Listen&Learn: Hedy Lamarr
Posted by: Jaksyn PeacockPre-listening vocabulary
- inventor: someone who creates new things or ideas
- divorce: to end a marriage
- manufacturer: someone who builds or assembles a product
- overlook: to not notice something
- military: a country’s defence forces
- war bond: an investment given to the government to help pay for a war
Listening activity
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14 — 1.1MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS | More
Gapfill exercise
Comprehension questions
1. Hedy Lamarr was born in
Hedy Lamarr was born in Austria.
2. Lamarr's first husband was
Lamarr's first husband was a weapons manufacturer.
3. Lamarr tried to help the Allies in World War II by
Lamarr tried to help the Allies in World War II by inventing a device for the military.
Discussion/essay questions
- Women’s contributions to math and science have often been overlooked. Do you know about any female inventors from history? What are their stories?
Transcript
Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor. She was born in 1914 in Vienna, Austria. She began acting in European films when she was a teenager, but later moved to the United States after divorcing her first husband, a weapons manufacturer who sold to the Nazis. Lamarr became famous in Hollywood for her beauty, but her intelligence was often overlooked. During World War II, she invented a device to help the Allies with radio communications. At first, the U.S. military did not use the device, and Lamarr was told that she could do more to help by advertising war bonds. However, her invention formed a starting point for the technology we use today, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Lamarr died in 2000, at age 85.
Search for more Listen&Learn stories:
Subscribe to EnglishClub Podcasts
11 comments
-
English Club Indonesia says:
There was Marie Curie. She invented things related to radioactive materials. Through her research, she was contaminated by dangerous chemical substances.
-
Vincenzino says:
Very interesting. I didn’t know this story.
-
The King Of Love From IRAN says:
Oh!
It was so interesting for me.
Thank ❤️ YOU ❤️ so much for sharing it with us, -
Reza says:
It is very excellent story, I like very much such as these stories about inventors. thank you
-
Imre Kiss says:
Marie Curie was a Polish scientist, not a French.
-
David Martín says:
Marie Curie was a French scientist who won the Physics Nobel Price in 1903 and the Chemistry Nobel Price in 1911.
She discover the polonium, the radium and the invention of the word ‘radioactivity’.
-
mojgan says:
The story was great and inspire every reader who admire such heroes in the history , they will live in the mind and heart of the human being forever
-
Hassina says:
It was very interesting thank you for sharing
-
Noemia Levy says:
I have known Lamarr’s story and her fantastic trajectory. Congratulation for sharing about her life.
-
Mijgan says:
Good and useful , I love short story for learning English , when story is long I get tired and prefer to give up learning .
Thank you -
Qasim says:
it was very interesting story and also listing voice but i have question, she was accter so after divorce why she joined the intelligence military.