4.6. A Brave Heart Dedicated to Science And Humanity - Std X - Mah Board - My English Coursebook - Semi English and Marathi Medium
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SECTION 1 — Chapter Information / पाठ परिचय
Feature | Details |
Chapter | Unit 4 — Chapter 4.6: A Brave Heart Dedicated to Science And Humanity |
Type | Biography |
Subject | Madame Marie Curie |
Textbook | My English Coursebook, Std X, Maharashtra State Board |
Board Section | Section II — Reading Skills (Textual) — 20 marks |
मराठी टीप: हा पाठ परीक्षेत Reading Skills Textual विभागात येतो — एकूण 20 गुण.
SECTION 2 — About the Subject / व्यक्ती परिचय
Marie Curie (1867-1934) was a pioneering physicist and chemist. Born in Poland and later naturalized in France, she is remembered as one of the greatest scientists in human history. She broke massive gender barriers to become the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person ever to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields (Physics and Chemistry). Her monumental discovery of the elements radium and polonium revolutionized the medical world, especially in the treatment of cancer. She sacrificed her life for science, ultimately dying from radiation exposure, and left behind a legacy of extreme selflessness and dedication to humanity.
मराठी टीप: मादाम मेरी क्युरी या एक महान शास्त्रज्ञ होत्या. दोन वेगवेगळ्या विज्ञान शाखांमध्ये (भौतिकशास्त्र आणि रसायनशास्त्र) नोबेल पुरस्कार मिळवणाऱ्या त्या पहिल्या आणि एकमेव व्यक्ती आहेत. त्यांनी रेडियम आणि पोलोनियमचा शोध लावला, ज्यामुळे कर्करोगावरील उपचारांना नवी दिशा मिळाली. त्यांनी मानवतेच्या कल्याणासाठी आपले संपूर्ण आयुष्य वेचले.
SECTION 4 — Life and Achievements / जीवन आणि कार्य
1867: Born as Marja Skłodowska in Warsaw, Poland, to a school teacher.
मराठी: १८६७ मध्ये पोलंडमधील वॉर्सो शहरात जन्म.
1891: Enrolled at the Sorbonne University in Paris, enduring extreme poverty, starvation, and cold to study science.
मराठी: पॅरिसच्या सोर्बोन विद्यापीठात अतिशय गरिबी आणि उपासमारीचा सामना करत विज्ञानाचे शिक्षण घेतले.
1898: Discovered two new radioactive elements hidden in pitchblende: Polonium (named after her motherland, Poland) and Radium.
मराठी: पिचब्लेंड या खनिजातून पोलोनियम आणि रेडियम या दोन नव्या किरणोत्सारी (radioactive) मूलद्रव्यांचा शोध लावला.
1903: Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, which she shared with her husband Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel.
मराठी: भौतिकशास्त्रातील (Physics) नोबेल पुरस्कार मिळाला.
1911: Won an unprecedented second Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry, for isolating pure radium.
मराठी: रसायनशास्त्रातील (Chemistry) दुसरे नोबेल पारितोषिक मिळाले.
1934: Passed away from leukemia, a fatal disease caused by prolonged, unprotected exposure to radiation during her experiments.
मराठी: किरणोत्साराच्या सततच्या संपर्कामुळे ल्युकेमिया या आजाराने मृत्यू झाला.
Legacy / वारसा:
Marie Curie refused to patent her highly lucrative discovery of radium. Instead of becoming a billionaire, she gave it freely to the world to help cure cancer. Her life is the ultimate example of sacrificing personal wealth and health for the progress of science and the betterment of humanity.
मराठी टीप: त्यांनी पैशांसाठी रेडियमच्या शोधाचे पेटंट घेतले नाही, तर कर्करोगाच्या उपचारांसाठी ते जगाला मोफत दिले. हा त्यांचा मानवतेसाठीचा सर्वात मोठा वारसा आहे.
SECTION 6 — Central Theme and Values / केंद्रीय भाव आणि मूल्ये
6A. Theme Table / विषय सारणी
Theme / विषय | How it appears |
Sacrifice for Humanity (मानवतेसाठी त्याग) | Marie Curie gave away her discoveries freely to treat cancer and eventually died from radiation exposure. |
Overcoming Adversity (संकटांवर मात) | She faced extreme poverty, starvation, and a lack of proper laboratories, yet never gave up her scientific research. |
Passion for Science (विज्ञानाची आवड) | Her insatiable curiosity led her to spend backbreaking hours in a leaky shed boiling pitchblende. |
6B. Values / मूल्ये
Perseverance (चिकाटी) — Enduring extreme physical and financial hardships to extract a tiny pinch of radium from tons of pitchblende.
Selflessness (निःस्वार्थ वृत्ती) — Refusing to patent the medical uses of radium in order to make it accessible to everyone.
Courage (धैर्य) — Continuing her dangerous research despite the fatal health risks and the tragic accidental death of her husband, Pierre.
6C. Central Message / केंद्रीय संदेश
The biography teaches us that true greatness lies not in acquiring wealth, but in dedicating one's knowledge, hard work, and even one's life to the selfless service of humanity.
मराठी टीप: खरी महानता पैसा कमवण्यात नसून, आपले ज्ञान आणि आयुष्य मानवतेच्या निःस्वार्थ सेवेसाठी (selfless service) समर्पित करण्यात आहे, हा या पाठाचा मुख्य संदेश आहे.
SECTION 7 — Vocabulary in Context / शब्दसंग्रह
Word / Phrase | मराठी अर्थ | Example from text |
indomitable | अदम्य / न हरता येणारे | "...her indomitable courage and dedication..." |
penury | अत्यंत गरिबी | "...endured years of penury and starvation..." |
resolute | ठाम / दृढनिश्चयी | "...she remained resolute in her mission." |
pitchblende | एक प्रकारचे खनिज | "...boiling tons of pitchblende in a leaky shed." |
penetrating | भेदक / आरपार जाणारे | "...emitting powerful, penetrating rays." |
fatal | प्राणघातक | "...contracted a fatal disease..." |
lucrative | भरपूर पैसा मिळवून देणारे | "...could have easily patented this lucrative discovery." |
martyr | हुतात्मा | "...became a true martyr for science." |
unprecedented | अभूतपूर्व | "...won an unprecedented second Nobel Prize." |
decipher | उलगडा करणे / रहस्य शोधणे | "...to decipher the mysteries of the universe." |
oppressive | जाचक / जुलमी | "...under the oppressive rule of the Tsar." |
consolation | सांत्वन | "...science was her only consolation." |
SECTION 8 — Extract-Based Questions / उताऱ्यावर आधारित प्रश्न
Extract 1
Marie was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland. At an early age, she displayed a brilliant mind and a blithe personality. Her great dream was to study science in Paris, but her father could not afford the expenses. She worked as a governess and saved money. Finally, she enrolled at the Sorbonne University in Paris. She lived in a miserable garret, surviving on bread and tea. She suffered from extreme poverty and cold, but she remained resolute. In Paris, she met Pierre Curie, a dedicated scientist. They married and began their historic partnership. They set up a laboratory in a leaky wooden shed and began working with pitchblende to discover the source of its mysterious rays.
Q.(A)(i) — State whether the following are True or False: (2 marks)
Marie's father was very rich and sent her to Paris immediately. — False
Marie lived a luxurious life in Paris. — False
Marie worked as a governess to save money for her education. — True
The Curies set up their laboratory in a highly advanced building. — False
मराठी टीप: True आणि False नीट वाचून ठरवा — मेरीचे वडील गरीब होते आणि तिने पॅरिसमध्ये अतिशय गरिबीत (poverty) एका गळक्या शेडमध्ये (leaky shed) प्रयोग केले.
Q.(A)(ii) — Choose the correct alternative: (2 marks)
Where was Marie Curie born?
(a) Paris, France (b) London, UK
(c) Warsaw, Poland (d) Berlin, Germany
Answer: (c) Warsaw, Poland
What is the meaning of 'resolute' in the extract?
(a) Weak (b) Confused
(c) Determined and firm (d) Angry
Answer: (c) Determined and firm
Q.(B)(i) — Answer in 2-3 sentences: (2 marks)
What difficulties did Marie face during her early days in Paris?
Answer: In Paris, Marie lived in a miserable, freezing garret. She endured extreme poverty, cold, and starvation, often surviving only on dry bread and tea while she relentlessly pursued her studies at the Sorbonne University.
मराठी टीप: पॅरिसमध्ये मेरीला कोणत्या अडचणी आल्या? तिने गरिबी, थंडी आणि उपासमारीचा (starvation) सामना केला आणि केवळ ब्रेड-चहावर दिवस काढले.
Q.(B)(ii) — Answer in 3-4 sentences: (2 marks)
How did Marie and Pierre begin their historic research?
Answer: Marie and Pierre shared a deep passion for science. Despite having no proper facilities, they set up a makeshift laboratory in an old, leaky wooden shed. Here, they worked together under extremely harsh conditions, boiling tons of pitchblende to decipher the mysteries of its radiation.
मराठी टीप: मेरी आणि पियरे यांनी त्यांचे संशोधन कसे सुरू केले? त्यांनी एका गळक्या लाकडी शेडमध्ये (leaky wooden shed) आपली प्रयोगशाळा थाटली आणि पिचब्लेंडवर प्रयोग सुरू केले.
Extract 2
In 1903, Marie and Pierre Curie, along with Henri Becquerel, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. However, tragedy struck in 1906 when Pierre was killed in a street accident. Despite her overwhelming grief, Marie took over his teaching post, becoming the first female professor at the Sorbonne. In 1911, she received a second Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry. Marie knew that radium could be highly effective in treating cancer. She could have patented her discovery and become extremely wealthy. Instead, she gave it freely to the world. Her continuous exposure to radiation took a heavy toll on her health. She died of leukemia in 1934, a true martyr to science.
Q.(A)(i) — State whether the following are True or False: (2 marks)
Pierre Curie died of a long illness. — False
Marie Curie was the first female professor at the Sorbonne. — True
Marie Curie patented radium and became a billionaire. — False
Marie died from an illness caused by her own scientific research. — True
मराठी टीप: पियरे क्युरी यांचा रस्ते अपघातात (street accident) मृत्यू झाला आणि मेरीने पैशांसाठी पेटंट घेण्यास नकार (refused to patent) दिला.
Q.(A)(ii) — Choose the correct alternative: (2 marks)
In which year did Marie Curie win her second Nobel Prize?
(a) 1903 (b) 1906
(c) 1911 (d) 1934
Answer: (c) 1911
What did Marie die of?
(a) Tuberculosis (b) Malaria
(c) Leukemia (d) Heart attack
Answer: (c) Leukemia
Q.(B)(i) — Answer in 2-3 sentences: (2 marks)
What did Marie do after the tragic death of Pierre Curie?
Answer: After Pierre was tragically killed in a street accident in 1906, Marie managed her immense grief by dedicating herself entirely to her work. She took over Pierre's teaching position, making history as the very first female professor at the Sorbonne University.
मराठी टीप: पियरेच्या मृत्यूनंतर मेरीने काय केले? दुःखावर मात करून तिने पियरेच्या जागी शिकवण्याची जबाबदारी स्वीकारली आणि ती सोर्बोन विद्यापीठातील पहिली महिला प्राध्यापक (first female professor) बनली.
Q.(B)(ii) — Answer in 3-4 sentences: (2 marks)
Why is Marie Curie called a "martyr to science"?
Answer: Marie Curie is called a martyr to science because she literally sacrificed her life for her research. She worked with highly radioactive materials for decades without protective gear. This prolonged exposure severely damaged her body, leading to fatal leukemia. She knowingly risked her life to give the world a cure for cancer.
मराठी टीप: मेरीला विज्ञानाची 'हुतात्मा' (martyr) का म्हटले जाते? कारण किरणोत्सारी पदार्थांसोबत सतत काम केल्यामुळे तिला ल्युकेमिया झाला आणि त्यातच तिचा मृत्यू झाला. विज्ञानासाठी तिने स्वतःच्या प्राणांची आहुती दिली.
SECTION 9 — Short Answer Questions / लघु उत्तरे
Q1. Why did Marie Curie refuse to patent her discovery of radium?
Answer: Marie Curie completely refused to patent her discovery because she believed that scientific knowledge belonged to humanity, not to an individual. She knew radium was highly effective in treating cancer and wanted medical researchers worldwide to use it freely to save lives, rather than making it an expensive, profit-making product.
मराठी टीप: मेरीने रेडियमचे पेटंट का घेतले नाही? कारण वैज्ञानिक शोध मानवतेसाठी असतात, पैशांसाठी नाही असे तिचे मत होते. कर्करोगावर (cancer) मोफत उपचार व्हावेत म्हणून तिने पेटंट नाकारले.
Q2. What were the early hardships faced by Marie Curie in Paris?
Answer: In Paris, Marie lived in a miserable, unheated garret (attic room). She faced extreme poverty and could barely afford to buy food or coal, surviving mostly on dry bread and tea. She studied vigorously despite suffering from the biting cold and severe starvation.
मराठी टीप: पॅरिसमध्ये मेरीला कोणत्या संकटांचा सामना करावा लागला? तिला अतिशय गरिबी (poverty), उपासमार (starvation) आणि थंडीचा सामना करावा लागला.
Q3. Name the two radioactive elements discovered by the Curies and explain the name of the first.
Answer: Marie and Pierre Curie discovered two new, highly radioactive elements: Polonium and Radium. Marie intentionally named the first element 'Polonium' to honour her beloved motherland, Poland, which was struggling under foreign rule at the time.
मराठी टीप: त्यांनी शोधलेली दोन मूलद्रव्ये कोणती? पोलोनियम आणि रेडियम. मेरीने आपल्या मातृभूमीच्या (पोलंड) सन्मानार्थ पहिल्या मूलद्रव्याला 'पोलोनियम' हे नाव दिले.
Q4. What is Marie Curie's unique record regarding the Nobel Prize?
Answer: Marie Curie holds the incredibly unique and historic record of being the very first woman to win a Nobel Prize (Physics, 1903). Furthermore, she remains the only person in history to have been awarded Nobel Prizes in two distinct scientific fields (Physics and Chemistry).
मराठी टीप: मेरी क्युरींचा नोबेल पुरस्काराबाबतचा कोणता विक्रम आहे? नोबेल मिळवणाऱ्या त्या पहिल्या महिला होत्या आणि दोन वेगवेगळ्या विज्ञान शाखांत (भौतिक व रसायनशास्त्र) नोबेल मिळवणाऱ्या त्या जगातील एकमेव व्यक्ती आहेत.
SECTION 10 — Long Answer Questions / दीर्घ उत्तरे
Q1. Describe the extreme difficulties Marie and Pierre Curie faced while trying to isolate radium in their laboratory.
Answer: The journey to discover and isolate pure radium was filled with unimaginable physical and financial hardships for Marie and Pierre Curie. They did not have access to a modern, well-equipped laboratory. Instead, they had to conduct their highly complex experiments in an old, leaky wooden shed that was freezing in the winter and suffocatingly hot in the summer. They had very little money and could barely afford the expensive pitchblende ore. Marie spent years performing backbreaking physical labor, manually stirring boiling cauldrons of toxic pitchblende with a heavy iron rod just to extract a tiny pinch of pure radium. Despite the exhaustion, lack of funds, and the dangerous, unknown effects of radiation exposure, their indomitable spirit and passion for science kept them working relentlessly until they finally succeeded in presenting radium to the world.
मराठी टीप:
सुरुवात: त्यांना चांगली प्रयोगशाळा मिळाली नाही. त्यांनी एका गळक्या लाकडी शेडमध्ये (leaky shed) काम केले.
कष्ट: थंडी आणि उकाड्याचा त्रास सहन करत मेरीने स्वतः जड लोखंडी सळईने पिचब्लेंडचे मिश्रण ढवळले.
आर्थिक अडचण: त्यांच्याकडे पैसे नव्हते आणि पिचब्लेंड खूप महाग होते.
शेवट: या सर्व संकटांवर मात करून त्यांनी रेडियमचा शोध लावला. त्यांची चिकाटी (perseverance) वाखाणण्याजोगी होती.
Q2. "Marie Curie was not only a great scientist but also an exceptionally noble human being." Justify this statement with examples from her life.
Answer: Marie Curie’s life perfectly proves that she was a scientific genius with a deeply noble and selfless heart. Her scientific greatness is undisputed; she spent years enduring harsh conditions to discover Polonium and Radium, becoming the only person to win Nobel Prizes in both Physics and Chemistry. However, her nobility as a human being is even more inspiring. When she discovered that radium could destroy cancer cells, she had the perfect opportunity to patent the process and become extremely wealthy. Instead, she chose the path of a humanitarian. She refused the patent, declaring that the element belonged to the world, thereby ensuring that cancer treatments remained accessible to everyone. Furthermore, during World War I, she personally drove mobile X-ray units (Little Curies) to the frontlines to treat wounded soldiers. Ultimately, she sacrificed her own life, dying from leukemia caused by the radiation she studied. She truly dedicated her brave heart to the selfless service of humanity.
मराठी टीप:
सुरुवात: मेरी क्युरी केवळ महान शास्त्रज्ञ नव्हत्या, तर त्या एक थोर व्यक्ती होत्या, हे स्पष्ट करा.
वैज्ञानिक यश: त्यांनी गरिबीत राहून रेडियमचा शोध लावला आणि दोन नोबेल जिंकले.
निःस्वार्थ वृत्ती (Nobility): त्यांनी रेडियमचे पेटंट घेतले नाही, जेणेकरून कर्करोगाच्या (cancer) रुग्णांवर मोफत उपचार होऊ शकतील.
शेवट: त्यांनी स्वतःच्या प्राणांची आहुती दिली (died of leukemia) आणि आपले जीवन मानवतेसाठी समर्पित केले, हे सांगून उत्तर संपवा.
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