Famous People

Sigmund
Freud
In this lesson, you will read a short biography of
Sigmund Freud. You will practice new vocabulary
and talk about dreams and mental illness.

Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions
1. What do you do if you are feeling very sick?

2. What kind of illness does a psychiatrist treat?

3. D
 o you dream very often?
Do you remember your dreams?

4. Do you understand the meaning of your dreams?

“Love and work...work and

B. Vocabulary Preview love, that’s all there is.”
—Sigmund Freud
Match the words on the left with
the correct meanings on the right.

1. mental a) a sofa
2. illness b) to not have the same opinion
3. treat c) a presentation for the purpose of teaching
4. hypnosis d) to upset, to worry, to make trouble
5. couch e) something you are afraid of
6. bother f) sickness
7. theory g) to give medical care
8. disagree h) to run away, to get free
9. interpretation i) an idea given to explain something
10. personality j) openly, in front of people, not privately
11. publicly k) of the mind
12. lecture l) a person’s character
13. escape m) an explanation of meaning
14. fear n) a deep sleep in which someone can control your actions

Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms. 1
 Sigmund Freud
Famous People

Reading
1.  igmund Freud developed ideas about the
S 5. In 1900, Freud wrote a book called
human mind. He was interested in helping people The Interpretation of Dreams. In it, he explained
with mental illness.His field of study is known his ideas about the meaning of people’s dreams.
as psychoanalysis. Many people think it is his best work.

2.  reud was born in Moravia (now the Czech

F  reud also studied how children’s personalities
6. F
Republic) on May 6, 1856. He and his family develop. Many of his ideas had to do with human
moved to Vienna in 1860. In 1873, he went to sexuality. At this time, sex was not discussed
the University of Vienna medical school. Freud publicly, and many people were unhappy with
graduated as a medical doctor in 1881. He him. But, by 1908, some scientists began to
decided to go into private practice to treat agree with Freud’s ideas. He was even asked to
people with mental illnesses. give lectures about his work in the United States.

3. In 1885, Freud learned how to use hypnosis to 7. In 1923, Freud published his theory about how
treat his patients, but he was unhappy with the the human mind works. This theory became very
results. He and Josef Breur, another doctor, worked famous. Over the years, he wrote more than 20
out a new kind of treatment. Patients would just books. Many people agreed with his ideas, and
lie on a couch and talk about what was bothering many did not.
them. Later, Freud and Breur would think about
8. F
 reud and his family left Vienna in 1937 to
what their patients told them and then work with
escape from the Nazis. They moved to London,
them to help them get better.
England. Freud died of cancer two years later.
4. F
 reud and Breur also decided that many people’s
problems began in their childhood. To get well,
patients had to remember and then deal with
their childhood fears. After a few years, Freud and
Breur began to disagree, and Freud decided to
work alone.

Comprehension
A. True or False
Read the statements below.
If the statement is true, write T beside the sentence.
If it is false, write F and correct the information.

1. Sigmund Freud was a medical doctor. 4. F

 reud believed that many mental
problems begin in childhood.
2. Freud graduated in 1873.
5.  F
 reud died in 1937.
3.  Freud created a new treatment
for people with mental illnesses.

Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms. 2
 Sigmund Freud
Famous People

Comprehension, continued
B. Ask and Answer
Practice asking and answering the following questions with
your partner. Then write the answers in complete sentences.

1. What kind of ideas did Freud develop? 5. Explain the new treatment they developed.

2. Where did Freud study medicine? 6.  hy did Freud try to get his patients
W
to talk about their childhood?
3. After he graduated, what kind
of people did he want to treat? 7. What is Freud’s treatment of mental illness called?

4.  ho worked with Freud in

W 8.  hy were many people
W
developing a new kind of treatment? unhappy with Freud’s ideas?

Vocabulary Review
Medical Specialists
Work with a partner and use your dictionaries or
look online to complete the following sentences.

Example: A psychiatrist treats people with mental problems.

1. A cardiologist treats people with .

2. A pediatrician treats .

3. An obstetrician delivers .

4. A dentist looks after .

5. A
 n optometrist examines
and prescribes .

6. A dermatologist looks after problems.

7. An oncologist treats people who have .

Discussion Questions
1.  hat do you do if you are
W 4. D
 o you think people view mental illness
feeling very sad or depressed? differently than physical illness?

2.  o you think it helps to talk

D 5. D
 o you think that understanding our dreams
about your problems? can help us to understand our feelings?

3. W
 ho do you talk to if you are 6. D
 o you think that childhood experiences
having emotional problems? can have a big influence on your adult life?

Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms. 3
 Sigmund Freud
Famous People

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: TAGS:
Students read a brief bio about Sigmund Freud. This lesson includes psychology, medicine,
comprehension questions, a vocabulary review, and discussion questions. Sigmund Freud, Famous People

Pre-Reading Comprehension
Discuss the quote on page 1 as a class. A. TRUE OR FALSE

1. T 4. T
A. WARM-UP QUESTIONS
2. F – He graduated in 1881. 5. F – He died in 1939.
Discuss as a class, in pairs, or in small groups. 3. T
1, 3, 4. Individual answers.
2. A psychiatrist treats mental illness. B. WRITTEN ANSWERS

1. Freud developed ideas about the human mind and

B. VOCABULARY PREVIEW
looked for ways to help people with mental illnesses.
1. k 4. n 7. i 10. l 13. h 2. Freud studied medicine at the
2. f 5. a 8. b 11. j 14. e University of Vienna medical school.
3. g 6. d 9. m 12. c 3. After he graduated, Freud wanted
to treat people with mental illnesses.
4. Josef Breur worked with Freud in
developing a new kind of treatment.
5. The new treatment consisted of asking patients to lie on a
couch and talk about what was bothering them. Later, Freud
and Breur would analyze what their patients had said and
then work with them to help them get better.
6. Freud got his patients to talk about their childhood because
he believed that many people’s problems began in childhood.
7. Freud’s treatment of mental illness is called psychoanalysis.
8. Many people were unhappy with Freud’s ideas as they had to
do with human sexuality which was not discussed publicly at
that time.

Vocabulary Review
1. heart problems 5. eyes/glasses
2. children 6. skin
3. babies 7. cancer
4. teeth

Discussion Questions
Have a class discussion using these questions.
You could also use one of these questions as a writing prompt.

Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms. 4