Lesson 1

Vocabulary

1. Complete the sentences with the correct word or phrase.

1. My English lecturer at university inspired me to become an English teacher.

2. Yasmeen Yehya Moustafa is a great role model for young female scientists in Egypt.

3. It is a stereotype to think that all footballers are tall and strong. Some of them are quite small.

4. Nadia is a nurse who won a/an award in 2020 for her work during the health emergency.

5. Tarek worked very hard for many years and he has now qualified as a doctor.

6. I would like to thank our volunteers, who have all made a contribution in helping to make the park look so beautiful.

7. Albert Einstein is perhaps the most famous physicist the world has known.

Reading

2. Read the biography of Dr Tahani Amer and circle the correct words.

Dr Tahani Amer grew up in a suburb of Cairo. Her love of engineering started while she watched/was watching her father repair a car engine when she was young, although she thought she would study medicine at university. She then married/has married when she was 17 and moved to the USA in 1983.

Although she did not speak/was not speaking any English at that time, this did not stop her from doing well in maths and she got top grades in her exams. She took a two-year degree in science while she has brought up/was bringing up two young children, and then took a higher degree in engineering. In 1992, she got a master’s degree in aerospace engineering and another qualification in engineering after that. It is easy to understand why she believes/is believing that education is the key to opportunity!

After she moved to the USA, she was determined to work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and she has done/ did some work for them while she was at college. This gave her the experience she needed to get a full-time job there. She became a manager at NASA in 2012. Since 2016, she was working/ has worked for NASA’s technology department.

During her time there, she was helping/ has helped to program computers and test wind tunnels. She invented a new device and helped solve real-life problems. She now reviews NASA’s space missions.

While living in the USA, Dr Tahani Amer has also done/also did a lot of volunteering for the community. She helps at after-school science clubs, teaches Arabic and Islamic studies to young children and also works hard to help other women become successful in their careers. Dr Tahani Amer’s work contributed/ has contributed to the increase in the number of women who work at NASA. Today, around 30% of people who work for NASA are female.

3. Read the biography again and answer the questions.

1. How did Dr Tahani Amer become interested in engineering?

She watched her father repair a car engine.

2. In what ways was it difficult for Dr Tahani Amer when she moved to the USA?

She did not speak English. She also studied while she was bringing up two young children.

3. How does she prove that she believes education is the key to opportunity?

She has many degrees and qualifications.

4. In what ways has she made a contribution to society?

As well as her work for NASA, she has helped children and women to be successful in their careers.