A man in Australia, who is 38 years old, got stuck in a big underground pipe for more than a day. He first said he went in to get his phone, but really, he was hiding because he hit a police car with his car and ran away. Firefighters helped him get out by opening the top of the pipe. They found him because someone walking by heard him and called for help. The man got some small hurts and was very cold, but he is okay now.

The next day, the same person who heard the man came back and knew he needed help this time. Before getting into the pipe, the man had hit a police car and another car and then ran away without his car. Now, he is talking to the police to help them understand why he did all this. The police are trying to learn more about what happened. They are surprised by what the man did.

Original news source: Australian freed after spending 30 hours in drain (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write key words from the article on small pieces of paper and put them in a hat. One student from each team will take turns picking a word from the hat and acting it out without speaking. The team members must guess the word within a certain time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a set of vocabulary words from the article. One student will draw a picture to represent a word, while the other student tries to guess the word. They can only use gestures and drawings, no speaking. After a certain time limit, switch roles. The pair with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have students take turns summarizing the article in their own words. Encourage them to focus on the main events and key details. After each summary, have the other students provide feedback and ask questions to clarify any confusion.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write several questions related to the article on the board, such as “Do you think the man’s actions were justified?” or “What consequences do you think the man should face?” Have students walk around the classroom and ask their classmates the questions, recording their responses. Afterward, have a class discussion to share and compare opinions.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask students to individually think about why they think the man in the article did what he did. Then, have them pair up with a partner and discuss their thoughts. Finally, invite a few pairs to share their ideas with the whole class. Encourage students to listen actively and respectfully to their classmates’ ideas.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened to the man in Australia?
2. Why did the man go into the underground pipe?
3. How did the firefighters help the man get out of the pipe?
4. How did someone know the man was stuck in the pipe?
5. Did the man get hurt when he was stuck in the pipe?
6. What did the man do before he went into the pipe?
7. Are the police surprised by what the man did?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A man in Australia, who is 38 years old, got (1)______ in a big underground pipe for more than a day. He first said he (2)______ in to get his phone, but really, he was hiding because he hit a police car with his car and ran away. Firefighters helped him get out by opening the top of the pipe. They found him because someone (3)______ by heard him and called for help. The man got some small (4)______ and was very cold, but he is okay now.

The next day, the same person who heard the man (5)______ back and (6)______ he needed help this time. Before getting into the pipe, the man had hit a police car and another car and then ran away without his car. Now, he is talking to the police to help them (7)______ why he did all this. The police are trying to learn more about what (8)______. They are surprised by what the man did.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a police car?
2. How would you feel if you got stuck in a pipe?
3. Do you like hiding? Why or why not?
4. What would you do if you hit a police car?
5. How do you think the man felt when he got stuck in the pipe?
6. Do you think it’s important to help someone who is in trouble? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever lost your phone? How did you feel?
8. What would you do if you saw someone stuck in a pipe?
9. Do you think it’s okay to run away from the police? Why or why not?
10. How do you think the man felt when he got out of the pipe?
11. What do you think the police should do to understand why the man did all this?
12. Have you ever done something that surprised other people? What was it?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. underground
2. firefighters
3. pipe
4. opening
5. hurts
6. cold
7. police
8. understand
9. surprised
10. talking

Meanings:
(A) A big tube that water or other things can go through
(B) Knowing why something happens or how it works
(C) When something happens that you didn’t think would happen
(D) Making a hole or gap so something can get through
(E) People who put out fires and help in emergencies
(F) Using words to tell someone how you feel or what you think
(G) Feeling very chilly, like when it’s winter
(H) People who help keep us safe and follow the rules
(I) When you feel pain because you fell or hit something
(J) Below the ground where we walk
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How old is the man who got stuck in the underground pipe?
(a) 25
(b) 38
(c) 42
(d) 50

2. Why did the man go into the underground pipe?
(a) To get his phone
(b) To hide from the police
(c) To find a treasure
(d) To take a nap

3. How did the firefighters help the man get out of the pipe?
(a) By digging a hole
(b) By cutting the pipe
(c) By using a ladder
(d) By opening the top of the pipe

4. How did someone find out that the man was stuck in the pipe?
(a) They saw him through a window
(b) They smelled something strange
(c) They heard him and called for help
(d) They saw his car parked nearby

5. What happened to the man while he was stuck in the pipe?
(a) He found a treasure
(b) He made friends with a rat
(c) He got some small hurts
(d) He fell asleep

6. What did the man do before he got into the pipe the second time?
(a) He called his mom for help
(b) He went to buy some food
(c) He went to the beach
(d) He hit a police car and another car

7. Why are the police talking to the man?
(a) To understand why he did all this
(b) To give him a reward
(c) To ask for his autograph
(d) To arrest him

8. How do the police feel about what the man did?
(a) They are happy
(b) They are surprised
(c) They are angry
(d) They are sad

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The next day, the same person who heard the man came back and knew he needed help again.
2. Someone standing nearby heard the man and called for help.
3. A man in Australia got stuck in a big underground pipe for more than a day.
4. Firefighters assisted him in exiting the pipe by opening the top.
5. Before entering the pipe, the man bumped into a police car and another car and then left his car behind.
6. The man got some small hurts and was very cold, but he is okay now.
7. The police are talking to the man to understand why he did all these things and they are surprised.
8. He entered the pipe to seek shelter after hitting a police car with his own car and running away.
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 man in the underground pipe?
2. How did the firefighters help the man get out of the pipe?
3. Who heard the man in the pipe and called for help?
4. What did the man do before he got into the pipe?
5. Why are the police talking to the man?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What happened to the man in Australia?
The man got stuck in a big underground pipe.

2. Why did the man go into the underground pipe?
He went into the pipe to hide because he hit a police car with his car and ran away.

3. How did the firefighters help the man get out of the pipe?
They opened the top of the pipe to help him get out.

4. How did someone know the man was stuck in the pipe?
Someone walking by heard him and called for help.

5. Did the man get hurt when he was stuck in the pipe?
Yes, he got some small hurts and was very cold.

6. What did the man do before he went into the pipe?
Before going into the pipe, he hit a police car and another car and then ran away without his car.

7. Are the police surprised by what the man did?
Yes, the police are surprised by what the man did.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) stuck
(2) went
(3) walking
(4) hurts
(5) came
(6) knew
(7) understand
(8) happened
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. underground
Answer: (J) Below the ground where we walk

2. firefighters
Answer: (E) People who put out fires and help in emergencies

3. pipe
Answer: (A) A big tube that water or other things can go through

4. opening
Answer: (D) Making a hole or gap so something can get through

5. hurts
Answer: (I) When you feel pain because you fell or hit something

6. cold
Answer: (G) Feeling very chilly, like when it’s winter

7. police
Answer: (H) People who help keep us safe and follow the rules

8. understand
Answer: (B) Knowing why something happens or how it works

9. surprised
Answer: (C) When something happens that you didn’t think would happen

10. talking
Answer: (F) Using words to tell someone how you feel or what you think
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How old is the man who got stuck in the underground pipe?
Answer: (b) 38

2. Why did the man go into the underground pipe?
Answer: (a) To get his phone

3. How did the firefighters help the man get out of the pipe?
Answer: (d) By opening the top of the pipe

4. How did someone find out that the man was stuck in the pipe?
Answer: (c) They heard him and called for help

5. What happened to the man while he was stuck in the pipe?
Answer: (c) He got some small hurts

6. What did the man do before he got into the pipe the second time?
Answer: (d) He hit a police car and another car

7. Why are the police talking to the man?
Answer: (a) To understand why he did all this

8. How do the police feel about what the man did?
Answer: (b) They are surprised
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The next day, the same person who heard the man came back and knew he needed help again. (Answer: True)
2. Someone standing nearby heard the man and called for help. (Answer: False)
3. A man in Australia got stuck in a big underground pipe for more than a day. (Answer: True)
4. Firefighters assisted him in exiting the pipe by opening the top. (Answer: False)
5. Before entering the pipe, the man bumped into a police car and another car and then left his car behind. (Answer: False)
6. The man got some small hurts and was very cold, but he is okay now. (Answer: True)
7. The police are talking to the man to understand why he did all these things and they are surprised. (Answer: True)
8. He entered the pipe to seek shelter after hitting a police car with his own car and running away. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧