A fisherman found a very old bomb in his net near an island in Denmark. The bomb was very heavy, so the fisherman told the people who keep everyone safe. The navy people took the bomb and put it back in the water. Then they made it explode under the water on purpose.

The navy in Denmark made the old bomb explode without hurting anyone. The fisherman did the right thing by telling them about the bomb. The navy people are good at making bombs explode safely. They made this bomb explode under the water, far away from people.

This story shows that there are still old bombs in the water from a big war a long time ago. The people in Denmark who make sure we are safe are always looking for these bombs. They know how to get rid of them without anyone getting hurt. They did a good job with this bomb, and they help keep the water safe for everyone.

Original news source: World War Two bomb detonated off coast of Denmark (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a copy of the article. Instruct them to read the article and then summarize it in their own words in 3-5 sentences. After they have finished, ask each group to share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: “Do you think it is important to remove old bombs from the water? Why or why not?” Divide the class into small groups. Instruct each group to discuss the question and come up with their own opinions. After they have discussed, ask each group to share their opinions with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g. fisherman, bomb, navy, explode, water). Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a piece of paper and a pen. Instruct one student from each pair to choose a word from the list and draw a picture to represent that word. The other student must guess the word based on the drawing. After a certain amount of time, switch roles and repeat the activity with different words.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a copy of the article. Instruct them to read the article individually and then take turns summarizing the article to their group members in 1 minute or less. After each student has had a turn, ask each group to select one person to summarize the article to the whole class in 1 minute or less.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Instruct the class to imagine that they are the navy people in Denmark responsible for removing old bombs from the water. Ask them to discuss in pairs or small groups what they think the future of bomb removal might look like. What new technology or techniques might be used? After they have discussed, ask a few pairs or groups to share their predictions with the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the fisherman find in his net?
2. Why did the fisherman tell the navy people about the bomb?
3. What did the navy people do with the bomb?
4. Did anyone get hurt when the bomb exploded?
5. Why are there still old bombs in the water?
6. What do the people in Denmark do to make sure we are safe?
7. How did the navy people help keep the water safe?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A fisherman found a very old (1)______ in his net near an (2)______ in Denmark. The bomb was very (3)______, so the fisherman told the people who keep everyone safe. The navy people took the bomb and put it back in the water. Then they made it explode under the (4)______ on (5)______.

The navy in (6)______ made the old bomb explode without hurting anyone. The fisherman did the right thing by telling them about the bomb. The navy people are good at (7)______ (8)______ (9)______ safely. They made this bomb explode under the water, far away from people.

This story shows that there are still old bombs in the water from a big war a long time ago. The people in Denmark who (10)______ sure we are (11)______ are always looking for these bombs. They know how to get rid of them without anyone getting hurt. They did a good job with this bomb, and they (12)______ keep the water safe for everyone.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What did the fisherman find in his net?
2. How did the fisherman feel when he found the bomb?
3. What did the fisherman do after finding the bomb?
4. Who did the fisherman tell about the bomb?
5. What did the navy people do with the bomb?
6. How did the navy people make the bomb explode?
7. Why did the navy people explode the bomb under the water?
8. Do you think the fisherman did the right thing by telling the navy about the bomb? Why or why not?
9. How do you think the navy people felt after making the bomb explode safely?
10. What does this story show about the water in Denmark?
11. How do the people in Denmark make sure the water is safe?
12. Why do you think it’s important to get rid of old bombs in the water?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. bomb
2. fisherman
3. net
4. island
5. navy
6. explode
7. hurt
8. water
9. war
10. rid
11. job
12. safe

Meanings:
(A) A big fight between countries
(B) To cause pain or injury to someone
(C) To burst or break apart with a loud noise
(D) A tool made of string or rope used to catch fish
(E) A person who catches fish for a living
(F) A dangerous thing that can explode and cause a lot of damage
(G) Not in danger or harm’s way
(H) The part of the military that protects the country’s waters
(I) A small piece of land surrounded by water
(J) A liquid that covers most of the Earth’s surface
(K) A task or duty that someone is responsible for
(L) To remove or get rid of something
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did the fisherman find in his net?
(a) A bomb
(b) A fish
(c) A treasure
(d) A rock

2. What did the fisherman do when he found the bomb?
(a) He kept it for himself
(b) He threw it back in the water
(c) He told the navy people
(d) He sold it to someone

3. Where did the navy people put the bomb?
(a) In a museum
(b) In a safe
(c) In a boat
(d) Back in the water

4. How did the navy people make the bomb explode?
(a) In the sky
(b) Under the water
(c) On land
(d) In a building

5. Why did the navy people make the bomb explode?
(a) To get rid of it safely
(b) To hurt people
(c) To make a big noise
(d) To scare the fisherman

6. What did the story show about the bombs in the water?
(a) There are no bombs in the water
(b) The bombs are new and dangerous
(c) The bombs are small and harmless
(d) There are still old bombs from a big war a long time ago

7. What do the people in Denmark do with the bombs they find?
(a) Keep them in a museum
(b) Sell them to other countries
(c) Get rid of them safely
(d) Use them for fishing

8. What did the navy people do to help keep the water safe?
(a) They caught the fisherman
(b) They got rid of the bomb without hurting anyone
(c) They made more bombs explode
(d) They stopped fishing in the water

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The navy people took the bomb and removed it from the water.
2. The navy people made the bomb malfunction under the water on purpose.
3. The navy people are skilled at safely defusing bombs.
4. The bomb explosion did not hurt anyone.
5. This story shows that there are still old bombs in the water from a big war a long time ago.
6. The fisherman told the navy people about the bomb.
7. A fisherman found a fish in his net near an island in Denmark.
8. The bomb was very heavy.
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 did the fisherman find in his net near an island in Denmark?
2. Why did the fisherman tell the navy people about the bomb?
3. What did the navy people do with the bomb?
4. How did the navy people make the bomb explode?
5. Why is it important for the navy people to find and get rid of these old bombs in the water?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did the fisherman find in his net?
The fisherman found a very old bomb in his net.

2. Why did the fisherman tell the navy people about the bomb?
The fisherman told the navy people about the bomb because it was very heavy and he wanted them to handle it safely.

3. What did the navy people do with the bomb?
The navy people took the bomb and put it back in the water. Then they made it explode under the water on purpose.

4. Did anyone get hurt when the bomb exploded?
No, no one got hurt when the bomb exploded because the navy people made sure it was far away from people.

5. Why are there still old bombs in the water?
There are still old bombs in the water from a big war a long time ago.

6. What do the people in Denmark do to make sure we are safe?
The people in Denmark who make sure we are safe are always looking for these bombs and know how to get rid of them without anyone getting hurt.

7. How did the navy people help keep the water safe?
The navy people helped keep the water safe by safely exploding the bomb under the water, far away from people.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) bomb
(2) island
(3) heavy
(4) water
(5) purpose
(6) Denmark
(7) making
(8) bombs
(9) explode
(10) make
(11) safe
(12) help
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. bomb
Answer: (F) A dangerous thing that can explode and cause a lot of damage

2. fisherman
Answer: (E) A person who catches fish for a living

3. net
Answer: (D) A tool made of string or rope used to catch fish

4. island
Answer: (I) A small piece of land surrounded by water

5. navy
Answer: (H) The part of the military that protects the country’s waters

6. explode
Answer: (C) To burst or break apart with a loud noise

7. hurt
Answer: (B) To cause pain or injury to someone

8. water
Answer: (J) A liquid that covers most of the Earth’s surface

9. war
Answer: (A) A big fight between countries

10. rid
Answer: (L) To remove or get rid of something

11. job
Answer: (K) A task or duty that someone is responsible for

12. safe
Answer: (G) Not in danger or harm’s way
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did the fisherman find in his net?
Answer: (a) A bomb

2. What did the fisherman do when he found the bomb?
Answer: (c) He told the navy people

3. Where did the navy people put the bomb?
Answer: (d) Back in the water

4. How did the navy people make the bomb explode?
Answer: (b) Under the water

5. Why did the navy people make the bomb explode?
Answer: (a) To get rid of it safely

6. What did the story show about the bombs in the water?
Answer: (d) There are still old bombs from a big war a long time ago

7. What do the people in Denmark do with the bombs they find?
Answer: (c) Get rid of them safely

8. What did the navy people do to help keep the water safe?
Answer: (b) They got rid of the bomb without hurting anyone
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The navy people took the bomb and removed it from the water. (Answer: False)
2. The navy people made the bomb malfunction under the water on purpose. (Answer: False)
3. The navy people are skilled at safely defusing bombs. (Answer: False)
4. The bomb explosion did not hurt anyone. (Answer: True)
5. This story shows that there are still old bombs in the water from a big war a long time ago. (Answer: True)
6. The fisherman told the navy people about the bomb. (Answer: True)
7. A fisherman found a fish in his net near an island in Denmark. (Answer: False)
8. The bomb was very heavy. (Answer: True)
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