A woman was in her car when it went into a big creek and turned upside down. She climbed on top of her car and stayed there for a long time, waiting for someone to find her. A person camping saw her the next day and called for help. People came in a helicopter and took her to the hospital, but she was not very hurt.

This story shows that it can be very dangerous to drive when the weather is bad. It also shows that people can be brave and smart when they are in trouble. The woman stayed calm and waited on her car, which helped her stay safe until she was rescued.

The people who help keep us safe say that we should be careful when we drive, especially when there is a lot of water on the roads. They say we should know what the weather will be like and if any roads are closed. It’s also good to have a plan for what to do if something goes wrong while we are driving.

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

🎧 Listen:

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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 copy of the article.
3. Ask the groups to read the article and summarize the main points in just a few sentences.
4. After a few minutes, ask each group to share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Write the following question on the board: “Do you think it is dangerous to drive in bad weather?”
2. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
3. Give each group a few minutes to discuss their opinions and reasons for their answer.
4. After the discussion, ask each group to share their opinions with the class and explain their reasoning.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g. creek, helicopter, rescued).
2. Divide the class into teams.
3. Choose one person from each team to come to the board.
4. Give each person a vocabulary word and ask them to draw a picture representing that word.
5. The rest of the team must guess the word based on the drawing.
6. The team that guesses correctly gets a point.
7. Repeat with different team members and vocabulary words.

– Sketch It
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs.
2. Give each pair a blank piece of paper and a pen or pencil.
3. One person in each pair will describe a scene from the article while the other person tries to sketch it based on the description.
4. After a few minutes, switch roles and repeat the activity.
5. After both rounds, ask the pairs to share their sketches and describe the scenes they were trying to depict.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions:
1. Ask the class to think about the following question: “What would you do if your car went into a creek?”
2. Give the students a few minutes to think about their answers.
3. Pair up the students and ask them to share their ideas with each other.
4. After the pair discussion, ask a few pairs to share their ideas with the whole class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened to the woman’s car?
2. Where did the woman wait for help?
3. How did the person camping find the woman?
4. How did the woman get to the hospital?
5. Was the woman badly hurt?
6. Why is it dangerous to drive in bad weather?
7. What should we do to stay safe when we drive in bad weather?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A woman was in her car when it went into a big creek and (1)______ upside down. She climbed on top of her car and stayed there for a (2)______ time, waiting for someone to find her. A person (3)______ saw her the next day and called for (4)______. People came in a helicopter and (5)______ her to the hospital, but she was not very hurt.

This story (6)______ that it can be very dangerous to drive when the weather is bad. It also shows that people can be brave and smart when they are in trouble. The woman stayed (7)______ and (8)______ on her car, which helped her stay (9)______ until she was rescued.

The people who help keep us safe say that we should be careful when we drive, especially when there is a lot of water on the roads. They say we should (10)______ what the weather will be like and if any roads are (11)______. It’s also good to have a plan for what to do if something (12)______ wrong while we are driving.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What do you think happened to the woman’s car?
2. How do you think the woman felt when she was waiting on top of her car?
3. Have you ever been in a dangerous situation? What happened?
4. Do you think it’s important to stay calm in a difficult situation? Why or why not?
5. How would you feel if you saw someone in trouble and couldn’t help them?
6. Do you like going camping? Why or why not?
7. What do you think the woman should have done differently to avoid the accident?
8. How do you think the woman felt when she saw the helicopter coming to rescue her?
9. What is a plan? Why is it important to have a plan when driving?
10. How would you feel if you were in a car accident?
11. Do you think it’s important to check the weather before driving? Why or why not?
12. What would you do if you were in a car accident? Why?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. creek
2. overturned
3. camp
4. helicopter
5. hospital
6. dangerous
7. brave
8. smart
9. rescued
10. weather
11. closed
12. plan

Meanings:
(A) A flying machine that can go straight up and down
(B) Can cause harm or injury
(C) A place where doctors take care of sick or injured people
(D) A small river or stream
(E) Clever and able to solve problems
(F) To stay outside in a tent for a short time
(G) A set of steps to follow to achieve something
(H) Having courage, not afraid
(I) Saved from danger or trouble
(J) Flipped upside down
(K) What it’s like outside, like if it’s sunny, raining, or snowing
(L) Not open for people to go through
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What happened to the woman’s car?
(a) It went into a big creek and turned upside down.
(b) It crashed into a tree.
(c) It got stuck in traffic.
(d) It ran out of gas.

2. How did the woman stay safe while waiting for help?
(a) She swam to the shore.
(b) She called for help on her phone.
(c) She ran away from the creek.
(d) She climbed on top of her car.

3. Who saw the woman and called for help?
(a) A police officer.
(b) A person camping.
(c) A firefighter.
(d) A doctor.

4. How did the woman get to the hospital?
(a) In a helicopter.
(b) In an ambulance.
(c) In a police car.
(d) In a taxi.

5. What does this story teach us about driving in bad weather?
(a) It is always safe.
(b) It can be very dangerous.
(c) It is fun and exciting.
(d) It is better than driving in good weather.

6. What does the story show about the woman?
(a) She was scared and panicked.
(b) She was angry and frustrated.
(c) She was brave and smart.
(d) She was careless and reckless.

7. What advice do the people who keep us safe give about driving?
(a) Drive fast and take risks.
(b) Don’t pay attention to the weather.
(c) Be careful, especially when there is a lot of water on the roads.
(d) Don’t have a plan for emergencies.

8. What is a good idea to have while driving?
(a) A map of the city.
(b) A pet in the car.
(c) A lot of snacks.
(d) A plan for what to do if something goes wrong.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. A helicopter came to rescue the woman and took her to the hospital.
2. This story teaches us that driving in bad weather can be very dangerous.
3. She climbed on top of her car and waited for someone to find her.
4. A woman was in a car accident and her car flipped over in a big creek.
5. It also shows that people can be cowardly and foolish when they’re in trouble.
6. The woman’s panic and impatience put her in danger until she was rescued.
7. A person who was hiking saw her the next day and ignored her pleas for help.
8. Thankfully, the woman was seriously injured in the accident.
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’s car?
2. How did the woman stay safe while waiting for help?
3. Why is it dangerous to drive when the weather is bad?
4. What should we do to be careful when we drive?
5. Why is it important to have a plan while driving?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What happened to the woman’s car?
Her car went into a big creek and turned upside down.

2. Where did the woman wait for help?
She waited on top of her car.

3. How did the person camping find the woman?
The person camping saw her the next day.

4. How did the woman get to the hospital?
She was taken to the hospital in a helicopter.

5. Was the woman badly hurt?
No, she was not very hurt.

6. Why is it dangerous to drive in bad weather?
It can be dangerous to drive in bad weather because the roads can be slippery and it’s harder to see.

7. What should we do to stay safe when we drive in bad weather?
We should be careful when we drive, know the weather conditions, and have a plan in case something goes wrong.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) turned
(2) long
(3) camping
(4) help
(5) took
(6) shows
(7) calm
(8) waited
(9) safe
(10) know
(11) closed
(12) goes
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. creek
Answer: (D) A small river or stream

2. overturned
Answer: (J) Flipped upside down

3. camp
Answer: (F) To stay outside in a tent for a short time

4. helicopter
Answer: (A) A flying machine that can go straight up and down

5. hospital
Answer: (C) A place where doctors take care of sick or injured people

6. dangerous
Answer: (B) Can cause harm or injury

7. brave
Answer: (H) Having courage, not afraid

8. smart
Answer: (E) Clever and able to solve problems

9. rescued
Answer: (I) Saved from danger or trouble

10. weather
Answer: (K) What it’s like outside, like if it’s sunny, raining, or snowing

11. closed
Answer: (L) Not open for people to go through

12. plan
Answer: (G) A set of steps to follow to achieve something
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What happened to the woman’s car?
Answer: (a) It went into a big creek and turned upside down.

2. How did the woman stay safe while waiting for help?
Answer: (d) She climbed on top of her car.

3. Who saw the woman and called for help?
Answer: (b) A person camping.

4. How did the woman get to the hospital?
Answer: (a) In a helicopter.

5. What does this story teach us about driving in bad weather?
Answer: (b) It can be very dangerous.

6. What does the story show about the woman?
Answer: (c) She was brave and smart.

7. What advice do the people who keep us safe give about driving?
Answer: (c) Be careful, especially when there is a lot of water on the roads.

8. What is a good idea to have while driving?
Answer: (d) A plan for what to do if something goes wrong.
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. A helicopter came to rescue the woman and took her to the hospital. (Answer: True)
2. This story teaches us that driving in bad weather can be very dangerous. (Answer: True)
3. She climbed on top of her car and waited for someone to find her. (Answer: True)
4. A woman was in a car accident and her car flipped over in a big creek. (Answer: True)
5. It also shows that people can be cowardly and foolish when they’re in trouble. (Answer: False)
6. The woman’s panic and impatience put her in danger until she was rescued. (Answer: False)
7. A person who was hiking saw her the next day and ignored her pleas for help. (Answer: False)
8. Thankfully, the woman was seriously injured in the accident. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧