A man in Australia was saved after spending more than 30 hours hiding in an underground drain network. At first, he said he went into the drain to get his phone, but the police said he actually went there after crashing his car into one of their cars. Someone passing by saw him and told the authorities, who then rescued him. He was hurt and cold, but firefighters helped him get out of the drain. It only took about five minutes to rescue him.

A guy named James Lingwood called the police when he heard someone yelling on Sunday. He saw the man but thought he was okay and could get out by himself, so he left him alone. But when Lingwood went back on Monday and heard heavy breathing, he knew something was wrong and decided to help.

On Tuesday, the police said the man was driving a suspicious car that crashed into a police car, damaging both cars. After that, he ran away after another crash that hurt the other driver a little bit. The acting police commissioner, Steve Gollschewski, said it’s surprising what people can do.

The man is okay now and is helping the police with their investigation. People are curious about why he hid in the drain, so the police are trying to find out more about what happened before he hid.

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:

– News Summary

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Give each group a set of key points from the article.
3. In their groups, students must work together to create a concise summary of the news article using the key points.
4. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs.
2. Assign one student in each pair to be the “interviewer” and the other to be the “interviewee.”
3. The interviewer will ask the interviewee questions about their opinion on the man hiding in the drain.
4. The interviewee must answer the questions with their own personal opinion, using examples or reasons to support their viewpoint.
5. After a set amount of time, have the pairs switch roles and repeat the activity.

– Vocabulary Pictionary

Instructions:
1. Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board.
2. Divide the class into small groups.
3. Each group must choose a word from the list and draw a quick sketch to represent the word.
4. Once all the groups have finished their sketches, they must take turns presenting their drawing to the class.
5. The rest of the class must guess which vocabulary word the sketch represents.

– Pros and Cons

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Assign each group a different topic related to the article, such as “hiding in the drain” or “helping others.”
3. In their groups, students must brainstorm and discuss the pros and cons of their assigned topic.
4. After a designated amount of time, each group must present their findings to the class, discussing both the positive and negative aspects of their topic.

– Think-Pair-Share

Instructions:
1. Give each student a few minutes to read the article individually.
2. After reading, ask the students to think about a discussion question related to the article, such as “What would you have done if you were in James Lingwood’s position?”
3. Pair up the students and have them discuss their thoughts and opinions on the question.
4. After a designated amount of time, have the pairs share their ideas with the rest of the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. How long did the man spend hiding in the underground drain network?
2. Why did the man initially say he went into the drain?
3. Who saw the man and alerted the authorities?
4. How did the firefighters assist in rescuing the man?
5. Who called the police after hearing someone yelling?
6. Why did Lingwood initially think the man could get out by himself?
7. What did Lingwood hear on Monday that made him realize something was wrong?
8. Why are the police trying to find out more about what happened before the man hid in the drain?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A man in Australia was saved after spending more than 30 hours (1)______ in an underground drain network. At first, he said he went into the drain to get his (2)______, but the (3)______ said he actually went there after crashing his car into one of their cars. Someone passing by saw him and told the (4)______, who then (5)______d him. He was hurt and cold, but (6)______ helped him get out of the drain. It only took about five minutes to rescue him.

A guy named James (7)______ called the police when he heard someone (8)______ on Sunday. He saw the man but thought he was okay and could get out by himself, so he left him alone. But when Lingwood went back on Monday and heard (9)______ breathing, he knew something was wrong and decided to help.

On Tuesday, the police said the man was driving a suspicious car that (10)______ed into a police car, (11)______ both cars. After that, he ran away after an(12)______ crash that hurt the other driver a (13)______ bit. The acting police (14)______, Steve Gollschewski, said it’s surprising what (15)______ can do.

The man is okay now and is helping the police with their investigation. People are curious about why he hid in the drain, so the police are (16)______ to find out more about what happened before he hid.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What do you think it would be like to be trapped in an underground drain for over 30 hours?
2. How would you feel if you saw someone in trouble but thought they could handle it themselves, and then later found out they needed help?
3. Do you think it was a good idea for the man to hide in the drain after crashing his car into the police car? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever witnessed a car accident? How did it make you feel?
5. What do you think the police should do to investigate why the man hid in the drain?
6. How do you think the man felt when he was finally rescued from the drain?
7. Do you think it’s surprising that the man hid in the drain for so long? Why or why not?
8. Have you ever been in a situation where you needed help but didn’t ask for it? How did it turn out?
9. What would you do if you saw someone crash their car and then run away?
10. How do you think the man’s actions affected the other driver involved in the second crash?
11. Do you think the man should face consequences for his actions? Why or why not?
12. How do you think the police should handle the investigation to find out more about what happened before the man hid in the drain?
13. Have you ever had to help someone in an emergency situation? What did you do?
14. Do you think it’s important for people to help each other in times of need? Why or why not?
15. How would you react if you were driving and someone crashed into your car and then ran away?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. authorities
2. rescued
3. firefighters
4. suspicious
5. investigation
6. curious
7. underground
8. network
9. damaged
10. crashed
11. yelling
12. breathing
13. commissioner
14. surprising
15. hiding

Meanings:
(A) Below the surface of the earth
(B) When something is harmed or made less perfect
(C) Wanting to know more about something or someone
(D) A person in charge of a particular department or unit of an organization
(E) People who have the power to make decisions and enforce laws
(F) A system of connected lines or paths that cross each other
(G) Staying out of sight, often to avoid being caught or noticed
(H) When a vehicle hits something, often causing damage
(I) The act of taking air into and out of the lungs
(J) Saved from a dangerous or difficult situation
(K) People trained to put out fires and often help in other emergencies
(L) When something or someone makes you think that something wrong or illegal is happening
(M) Causing wonder or astonishment
(N) A detailed examination to find out facts about something
(O) Shouting loudly, often because you need help or are in trouble
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How long did the man spend hiding in the underground drain network?
(a) More than 30 hours
(b) Less than 10 hours
(c) Exactly 24 hours
(d) Around 15 hours

2. Why did the man initially say he went into the drain?
(a) To hide from the police
(b) To explore the underground network
(c) To get his phone
(d) To escape from the crash scene

3. Who spotted the man hiding in the drain and alerted the authorities?
(a) James Lingwood
(b) Someone passing by
(c) The police
(d) The firefighters

4. How did the man get hurt while hiding in the drain?
(a) He fell while trying to escape
(b) He was injured in the car crash
(c) He got frostbite from the cold
(d) It is not mentioned in the article

5. How long did it take to rescue the man from the drain?
(a) More than an hour
(b) About five minutes
(c) Less than a minute
(d) Around half an hour

6. Who called the police after hearing someone yelling?
(a) The man hiding in the drain
(b) The other driver involved in the crash
(c) The authorities who rescued the man
(d) James Lingwood

7. Why did the man hide in the drain, according to the police?
(a) After crashing his car into a police car
(b) To avoid getting caught by the authorities
(c) To find his phone
(d) To explore the underground network

8. How is the man currently assisting the police?
(a) By hiding in the drain again
(b) By providing medical assistance
(c) With their investigation
(d) By repairing the damaged cars

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Lingwood returned on Tuesday and heard heavy sighing, which made him realize something was wrong, prompting him to offer his help.
2. Initially, he claimed he went into the drain to retrieve his phone, but the police discovered he actually went there after crashing his car into one of their vehicles.
3. Despite being injured and cold, firefighters assisted him in getting out of the drain, and the entire rescue operation took only about five minutes.
4. A passerby noticed the woman and alerted the authorities, who then successfully rescued her.
5. A man in Australia was rescued after spending over 30 hours hiding in an underground drain network.
6. The woman is now safe and cooperating with the police’s interrogation. Authorities are trying to uncover more details about the events leading up to her decision to hide in the sewer.
7. A person named John Lingwood first heard the woman yelling and called the police on Sunday. However, he initially believed the woman could manage on her own and left her alone.
8. The police revealed that the man had been driving a suspicious car that collided with a police vehicle, causing damage to both cars. He then fled the scene after another crash that caused minor injuries to the other driver.
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. Why did the man go into the underground drain network?
2. How did someone find out that the man was hiding in the drain?
3. Why did James Lingwood initially think the man was okay?
4. What happened to the man’s car before he hid in the drain?
5. What are the police trying to find out about the man’s actions before he hid?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. How long did the man spend hiding in the underground drain network?
The man spent more than 30 hours hiding in the underground drain network.

2. Why did the man initially say he went into the drain?
The man initially said he went into the drain to get his phone.

3. Who saw the man and alerted the authorities?
Someone passing by saw the man and alerted the authorities.

4. How did the firefighters assist in rescuing the man?
The firefighters helped him get out of the drain.

5. Who called the police after hearing someone yelling?
A guy named James Lingwood called the police after hearing someone yelling.

6. Why did Lingwood initially think the man could get out by himself?
Lingwood initially thought the man could get out by himself because he seemed okay.

7. What did Lingwood hear on Monday that made him realize something was wrong?
Lingwood heard heavy breathing on Monday, which made him realize something was wrong.

8. Why are the police trying to find out more about what happened before the man hid in the drain?
The police are trying to find out more about what happened before the man hid in the drain to understand the full story and the reasons behind his actions.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) hiding
(2) phone
(3) police
(4) authorities
(5) rescue
(6) firefighters
(7) Lingwood
(8) yelling
(9) heavy
(10) crash
(11) damaging
(12) other
(13) little
(14) commissioner
(15) people
(16) trying
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. authorities
Answer: (E) People who have the power to make decisions and enforce laws

2. rescued
Answer: (J) Saved from a dangerous or difficult situation

3. firefighters
Answer: (K) People trained to put out fires and often help in other emergencies

4. suspicious
Answer: (L) When something or someone makes you think that something wrong or illegal is happening

5. investigation
Answer: (N) A detailed examination to find out facts about something

6. curious
Answer: (C) Wanting to know more about something or someone

7. underground
Answer: (A) Below the surface of the earth

8. network
Answer: (F) A system of connected lines or paths that cross each other

9. damaged
Answer: (B) When something is harmed or made less perfect

10. crashed
Answer: (H) When a vehicle hits something, often causing damage

11. yelling
Answer: (O) Shouting loudly, often because you need help or are in trouble

12. breathing
Answer: (I) The act of taking air into and out of the lungs

13. commissioner
Answer: (D) A person in charge of a particular department or unit of an organization

14. surprising
Answer: (M) Causing wonder or astonishment

15. hiding
Answer: (G) Staying out of sight, often to avoid being caught or noticed
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How long did the man spend hiding in the underground drain network?
Answer: (a) More than 30 hours

2. Why did the man initially say he went into the drain?
Answer: (c) To get his phone

3. Who spotted the man hiding in the drain and alerted the authorities?
Answer: (b) Someone passing by

4. How did the man get hurt while hiding in the drain?
Answer: (d) It is not mentioned in the article

5. How long did it take to rescue the man from the drain?
Answer: (b) About five minutes

6. Who called the police after hearing someone yelling?
Answer: (d) James Lingwood

7. Why did the man hide in the drain, according to the police?
Answer: (a) After crashing his car into a police car

8. How is the man currently assisting the police?
Answer: (c) With their investigation
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Lingwood returned on Tuesday and heard heavy sighing, which made him realize something was wrong, prompting him to offer his help. (Answer: False)
2. Initially, he claimed he went into the drain to retrieve his phone, but the police discovered he actually went there after crashing his car into one of their vehicles. (Answer: True)
3. Despite being injured and cold, firefighters assisted him in getting out of the drain, and the entire rescue operation took only about five minutes. (Answer: True)
4. A passerby noticed the woman and alerted the authorities, who then successfully rescued her. (Answer: False)
5. A man in Australia was rescued after spending over 30 hours hiding in an underground drain network. (Answer: True)
6. The woman is now safe and cooperating with the police’s interrogation. Authorities are trying to uncover more details about the events leading up to her decision to hide in the sewer. (Answer: False)
7. A person named John Lingwood first heard the woman yelling and called the police on Sunday. However, he initially believed the woman could manage on her own and left her alone. (Answer: False)
8. The police revealed that the man had been driving a suspicious car that collided with a police vehicle, causing damage to both cars. He then fled the scene after another crash that caused minor injuries to the other driver. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧