A woman in California got into a scary situation when she drove into a flooded creek. The heavy rain had made the creek really full, and it caused her car to flip over. She ended up stuck on top of her car for 14 hours. Luckily, someone camping nearby saw her the next morning and called for help. She was taken to the hospital with only minor injuries.

The officials were really impressed with how the woman handled the situation. They said it was important for her to stay on top of her car because it made it easier for people to see her and rescue her. They also reminded everyone to be careful when driving in flooded areas. The water can be deeper and stronger than it looks, so it’s best to avoid crossing it. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, it’s important to stay with your car, call for help, and wait for someone to come and rescue you.

This story is a good reminder of how dangerous it can be to drive in flooded areas. It’s important to be cautious and not take any risks. If you see a road or creek that’s flooded, it’s best to turn around and find another way. And if you ever find yourself stuck in a flooded area, remember to stay with your car and wait for help.

Original news source: Woman rescued after 14 hours atop submerged car (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:

1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the groups to read the article together and then summarize the main points in 3-4 sentences.
4. After a designated time, have each group share their summary with the class.
5. Encourage the class to discuss any differences or similarities in the summaries.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:

1. Write the following question on the board: “Do you think it’s important to stay with your car in a flooded situation? Why or why not?”
2. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
3. Instruct the students to discuss the question and come up with their own opinions.
4. After a few minutes, have each group share their opinions with the class.
5. Encourage the class to engage in a respectful and open-minded discussion about the topic.

– Headline Creation
Instructions:

1. Write the following words on the board: “Woman, Flooded Creek, Car Flip, Stuck, Rescue.”
2. Divide the class into small groups.
3. Instruct each group to create a catchy headline using as many of the given words as possible.
4. After a designated time, have each group share their headline with the class.
5. Encourage the class to discuss the different headlines and their effectiveness in capturing the main points of the article.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:

1. Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g. creek, flip, minor injuries, cautious).
2. Divide the class into teams.
3. Choose one player from each team to come to the front of the class.
4. Show the chosen players a vocabulary word from the list without the rest of the class seeing it.
5. Instruct the chosen players to draw the word on the board without using any letters or numbers.
6. The rest of their team members must guess the word based on the drawing.
7. The team that guesses correctly earns a point.
8. Repeat the process with different players and words until all the vocabulary words have been used.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions:

1. Divide the class into pairs.
2. Instruct each pair to take turns summarizing the article to their partner in one minute or less.
3. Encourage the students to focus on the main points and key details.
4. After each round, have the pairs switch roles.
5. Repeat the activity several times, gradually reducing the time limit to challenge the students.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened to the woman in California when she drove into a flooded creek?
2. How did she end up stuck on top of her car?
3. How long was she stuck on top of her car before someone saw her and called for help?
4. Why were the officials impressed with the woman’s actions during the situation?
5. What advice did the officials give to everyone about driving in flooded areas?
6. Why is it important to stay on top of your car if you find yourself in a similar situation?
7. What should you do if you ever find yourself stuck in a flooded area?
8. What is the main lesson from this story about driving in flooded areas?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A woman in California got into a scary (1)______ when she drove into a flooded creek. The (2)______ rain had made the creek really full, and it caused her car to flip over. She ended up stuck on top of her car for 14 hours. Luckily, someone (3)______ nearby saw her the next morning and (4)______ for help. She was (5)______ to the hospital with only minor injuries.

The officials were really (6)______ with how the (7)______ handled the situation. They said it was important for her to stay on top of her car because it made it easier for people to see her and (8)______ her. They also reminded everyone to be careful when (9)______ in flooded areas. The (10)______ can be deeper and stronger than it looks, so it’s best to avoid crossing it. If you ever find yourself in a (11)______ situation, it’s important to stay with your car, call for help, and wait for someone to come and rescue you.

This story is a good (12)______ of how (13)______ it can be to drive in flooded areas. It’s important to be cautious and not take any (14)______. If you see a road or (15)______ that’s flooded, it’s best to turn around and find another way. And if you ever find yourself (16)______ in a flooded area, remember to stay with your car and wait for help.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a flooded creek?
2. How would you feel if you were stuck on top of your car for 14 hours?
3. Do you like camping? Why or why not?
4. Do you think the woman was brave for staying on top of her car? Why?
5. What would you do if you saw a road or creek that was flooded?
6. How would you feel if you were the person who saw the woman and called for help?
7. Do you think it’s important to be cautious when driving in flooded areas? Why or why not?
8. What would you do if you found yourself stuck in a flooded area?
9. How would you feel if you were the person waiting for help in a flooded area?
10. Do you think it’s a good idea to stay with your car in a flooded area? Why or why not?
11. What would you do if you were driving and suddenly saw a flooded creek in front of you?
12. How would you feel if you had to wait for 14 hours for someone to rescue you?
13. Do you think the woman was lucky to only have minor injuries? Why or why not?
14. What would you do if you were camping and saw someone in a dangerous situation?
15. How would you feel if you were the one who had to call for help in a dangerous situation?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. situation
2. flooded
3. creek
4. flip
5. stuck
6. camping
7. minor
8. officials
9. rescue
10. cautious
11. crossing
12. risks
13. reminder
14. cautious
15. injuries

Meanings:
(A) A small stream or river
(B) Something that serves to warn or remind
(C) The possibility of something bad happening
(D) To save someone from a dangerous or difficult situation
(E) People in charge or with authority
(F) To turn over or cause to turn over
(G) The act of moving across, over, or through something
(H) Unable to move or get out of a place
(I) Staying outdoors overnight in a tent for fun
(J) Being careful to avoid potential problems or dangers
(K) Being careful to avoid potential problems or dangers (used twice in the article)
(L) Physical harm or damage to someone’s body
(M) Covered with or submerged in water
(N) The set of circumstances or the state of affairs at a particular time
(O) Not serious or important
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What happened to the woman in California?
(a) Her car flipped over in a flooded creek.
(b) She got lost while camping.
(c) She called for help when her car broke down.
(d) She had a minor injury while driving.

2. How long was the woman stuck on top of her car?
(a) 14 hours
(b) 4 hours
(c) 24 hours
(d) 10 hours

3. Why did the officials say it was important for the woman to stay on top of her car?
(a) It was more comfortable than staying inside the car.
(b) It prevented her from getting wet in the rain.
(c) It made it easier for people to see her and rescue her.
(d) It helped her car from sinking in the water.

4. What did the officials remind everyone to do when driving in flooded areas?
(a) Drive as fast as possible to get through the water.
(b) Take pictures of the flooded areas.
(c) Ignore the flooded areas and keep driving.
(d) Be careful and avoid crossing the water.

5. What should you do if you ever find yourself in a similar situation?
(a) Swim to the nearest shore and find help.
(b) Try to push your car out of the water by yourself.
(c) Abandon your car and walk to find help.
(d) Stay with your car, call for help, and wait for someone to come and rescue you.

6. What is the main message of this story?
(a) It’s fun to drive through flooded areas and see what happens.
(b) Driving in flooded areas can be dangerous, so be cautious and avoid taking risks.
(c) Flooding is a natural disaster that cannot be prevented.
(d) Cars are not safe to drive during heavy rain.

7. What should you do if you see a road or creek that’s flooded?
(a) Drive through it slowly to see if it’s safe.
(b) Ask someone nearby if it’s okay to cross.
(c) Turn around and find another way.
(d) Call the police to ask for assistance.

8. What is the best way to stay safe in a flooded area?
(a) Swim to the nearest shore as quickly as possible.
(b) Stay with your car and wait for help.
(c) Try to drive through the water as fast as you can.
(d) Walk to find higher ground and wait for help.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The light rain made the creek remain empty and harmless.
2. Someone camping nearby spotted her the next morning and called for help.
3. The incident serves as a reminder to be cautious when driving in flooded areas and to avoid crossing them.
4. Officials criticized her for staying on top of her car, as it made her less visible to rescuers.
5. She was stuck on top of her car for 14 hours before being rescued.
6. A woman in California drove into a flooded creek and her car flipped over.
7. Despite the encouraging situation, the woman only sustained major injuries.
8. If ever stuck in a similar situation, it is important to leave the car, avoid calling for help, and try to rescue oneself.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What happened to the woman in California when she drove into a flooded creek?
2. How long was the woman stuck on top of her car?
3. Why did the officials say it was important for the woman to stay on top of her car?
4. What advice did the officials give about driving in flooded areas?
5. What should you do if you ever find yourself stuck in a flooded area?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What happened to the woman in California when she drove into a flooded creek?
She flipped her car over.

2. How did she end up stuck on top of her car?
The heavy rain caused the creek to be full and strong, flipping her car over.

3. How long was she stuck on top of her car before someone saw her and called for help?
She was stuck for 14 hours.

4. Why were the officials impressed with the woman’s actions during the situation?
They were impressed because she stayed on top of her car, making it easier for people to see her and rescue her.

5. What advice did the officials give to everyone about driving in flooded areas?
They advised everyone to be careful and avoid crossing flooded areas, as the water can be deeper and stronger than it looks.

6. Why is it important to stay on top of your car if you find yourself in a similar situation?
Staying on top of the car makes it easier for people to see you and rescue you.

7. What should you do if you ever find yourself stuck in a flooded area?
You should stay with your car, call for help, and wait for someone to come and rescue you.

8. What is the main lesson from this story about driving in flooded areas?
The main lesson is to be cautious and not take any risks when driving in flooded areas. It’s best to turn around and find another way if you encounter a flooded road or creek.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) situation
(2) heavy
(3) camping
(4) called
(5) taken
(6) impressed
(7) woman
(8) rescue
(9) driving
(10) water
(11) similar
(12) reminder
(13) dangerous
(14) risks
(15) creek
(16) stuck
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. situation
Answer: (N) The set of circumstances or the state of affairs at a particular time

2. flooded
Answer: (M) Covered with or submerged in water

3. creek
Answer: (A) A small stream or river

4. flip
Answer: (F) To turn over or cause to turn over

5. stuck
Answer: (H) Unable to move or get out of a place

6. camping
Answer: (I) Staying outdoors overnight in a tent for fun

7. minor
Answer: (O) Not serious or important

8. officials
Answer: (E) People in charge or with authority

9. rescue
Answer: (D) To save someone from a dangerous or difficult situation

10. cautious
Answer: (J) Being careful to avoid potential problems or dangers

11. crossing
Answer: (G) The act of moving across, over, or through something

12. risks
Answer: (C) The possibility of something bad happening

13. reminder
Answer: (B) Something that serves to warn or remind

14. cautious
Answer: (K) Being careful to avoid potential problems or dangers (used twice in the article)

15. injuries
Answer: (L) Physical harm or damage to someone’s body
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What happened to the woman in California?
Answer: (a) Her car flipped over in a flooded creek.

2. How long was the woman stuck on top of her car?
Answer: (a) 14 hours

3. Why did the officials say it was important for the woman to stay on top of her car?
Answer: (c) It made it easier for people to see her and rescue her.

4. What did the officials remind everyone to do when driving in flooded areas?
Answer: (d) Be careful and avoid crossing the water.

5. What should you do if you ever find yourself in a similar situation?
Answer: (d) Stay with your car, call for help, and wait for someone to come and rescue you.

6. What is the main message of this story?
Answer: (b) Driving in flooded areas can be dangerous, so be cautious and avoid taking risks.

7. What should you do if you see a road or creek that’s flooded?
Answer: (c) Turn around and find another way.

8. What is the best way to stay safe in a flooded area?
Answer: (b) Stay with your car and wait for help.
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The light rain made the creek remain empty and harmless. (Answer: False)
2. Someone camping nearby spotted her the next morning and called for help. (Answer: True)
3. The incident serves as a reminder to be cautious when driving in flooded areas and to avoid crossing them. (Answer: True)
4. Officials criticized her for staying on top of her car, as it made her less visible to rescuers. (Answer: False)
5. She was stuck on top of her car for 14 hours before being rescued. (Answer: True)
6. A woman in California drove into a flooded creek and her car flipped over. (Answer: True)
7. Despite the encouraging situation, the woman only sustained major injuries. (Answer: False)
8. If ever stuck in a similar situation, it is important to leave the car, avoid calling for help, and try to rescue oneself. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧