There were a number of reasons why Franklin’s contribution

iii) Paragraph 6
was not recognised.

THINK!
Do you agree that Franklin was wronged
B Complete the following timeline using information from Text 2.
by her fellow scientists? Why or why not?
Franklin is born. 1920 Why is it important to give people credit
for things they have done?

Franklin works at (2)

. Her colleague shows her
(3)
Photograph 51 . Watson
(1)
Franklin receives a and his partner use information from the photo to
. 1945 (4)
, but
(5)
Franklin does not
Franklin (6) 1951
for her work.
. 1953

Franklin dies. 1958 Watson and his partner (7)

1962 for their work on DNA.

C Complete the following sentences with words from Text 2.

VOCAB
1 The of something is the way in which its parts are connected with each other and form
a whole. (paragraph 1)

2 are changes, discoveries or inventions that bring progress. (paragraph 1)

3 If you get , you get approval or praise for something you have done. (paragraph 6)

4 is public respect and thanks for someone’s work or actions. (paragraph 8)

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