A hiker in California got rescued after being stuck in the mountains for 10 days. Lukas McClish, who is 34 years old, went for a hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains on June 11. But he got lost because the recent wildfires destroyed the landmarks in the area. His family got worried when he didn’t show up for Father’s Day, so they reported him missing on June 16. The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office used a drone to find him on Thursday. He survived by eating wild berries and drinking water from his boot.

McClish was found in the forest between Empire Grade Road and the Big Basin Highway in Santa Cruz County. He didn’t have any major injuries and got reunited with his family. In an interview, he said that he went hiking with only a few things like pants, hiking shoes, a hat, a flashlight, and scissors. He survived by drinking lots of water that he collected from a waterfall using his boot. Towards the end, he started feeling hungry and weak.

McClish thanked the rescue teams that looked for him and said that the experience was humbling. But he also said that he probably won’t be going hiking for a while because he feels like he’s had enough for the year. This incident reminds us how important it is to be prepared and have the right supplies when going 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: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a few minutes to read the article. Then, one student in each pair will summarize the main points of the article to their partner. After they finish, have them switch roles and repeat the activity.

– Opinion Poll

Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to discuss and come up with their opinion on whether they think Lukas McClish was well-prepared for his hike. Then, have each group present their opinion to the class and explain their reasoning.

– Vocabulary Pictionary

Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate slips of paper and put them in a box. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will pick a slip of paper and draw a picture representing the word, while their team members try to guess the word. The team that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Pros and Cons

Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Instruct each pair to discuss the pros and cons of hiking alone, using the incident with Lukas McClish as an example. After they finish their discussion, have a few pairs share their thoughts with the class.

– Future Predictions

Instructions: Instruct the class to imagine they are Lukas McClish and write a short paragraph about what they think will happen in the future as a result of this incident. They can write about changes in their own behavior or changes in hiking safety measures. After they finish, have a few students share their predictions with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. How long was Lukas McClish stuck in the mountains?
2. What caused Lukas McClish to get lost?
3. Why did Lukas McClish’s family get worried?
4. How did the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office find Lukas McClish?
5. What did Lukas McClish eat and drink to survive?
6. Where was Lukas McClish found?
7. What items did Lukas McClish bring with him on the hike?
8. How did Lukas McClish feel at the end of his ordeal?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A hiker in California got rescued after being (1)______ in the mountains for 10 days. Lukas McClish, who is 34 years old, went for a hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains on June 11. But he got lost because the (2)______ wildfires destroyed the (3)______ in the area. His family got (4)______ when he didn’t show up for Father’s Day, so they reported him missing on June 16. The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office used a drone to find him on Thursday. He survived by eating wild berries and drinking (5)______ from his boot.

(6)______ was found in the forest between Empire (7)______ Road and the Big Basin (8)______ in Santa Cruz County. He didn’t have any major injuries and got reunited with his family. In an (9)______, he said that he went (10)______ with only a few (11)______ like (12)______, hiking shoes, a hat, a flashlight, and scissors. He survived by drinking lots of water that he collected from a waterfall using his boot. Towards the end, he started feeling hungry and weak.

McClish thanked the rescue (13)______ that looked for him and said that the experience was humbling. But he also said that he probably won’t be going hiking for a while because he feels like he’s had enough for the year. This incident (14)______ us how important it is to be (15)______ and have the (16)______ supplies when going outdoors.
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 stuck in the mountains for 10 days?
2. How would you feel if you went hiking and got lost?
3. Do you like hiking? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever been lost before? What happened?
5. What do you think McClish felt when he was reunited with his family?
6. How do you think McClish survived for 10 days in the mountains?
7. Do you think it was smart for McClish to go hiking with only a few things? Why or why not?
8. What do you think McClish meant when he said the experience was “humbling”?
9. How important do you think it is to be prepared when going outdoors?
10. Have you ever had a scary experience in nature? What happened?
11. What supplies do you think are important to have when going hiking?
12. Why do you think McClish said he probably won’t be going hiking for a while?
13. How do you think McClish’s family felt when he didn’t show up for Father’s Day?
14. Do you think it’s a good idea to go hiking alone? Why or why not?
15. What precautions do you think people should take before going on a hike?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. rescued
2. wildfires
3. landmarks
4. reported
5. drone
6. berries
7. injuries
8. reunited
9. flashlight
10. waterfall
11. humbling
12. incident
13. prepared
14. supplies
15. outdoors

Meanings:
(A) Necessary items or equipment
(B) In the open air, not inside a building
(C) Told someone in authority about something
(D) Physical harm or damage to the body
(E) A small, portable light powered by batteries
(F) Small, juicy fruits that grow on bushes
(G) A flying machine controlled from a distance
(H) Objects or features that help people recognize a place
(I) An event or occurrence, especially one that is important
(J) Making you feel less important or proud
(K) A stream of water falling from a height
(L) Large, uncontrolled fires that spread quickly
(M) Brought back together after being apart
(N) Ready for a situation or event
(O) Saved from a dangerous situation
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How long was Lukas McClish stuck in the mountains?
(a) 5 days
(b) 2 weeks
(c) 10 days
(d) 1 month

2. Why did Lukas McClish get lost?
(a) He didn’t have a map
(b) He didn’t bring a flashlight
(c) He forgot the trail he was supposed to take
(d) The recent wildfires destroyed the landmarks

3. When did Lukas McClish’s family report him missing?
(a) June 16
(b) June 11
(c) Father’s Day
(d) Thursday

4. How did the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office find Lukas McClish?
(a) They followed his footprints
(b) They used a drone
(c) They called his cell phone
(d) They searched the entire forest

5. Where was Lukas McClish found?
(a) In the city of Santa Cruz
(b) Near a waterfall
(c) Between Empire Grade Road and the Big Basin Highway
(d) In the Santa Cruz Mountains

6. What did Lukas McClish eat to survive?
(a) Wild berries
(b) Sandwiches
(c) Canned food
(d) Nothing

7. How did Lukas McClish collect water?
(a) From a river using his hat
(b) From a waterfall using his boot
(c) From a lake using a cup
(d) From a water bottle he brought with him

8. How did Lukas McClish feel towards the end of his ordeal?
(a) Excited and energetic
(b) Happy and relieved
(c) Scared and lost
(d) Hungry and weak

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. McClish survived by eating cooked meat and drinking water from his canteen.
2. McClish expressed dissatisfaction with the rescue teams and stated that he will be hiking more after this experience.
3. He was found in a forest area in Santa Cruz County and didn’t have any major injuries.
4. The hiker, Lukas McClish, went missing after going for a hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
5. McClish’s family ignored him when he showed up for Father’s Day.
6. A hiker in California was rescued after being lost in the mountains for 10 days.
7. The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office used a drone to locate and rescue him.
8. Recent rainstorms in the area made it easy for him to find his way back.
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. Who is Lukas McClish and what happened to him?
2. Why did McClish’s family get worried?
3. How did the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office find McClish?
4. What did McClish eat and drink while he was stuck in the mountains?
5. How did McClish feel about his experience and what lesson did he learn from it?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

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

2. What caused Lukas McClish to get lost?
Lukas McClish got lost because the recent wildfires destroyed the landmarks in the area.

3. Why did Lukas McClish’s family get worried?
Lukas McClish’s family got worried when he didn’t show up for Father’s Day.

4. How did the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office find Lukas McClish?
The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office used a drone to find Lukas McClish.

5. What did Lukas McClish eat and drink to survive?
Lukas McClish ate wild berries and drank water from his boot to survive.

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 items did Lukas McClish bring with him on the hike?
Lukas McClish brought pants, hiking shoes, a hat, a flashlight, and scissors with him on the hike.

8. How did Lukas McClish feel at the end of his ordeal?
At the end of his ordeal, Lukas McClish felt hungry and weak.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) stuck
(2) recent
(3) landmarks
(4) worried
(5) water
(6) McClish
(7) Grade
(8) Highway
(9) interview
(10) hiking
(11) things
(12) pants
(13) teams
(14) reminds
(15) prepared
(16) right
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. rescued
Answer: (O) Saved from a dangerous situation

2. wildfires
Answer: (L) Large, uncontrolled fires that spread quickly

3. landmarks
Answer: (H) Objects or features that help people recognize a place

4. reported
Answer: (C) Told someone in authority about something

5. drone
Answer: (G) A flying machine controlled from a distance

6. berries
Answer: (F) Small, juicy fruits that grow on bushes

7. injuries
Answer: (D) Physical harm or damage to the body

8. reunited
Answer: (M) Brought back together after being apart

9. flashlight
Answer: (E) A small, portable light powered by batteries

10. waterfall
Answer: (K) A stream of water falling from a height

11. humbling
Answer: (J) Making you feel less important or proud

12. incident
Answer: (I) An event or occurrence, especially one that is important

13. prepared
Answer: (N) Ready for a situation or event

14. supplies
Answer: (A) Necessary items or equipment

15. outdoors
Answer: (B) In the open air, not inside a building
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How long was Lukas McClish stuck in the mountains?
Answer: (c) 10 days

2. Why did Lukas McClish get lost?
Answer: (d) The recent wildfires destroyed the landmarks

3. When did Lukas McClish’s family report him missing?
Answer: (a) June 16

4. How did the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office find Lukas McClish?
Answer: (b) They used a drone

5. Where was Lukas McClish found?
Answer: (c) Between Empire Grade Road and the Big Basin Highway

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

7. How did Lukas McClish collect water?
Answer: (b) From a waterfall using his boot

8. How did Lukas McClish feel towards the end of his ordeal?
Answer: (d) Hungry and weak
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. McClish survived by eating cooked meat and drinking water from his canteen. (Answer: False)
2. McClish expressed dissatisfaction with the rescue teams and stated that he will be hiking more after this experience. (Answer: False)
3. He was found in a forest area in Santa Cruz County and didn’t have any major injuries. (Answer: True)
4. The hiker, Lukas McClish, went missing after going for a hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains. (Answer: True)
5. McClish’s family ignored him when he showed up for Father’s Day. (Answer: False)
6. A hiker in California was rescued after being lost in the mountains for 10 days. (Answer: True)
7. The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office used a drone to locate and rescue him. (Answer: True)
8. Recent rainstorms in the area made it easy for him to find his way back. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧