A Famous Scientist Dies in Belgium
A famous Belgian scientist dies at ninety-three. His name is Francois Englert. He wins the Nobel Prize in 2013. He studies particles with Peter Higgs and Robert Brout. They discover how particles get mass. This work is very important for science. People around the world are sad today.
A famous scientist dies in Belgium. His name is Francois Englert. He is ninety-three years old. He is a doctor of physics. He lives in a town. The name of the town is Uccle. This town is in Belgium.
Francois Englert has a big prize. It is the Nobel Prize. He receives the prize in the year 2013. He works with other scientists. One friend is Robert Brout. Another friend is Peter Higgs. Peter Higgs is from Britain. Peter Higgs is not alive today.
These scientists study small parts of our world. These small parts are particles. The scientists study how particles get mass. This mass makes things very heavy. There is a special field in the universe. All particles touch this special field. Then, the particles get mass. This field has a special name. The name is the Brout-Englert-Higgs field. There is also a small particle. Its name is the Higgs boson.
In the year 2012, scientists find this particle. They work at a Swiss laboratory. The name of the laboratory is CERN. People at CERN are very happy. Francois Englert is also very happy. He says, 'Science is very important.' He wants to understand the world.
His birthday is November 6, 1932. He comes from the city of Brussels. He is the son of Jewish shopkeepers. He is a child during a big war. Germany occupies Belgium during this time. The family must live in hiding. They are safe during the war.
Now, Francois Englert is not here. But people remember his work. CERN shares a message on Facebook. The message says: the scientist is dead. Many people are very sad today. But they still study his ideas.
Take a position. Out loud, if you can.
Four ways to start. Pick one and try saying it before you scroll on.
Tip · Record yourself, use in a notebook, or practice with a language partner.
In which year does Francois Englert receive the Nobel Prize?
Present Simple
We use the present simple to talk about general truths, facts, or situations that exist in the present.
“A famous scientist dies in Belgium.”
What to know · A1
Try saying this aloud
Scenario: Talking to a classmate about a famous science news story.
- 01“A famous scientist dies.”
- 02“He has the Nobel Prize.”
- 03“Science is very important.”
Register tip · informal
🔑Key Phrases
This phrase introduces the main topic of the news article.
A famous writer lives in Belgium.
Used to describe when the scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize.
She receives the prize in the year 2025.
Identifies the workplace of the researchers who verified the theory.
They work at a British school.
🎙️ Article Audio — Kokoro TTS
A Famous Scientist Dies in Belgium
💬Discussion Questions
Open-ended questions to talk or write about — alone, with a partner, or in class.
- 1
What is your favourite science subject at school?
Personal - 2
Is science important for the world? Why?
Opinion - 3
Do you want to work in a laboratory?
Personal - 4
How do we study the natural world?
Opinion - 5
Is it good to live in a big city or a small town?
Compare - 6
What do you do to help the environment?
Personal - 7
What will the world look like in fifty years?
Predict - 8
Why do people study small particles?
Opinion
Adapted from Phys.org · Read the original. LinguaPress rewrites the facts as original graded-reader text for language learners.
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