Lesson 3

Listening

1. Listen to the podcast about the Maadi STEM school in Cairo. Answer the questions.

1. What is special about this school?

It is a school for girls studying STEM subjects.

2. What reasons does the speaker give for fewer girls studying STEM subjects?

Girls worry they won’t be able to follow the classes and that they will get poor grades.

3. What does Hoda like about her school?

Hoda likes the school because they do real research.

4. What have Hoda and her classmates achieved?

They discovered a way of purifying water and achieved 3rd place in an international Science competition.

5. What is Hoda’s goal?

To ind a cure for a disease which affects the brains of older people – Alzheimer’s.

2. Complete the sentences. Then listen again to check.

Girls often get 1 better grades than boys in STEM subjects.

They are 2 more confident about their abilities.

The 3 best and 4 brightest students in the world presented their ideas at an international STEM fair.

What they study there is 5 far more interesting 6 than in her old school.

Vocabulary

3. Match the opposites.

1 grumpy, c. good-natured
2 cruel, d. kind
3 naughty, a. well-behaved
4 cross, e. cheerful
5 patient, b. impatient

5. Read it again and answer the questions.

1. Why do you think Katy wanted to be like a mother to her brothers and sisters?

Katy had no mother, her father was very busy, and she and her siblings were looked after by her kind aunt.

2. In what ways was she not a good role model before her accident?

She was a bit naughty and often got into trouble.

3. How did the accident affect her?

She got very angry and impatient with everyone at irst, but then she became kinder and more cheerful.

4. What lessons do you think the book teaches children? Do you think these lessons are important today?

It teaches them to be cheerful and make the best of things, because people will be nicer to you, and to be patient and hopeful because in the end things might get better. Yes, these lessons are relevant today.