Listen to a short passage three times and fill in he blanks with the words you hear.
Florence Nightingale was a celebrated English social reformer and the founder of modern nursing. She became famous while serving as a nurse during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. Early 21st century 1)________ have asserted that Nightingale’s achievements in the Crimean War had been 2)_______ by the media to satisfy the public's need for a hero. But later on her achievements remain widely accepted and she has generally been well regarded by historians.
Nightingale was born to a wealthy upper-class family, at a time when women of her class were expected to 3) _________ marriage and child bearing. Her father had progressive social views, providing his daughter with a well-rounded education that included math, and supported her desire to 4) ________. Nightingale rejected proposals of marriage so as to be free to pursue her calling. In 1860, Nightingale 5) ______ of professional nursing with the establishment of her nursing school in London. It was the first nursing school in the world. The Nightingale Pledge taken by new nurses was named in her honor, and the 6)________
International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on her birthday. She made 7)________ social reforms including improving health care for all sections of British society; improving health care and 8)______ for better hunger relief in India; helping to 9) ______ laws that were overly harsh to women; and expanding the acceptable forms of female participation in the workforce. Nightingale's ability to effect reform rested on her extraordinary skills, her good reputation, and her network of 10)_______ friends.
