Reading - The Discovery of Penicillin

One of the most important scientific discoveries of the 20th century was penicillin, a powerful medicine. In 1928, a Scottish scientist named Alexander Fleming was working in his laboratory in London. He was studying bacteria, which are tiny living things that can make people sick.

Fleming was a bit messy sometimes. One day, he left some dishes with bacteria on them open when he went on holiday. When he returned, he observed something strange. On one of the dishes, there was some mold growing. This mold was a type of fungus. Around the mold, there was a clear area where no bacteria were growing.

Fleming realized that the mold was producing something that was killing the bacteria. He called this substance "penicillin," after the name of the mold, Penicillium notatum. This was a huge breakthrough in medicine.

At first, it was difficult to produce enough penicillin to help many people. But later, other scientists developed ways to make large amounts of it. Penicillin became the first widely used antibiotic. It helped to cure many illnesses that were once deadly, like pneumonia and blood infections. Penicillin changed how doctors treated diseases and had a massive impact on human health worldwide.

VOCABULARY

bacteria: Very small living things, some of which can cause disease.

Washing your hands helps remove bacteria.

mold: A furry growth of tiny fungi that appears on old food or damp surfaces.

There was mold on the old bread.

observed: To watch something carefully, especially to learn something.

The children observed the birds building a nest.

breakthrough: A very important discovery or development.

Scientists hope for a breakthrough in cancer treatment.

medicine: A substance, especially a liquid or pill, used for treating illness.

The doctor gave me some medicine for my cough.

cure: To make a person healthy again after an illness.

The new drug can cure some types of cancer.

illness: A disease or period of being unwell.

She missed school because of an illness.

impact: The powerful effect that something has on a situation or person.

Technology has a big impact on our daily lives.

ACTIVITIES

1 - Choose the best answer for each question.

2 - Number the events from the text in the correct order (1-5).