A hiker in California has been rescued after being stranded in the mountains for 10 days. Lukas McClish, 34, had gone out for a three-hour hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains on June 11 but got lost due to recent wildfires destroying landmarks in the area. His family reported him missing on June 16 when he did not show up for Father’s Day. A multi-day search and rescue effort was launched, and McClish was found on Thursday after a drone from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office spotted him. He survived by eating wild berries and drinking water collected in his boot.

McClish was found in the forest between Empire Grade Road and the Big Basin Highway in Santa Cruz County. He had no major injuries and was reunited with his family. In an interview, he explained that he had gone hiking with minimal supplies, including a pair of pants, hiking shoes, a hat, a flashlight, and a pair of folding scissors. He survived by drinking large quantities of water, which he collected from a waterfall using his boot. Towards the end of his ordeal, he began to feel the need for food and sustenance.

McClish expressed gratitude for the rescue teams that searched for him and described the experience as humbling. However, he stated that he will likely not be going out into the wilderness for a while, as he feels he has done enough hiking for the rest of the year. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of being prepared and having proper supplies when venturing into the outdoors.

Original news source: Missing hiker survives by drinking gallon of water a day (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a few minutes to read the article silently.
3. Instruct each group to write a summary of the article in 3-4 sentences.
4. After the allotted time, have each group share their summary with the class.
5. Discuss any differences or similarities between the summaries.

– Word Association

Instructions:
1. Write the word “hiking” on the board.
2. Ask the students to brainstorm as many words or phrases related to hiking as they can in one minute.
3. After one minute, have each student or group share their list with the class.
4. Encourage discussion and ask students to explain their choices.

– Sketch It

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a blank piece of paper and a pen or pencil.
3. Instruct each group to sketch a scene from the article.
4. After a few minutes, have each group share their sketch with the class.
5. Ask each group to explain their drawing and how it relates to the article.

– Opinion Poll

Instructions:
1. Write the following question on the board: “Would you go hiking alone in the wilderness?”
2. Instruct the students to silently think about their answer and be prepared to share their opinion.
3. Have a class discussion where students can share their opinions and reasons behind their answer.
4. Encourage respectful debate and allow students to ask questions or challenge each other’s opinions.

– Pros and Cons

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Instruct each group to create a list of the pros and cons of hiking alone in the wilderness.
3. After a few minutes, have each group share their lists with the class.
4. Facilitate a discussion where students can compare and contrast the different perspectives on this topic.
5. Encourage students to consider different factors such as safety, solitude, and personal growth.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. How long was Lukas McClish stranded in the mountains?
2. What caused Lukas McClish to get lost during his hike?
3. When was Lukas McClish reported missing?
4. How was Lukas McClish found?
5. What did Lukas McClish eat to survive during his time in the mountains?
6. Where was Lukas McClish found?
7. What supplies did Lukas McClish have with him during his hike?
8. How did Lukas McClish feel about the rescue teams that searched for him?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A hiker in California has been (1)______ after being stranded in the mountains for 10 days. Lukas (2)______, 34, had gone out for a three-hour hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains on June 11 but got lost due to (3)______ wildfires destroying landmarks in the area. His family reported him (4)______ on June 16 when he did not show up for Father’s Day. A multi-day search and rescue effort was launched, and McClish was (5)______ on Thursday after a (6)______ from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office spotted him. He survived by eating wild berries and (7)______ water (8)______ in his boot.

McClish was found in the forest between Empire Grade Road and the Big Basin Highway in Santa Cruz County. He had no major injuries and was reunited with his family. In an interview, he explained that he had gone hiking with (9)______ supplies, including a pair of pants, hiking shoes, a hat, a flashlight, and a pair of folding scissors. He (10)______ by drinking large quantities of (11)______, which he collected from a waterfall using his boot. Towards the end of his ordeal, he began to feel the need for food and (12)______.

McClish expressed gratitude for the rescue teams that searched for him and described the (13)______ as (14)______. However, he stated that he will likely not be going out into the (15)______ for a while, as he feels he has done enough (16)______ for the rest of the year. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of being prepared and having proper supplies when venturing into the outdoors.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is the longest amount of time you have been lost or stranded in a remote area?
2. How would you feel if you were stranded in the mountains for 10 days?
3. Do you like hiking? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to have proper supplies when going into the outdoors? Why or why not?
5. What is the most important item you would bring with you on a hike?
6. How would you survive if you were stranded in the wilderness without any supplies?
7. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to rely on your survival skills? What happened?
8. What do you think are the most important skills to have for surviving in the wilderness?
9. Do you think it’s better to hike alone or with a group? Why?
10. How do you think the recent wildfires in California have affected the landscape?
11. What would you do if you were lost in the mountains and couldn’t find your way back?
12. Have you ever been involved in a search and rescue effort? What was your role?
13. How do you think technology, like drones, has changed the way we search for missing people?
14. Have you ever had a humbling experience? What happened?
15. Do you think this incident will make people more cautious about hiking in remote areas? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. stranded
2. landmarks
3. multi-day
4. drone
5. minimal
6. sustenance
7. gratitude
8. humbling
9. wilderness
10. ordeal
11. supplies
12. venturing
13. rescued
14. spotted
15. quantities

Meanings:
(A) Traveling or exploring a new or unfamiliar area
(B) A wild and uninhabited area
(C) Saved from a dangerous or distressing situation
(D) Amounts or numbers of something
(E) Lasting for several days
(F) Seen or noticed
(G) Left in a difficult or helpless position
(H) Causing someone to feel less important or proud
(I) An unmanned aerial vehicle used for various purposes
(J) A difficult or painful experience
(K) Necessary items for a particular purpose
(L) The least amount possible
(M) Food and drink regarded as a source of strength
(N) The quality of being thankful
(O) Recognizable natural or man-made features used for navigation
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Where was Lukas McClish stranded for 10 days?
(a) Empire Grade Road
(b) Big Basin Highway
(c) Santa Cruz County
(d) Santa Cruz Mountains

2. How long was Lukas McClish missing before his family reported him?
(a) 10 days
(b) 5 days
(c) 3 days
(d) 1 day

3. How was Lukas McClish found?
(a) He found his own way back
(b) Another hiker found him
(c) Search dogs located him
(d) A drone spotted him

4. What did Lukas McClish eat to survive?
(a) Wild berries
(b) Fish he caught
(c) Canned food he brought
(d) Nothing, he didn’t eat

5. What supplies did Lukas McClish have with him?
(a) Tent, sleeping bag, cooking stove, water filter
(b) Backpack, compass, map, first aid kit
(c) Pants, hiking shoes, hat, flashlight, folding scissors
(d) None, he didn’t bring any supplies

6. How did Lukas McClish collect water?
(a) With a water bottle he brought
(b) Using his boot
(c) From a nearby stream
(d) He didn’t collect water, he found a water source

7. How did Lukas McClish feel towards the end of his ordeal?
(a) He felt relieved
(b) He felt scared
(c) He felt the need for food
(d) He felt tired

8. What lesson does this incident teach about venturing into the outdoors?
(a) The importance of being prepared and having proper supplies
(b) The importance of hiking with a group
(c) The importance of having a cell phone
(d) The importance of staying on marked trails

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The hiker expressed gratitude for the rescue teams and stated he will not be going hiking for a while.
2. A search and rescue effort was abandoned to find the missing hiker.
3. The hiker was reported missing on June 16 when he did not show up for Father’s Day.
4. The hiker survived by eating wild berries and drinking water collected in his boot.
5. The hiker got lost due to recent floods destroying landmarks in the area.
6. The hiker was found after a helicopter from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office spotted him.
7. A hiker in California was stranded in the desert for 10 days.
8. The hiker had no major injuries and was reunited with his family.
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. How did Lukas McClish become stranded in the mountains?
2. When was Lukas McClish reported missing?
3. How was Lukas McClish found?
4. What supplies did Lukas McClish have with him during his hike?
5. How did Lukas McClish survive while stranded in the mountains?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. How long was Lukas McClish stranded in the mountains?
Lukas McClish was stranded in the mountains for 10 days.

2. What caused Lukas McClish to get lost during his hike?
Recent wildfires destroyed landmarks in the area, causing Lukas McClish to get lost.

3. When was Lukas McClish reported missing?
Lukas McClish was reported missing on June 16.

4. How was Lukas McClish found?
Lukas McClish was found after a drone from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office spotted him.

5. What did Lukas McClish eat to survive during his time in the mountains?
Lukas McClish ate wild berries to survive during his time in the mountains.

6. Where was Lukas McClish found?
Lukas McClish was found in the forest between Empire Grade Road and the Big Basin Highway in Santa Cruz County.

7. What supplies did Lukas McClish have with him during his hike?
Lukas McClish had a pair of pants, hiking shoes, a hat, a flashlight, and a pair of folding scissors with him during his hike.

8. How did Lukas McClish feel about the rescue teams that searched for him?
Lukas McClish expressed gratitude for the rescue teams that searched for him.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) rescued
(2) McClish
(3) recent
(4) missing
(5) found
(6) drone
(7) drinking
(8) collected
(9) minimal
(10) survived
(11) water
(12) sustenance
(13) experience
(14) humbling
(15) wilderness
(16) hiking
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. stranded
Answer: (G) Left in a difficult or helpless position

2. landmarks
Answer: (O) Recognizable natural or man-made features used for navigation

3. multi-day
Answer: (E) Lasting for several days

4. drone
Answer: (I) An unmanned aerial vehicle used for various purposes

5. minimal
Answer: (L) The least amount possible

6. sustenance
Answer: (M) Food and drink regarded as a source of strength

7. gratitude
Answer: (N) The quality of being thankful

8. humbling
Answer: (H) Causing someone to feel less important or proud

9. wilderness
Answer: (B) A wild and uninhabited area

10. ordeal
Answer: (J) A difficult or painful experience

11. supplies
Answer: (K) Necessary items for a particular purpose

12. venturing
Answer: (A) Traveling or exploring a new or unfamiliar area

13. rescued
Answer: (C) Saved from a dangerous or distressing situation

14. spotted
Answer: (F) Seen or noticed

15. quantities
Answer: (D) Amounts or numbers of something
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Where was Lukas McClish stranded for 10 days?
Answer: (d) Santa Cruz Mountains

2. How long was Lukas McClish missing before his family reported him?
Answer: (b) 5 days

3. How was Lukas McClish found?
Answer: (d) A drone spotted him

4. What did Lukas McClish eat to survive?
Answer: (a) Wild berries

5. What supplies did Lukas McClish have with him?
Answer: (c) Pants, hiking shoes, hat, flashlight, folding scissors

6. How did Lukas McClish collect water?
Answer: (b) Using his boot

7. How did Lukas McClish feel towards the end of his ordeal?
Answer: (c) He felt the need for food

8. What lesson does this incident teach about venturing into the outdoors?
Answer: (a) The importance of being prepared and having proper supplies
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The hiker expressed gratitude for the rescue teams and stated he will not be going hiking for a while. (Answer: True)
2. A search and rescue effort was abandoned to find the missing hiker. (Answer: False)
3. The hiker was reported missing on June 16 when he did not show up for Father’s Day. (Answer: True)
4. The hiker survived by eating wild berries and drinking water collected in his boot. (Answer: True)
5. The hiker got lost due to recent floods destroying landmarks in the area. (Answer: False)
6. The hiker was found after a helicopter from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office spotted him. (Answer: False)
7. A hiker in California was stranded in the desert for 10 days. (Answer: False)
8. The hiker had no major injuries and was reunited with his family. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧