Amazing efforts, amazing ladies!
A Read the article about Tu Youyou. Write a T if a sentence is true, an F if it is false or an NM if it is not mentioned.
Looking to the past to save lives today
Can an ancient book help solve a modern medical problem? For Tu Youyou, the answer is yes. Her discovery not only has changed the fight against malaria but also has saved millions of lives around the world. In 2015, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery of qinghaosu.
Tu Youyou was born in 1930 in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. She studied medicine at Beijing Medical College. In the 1960s, the world was facing a terrible malaria problem. The medicines used then were becoming less effective, and millions of people suffered from the disease. In 1967, China started a project to find a new treatment. More than 500 scientists were involved, including Tu Youyou.
Tu not only looked to modern science for answers, but also turned to traditional Chinese methods. Her team studied around 2,000 traditional treatments, exploring how these ancient methods might help save lives in the modern world. At first, many of their ideas were unsuccessful, but Tu didn’t give up. Finally, she found an ancient treatment for malarial fever in a 4th-century medical book. This treatment used fresh qinghao leaves.
Tu’s team began to try a new way to get the useful part from qinghao leaves at a low temperature. Before this, they had carried out 190 experiments without success. Then, in the 191st experiment, they finally made a breakthrough. Tu volunteered to test the new drug herself to help make sure it was safe. This new drug was highly effective against malaria.
Tu’s achievement has saved countless lives across the world. Her story shows how patience, courage and wisdom from the past can help solve the problems of today. She remains an inspiration to the world.
1 Malaria was a problem in the 1960s because the medicines used at that time were too expensive.
2 Fresh qinghao leaves were mentioned in a 4th-century medical book to treat malarial fever.
3 Tu’s team tried 191 traditional treatments.
4 Tu Youyou tested the new drug herself to make sure it was safe.
5 Tu’s story has inspired scientists from all over the world to work together.
B Two students are talking about Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel. Read the conversation and answer the questions.
Amy: Sam, have you ever heard of Gertrude Ederle?
Sam: I don’t think so. Who is she?
Amy: She was the first woman to swim across the English Channel.
Sam: The English Channel? That must be a long way.
Amy: About 21 miles. Actually, she swam about 35 miles. And she had to battle freezing water and really strong waves as well.
Sam: That sounds really tough. When did she do it?
Amy: Well, she first tried in 1925, but the weather was very bad and she was pulled out for her safety.
Sam: It does sound very dangerous.
Amy: Yes. Back then, people simply didn’t think a woman was strong enough to do it. When they pulled her out, she was angry and yelled, “No! For what?” She wanted to keep going—she was only 7.5 miles from the English coast!
Sam: That must have been so difficult for her. But I guess she didn’t let that stop her.
Amy: You’re right. Just a year later, in 1926, she tried again. The weather was terrible and the waves were huge, but she finished the swim in just 14 hours and 31 minutes.
Sam: Wow. That’s such a long time to keep swimming.
Amy: I know, but guess what? No one had ever swum the Channel that fast before.
Sam: And she was the first woman. That’s amazing!
Amy: I know. I admire her so much. I hope one day I can do something as amazing.
1 Who was Gertrude Ederle?
2 Why was Gertrude pulled out of the water in 1925?
3 What did people think about women at that time?
4 Why was Gertrude’s achievement so amazing?
5 What does Amy think of Gertrude Ederle?
