Worksheet: Maryam Mirzakhani: Leading the Way | Class 7 English Alive PDF Download

Multiple-Choice Questions

Q1: What prestigious award did Maryam Mirzakhani win?

(a) Nobel Prize

(b) Pulitzer Prize

(c) Fields Medal

(d) Booker Prize

Ans: (c) Fields Medal

Explanation: Maryam Mirzakhani won the Fields Medal, which is considered the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

Q2: At what age did Maryam Mirzakhani win the Fields Medal?

(a) 30

(b) 35

(c) 37

(d) 40

Ans: (c) 37

Explanation: Maryam Mirzakhani won the Fields Medal at the age of 37.

Q3: Which university was Maryam Mirzakhani a professor at when she won the Fields Medal?

(a) Harvard University

(b) Stanford University

(c) Tehran University

(d) Washington University

Ans: (b) Stanford University

Explanation: At the time she won the Fields Medal, Maryam Mirzakhani was a mathematics professor at Stanford University, USA.

Q4: What did Maryam Mirzakhani primarily study in her mathematical research?

(a) Algebra

(b) Combinatorics

(c) Dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces

(d) Calculus

Ans: (c) Dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces

Explanation: She was awarded the Fields Medal for her work in the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces.

Q5: What early influence sparked Maryam Mirzakhani's interest in mathematics?

(a) A popular science magazine

(b) Watching documentaries

(c) Her older brother

(d) Her school teachers

Ans: (c) Her older brother

Explanation: Maryam's older brother was the person who got her interested in science in general by telling her what he learned in school.

Fill-in-the-Blanks

Q1: Maryam Mirzakhani won the Fields Medal in the year ________.

Ans: 2014

Q2: As a child, Maryam aspired to become a _______ before her interest shifted to mathematics.

Ans: writer

Q3: Maryam Mirzakhani described doing mathematics like being on a long hike with no _______ and no end in sight.

Ans: trail

Q4: Maryam met her friend ________ Beheshti, who shares her interest in mathematics, during middle school.

Ans: Roya

Q5: Maryam Mirzakhani's educational journey in mathematics began in earnest at ________ University.

Ans: Sharif

True or False

Q1: Maryam Mirzakhani initially planned to pursue mathematics from an early age. 

Ans: False

Explanation: She did not plan to pursue mathematics before her last year in high school.

Q2: Maryam Mirzakhani's family was highly focused on success and achievements. 

Ans: False

Explanation: Her family valued meaningful and satisfying professions, but they did not care as much about success and achievement.

Q3: Maryam was the only woman to win the Fields Medal till her passing in 2017. 

Ans: True

Explanation: She remains the first and only woman to have won the Fields Medal.

Q4: Maryam studied at Harvard University for her undergraduate studies. 

Ans: False

Explanation: She attended Harvard for her graduate studies, not undergraduate.

Q5: Maryam's interest in mathematics was influenced by reading a lot of novels as a child. 

Ans: False

Explanation: Her interest in mathematics was sparked by her brother, not by reading novels.

Match the Column

"Match the Column" section based on the excerpt from Maryam Mirzakhani's interview:

Ans: 

A - 2: First memory of mathematics - Gauss's problem

Explanation: Maryam Mirzakhani’s first memory of mathematics involves a story told by her older brother about Gauss's solution to the problem of adding numbers from 1 to 100. This early encounter with a mathematical problem and its clever solution left a significant impression on her, which she found quite fascinating.

B - 3: Friend at middle school - Roya Beheshti

Explanation: During her middle school years, Maryam Mirzakhani met Roya Beheshti, who would become a lifelong friend and a shared interest in mathematics. Their friendship was significant as they both motivated each other and later, they both made it into the Iranian Maths Olympiad team. Roya is now a mathematics professor at Washington University.

C - 1: University in the USA - Harvard

Explanation: Maryam Mirzakhani attended Harvard University for her graduate studies. This was a significant part of her educational journey where she expanded her mathematical knowledge and began to focus on complex analysis, which greatly influenced her future research.

D - 4: Early ambition - Writer

Explanation: As a child, Maryam Mirzakhani aspired to become a writer, which is indicative of her creative and imaginative nature. Her most exciting pastime was reading novels, and she spent a lot of time immersed in stories, which shaped her early aspirations before she developed a passion for mathematics.