Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

English Newsroom

Learn English through news articles - complete lesson plans, including articles, listening, classroom activities, quiz questions and more!

Massive Fire Engulfs Newly Built Water Park in Sweden

Massive fire engulfs newly built water park in Sweden, causing significant damage and injuring several people.

Try this article at a different level?

 

A video has come out showing a huge fire at a new water park in Gothenburg, Sweden. Twelve people got minor injuries and one person is missing. They told people to leave a nearby hotel and offices, and stay inside because of the smoke. They don’t know what caused the fire yet. The water park was going to open later this year as part of the Liseberg Amusement Park.

The video shows the water slides on fire and lots of smoke going up in the sky. It’s a scary thing that makes people wonder if the water park was built safely. The police are looking into why the fire happened, to see if it was because of a problem with the equipment or something else.

This shows how important it is to have rules and checks to keep people safe at places like water parks. We have to make sure we do everything we can to stop things like this from happening again. The most important thing is to keep visitors and workers safe.

The fire has done a lot of damage to the water park, and we don’t know when or if it will open. It’s also caused problems for the hotel and offices nearby. The police are trying hard to find out what happened and help the people affected by it.

In the end, this shows why we need to have strict rules and checks for building and running public attractions. We have to learn from this and do everything we can to stop it from happening again.

Original news source: Sweden water park: Video shows huge fire engulfing newly built attraction (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

1injuriesHurts or wounds
2nearbyClose to a specific place
3equipmentTools or machinery needed for a specific purpose
4amusementFor fun or entertainment
5investigationA detailed examination or inquiry
6regulationsRules or laws designed to control or govern behavior
7visitorsPeople who come to a place, especially for leisure or entertainment
8damageHarm or destruction
9attractionsPlaces or events designed to interest or amuse people
10strictVery careful and precise about following rules
11checksInspections or examinations to ensure compliance with rules or standards
12publicOpen to anyone, not private
13learnGain knowledge or understanding from experience
14runningOperating or managing something
15affectedImpacted or changed by something, usually in a negative way

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and summarize the main points in their own words. They should focus on answering the questions: What happened? Where did it happen? Who was affected? Why did it happen? What are the consequences? Afterward, students can share their summaries with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Give each team a set of vocabulary words from the article. One person from each team will choose a word and draw it on the board without using any letters or numbers. The team members must guess the word based on the drawing. The team that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will discuss the pros and cons of having strict rules and checks for building and running public attractions. They should consider both the benefits and potential drawbacks. After the discussion, each group will share their thoughts with the class.

– Sketch It
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns describing a scene from the article while their partner tries to sketch it. The describer cannot use any specific names or words from the article, but must rely on their own descriptions. Afterward, partners can compare their sketches and discuss any differences or similarities.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In small groups, students will discuss and make predictions about the future of the water park and the consequences of the fire. They should consider factors such as the investigation, the potential reopening of the park, and the impact on the surrounding area. Each group will present their predictions to the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened at the water park in Gothenburg, Sweden?
2. How many people were injured in the fire?
3. Why did they tell people to stay inside the nearby hotel and offices?
4. Do they know what caused the fire yet?
5. What does the video show?
6. Why are the police investigating the fire?
7. Why is it important to have rules and checks at places like water parks?
8. What problems did the fire cause for the hotel and offices nearby?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A video has come out showing a huge fire at a new water park in Gothenburg, Sweden. Twelve people got (1)______ injuries and one person is missing. They told people to (2)______ a (3)______ hotel and offices, and stay inside because of the smoke. They don’t know what (4)______ the fire yet. The water park was going to open later this year as part of the Liseberg Amusement Park.

The video shows the (5)______ slides on fire and lots of smoke going up in the sky. It’s a scary thing that (6)______ people wonder if the water park was (7)______ safely. The police are (8)______ into why the fire happened, to see if it was because of a problem with the equipment or something else.

This shows how important it is to have rules and checks to keep (9)______ safe at places like water parks. We have to make sure we do everything we can to stop things like this from (10)______ again. The most important thing is to keep (11)______ and (12)______ safe.

The fire has done a lot of damage to the water park, and we don’t know when or if it will open. It’s also caused problems for the hotel and offices nearby. The police are trying hard to find out what happened and help the people (13)______ by it.

In the end, this shows why we need to have (14)______ rules and checks for building and running (15)______ attractions. We have to (16)______ from this and do everything we can to stop it from happening again.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a water park?
2. How would you feel if you were at the water park when the fire happened?
3. Do you like going to amusement parks? Why or why not?
4. What do you think caused the fire at the water park?
5. How important do you think it is to have rules and checks to keep people safe at places like water parks?
6. Have you ever been to a water park before? If so, what was your experience like?
7. What do you think the police should do to find out what happened and help the people affected by the fire?
8. Do you think the water park will be able to open again? Why or why not?
9. How do you think the fire has affected the hotel and offices nearby?
10. Do you think the fire could have been prevented? Why or why not?
11. Have you ever seen a fire before? If so, what was it like?
12. What do you think the workers at the water park should do now that it has been damaged by the fire?
13. How do you think the fire will impact the reputation of the water park?
14. Do you think people will still want to go to the water park even after the fire? Why or why not?
15. What can we learn from this incident to prevent similar accidents in the future?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. injuries
2. nearby
3. equipment
4. amusement
5. investigation
6. regulations
7. visitors
8. damage
9. attractions
10. strict
11. checks
12. public
13. learn
14. running
15. affected

Meanings:
(A) Impacted or changed by something, usually in a negative way
(B) Harm or destruction
(C) Tools or machinery needed for a specific purpose
(D) Close to a specific place
(E) Inspections or examinations to ensure compliance with rules or standards
(F) People who come to a place, especially for leisure or entertainment
(G) Operating or managing something
(H) For fun or entertainment
(I) Hurts or wounds
(J) Very careful and precise about following rules
(K) Open to anyone, not private
(L) Gain knowledge or understanding from experience
(M) Places or events designed to interest or amuse people
(N) A detailed examination or inquiry
(O) Rules or laws designed to control or govern behavior
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What happened at the water park in Gothenburg, Sweden?
(a) A new ride was unveiled
(b) The park opened to the public
(c) The park closed for renovations
(d) A huge fire broke out

2. How many people were injured in the fire?
(a) Twenty
(b) Five
(c) None
(d) Twelve

3. What did authorities tell people to do because of the fire?
(a) Go to the water park to help with the situation
(b) Leave a nearby hotel and offices, and stay inside
(c) Ignore the smoke and continue with their activities
(d) Evacuate the entire city

4. What caused the fire at the water park?
(a) A problem with the equipment
(b) A natural disaster
(c) It is still unknown
(d) Human error

5. What was the purpose of the video showing the fire?
(a) To entertain viewers
(b) To promote the water park
(c) To document the incident
(d) To scare people

6. What are the police investigating regarding the fire?
(a) The cost of the damages
(b) The cause of the fire
(c) The history of the water park
(d) The popularity of the amusement park

7. What lesson can be learned from this incident?
(a) The importance of safety regulations
(b) The need for more water parks
(c) The benefits of smoke detectors
(d) The dangers of amusement parks

8. What impact did the fire have on the water park?
(a) It caused a lot of damage and its opening is uncertain
(b) It had no impact on the park’s operations
(c) It led to an increase in visitors
(d) It resulted in the closure of nearby attractions

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. A video has been released showing a storm at a new water park in Gothenburg, Sweden.
2. It highlights the importance of implementing regulations and safety checks to protect visitors and workers at public attractions.
3. The water park was scheduled to open later this year as part of the Liseberg Amusement Park.
4. The cause of the earthquake is still unknown and under investigation.
5. The incident raises approval about the safety of the water park’s construction.
6. Authorities advised people to evacuate a nearby hotel and offices due to the smoke.
7. Twelve people sustained major injuries and one person is currently found.
8. The video footage depicts the water slides engulfed in flames and smoke rising into the sky.
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 at the water park in Gothenburg, Sweden?
2. How many people were injured in the fire?
3. Why did they tell people to stay inside nearby buildings?
4. What are the police trying to find out about the fire?
5. Why is it important to have rules and checks at places like water parks?

Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What happened at the water park in Gothenburg, Sweden?
There was a huge fire at the water park.

2. How many people were injured in the fire?
Twelve people got minor injuries.

3. Why did they tell people to stay inside the nearby hotel and offices?
They told people to stay inside because of the smoke.

4. Do they know what caused the fire yet?
No, they don’t know what caused the fire yet.

5. What does the video show?
The video shows the water slides on fire and lots of smoke going up in the sky.

6. Why are the police investigating the fire?
The police are investigating the fire to find out why it happened and if there was a problem with the equipment or something else.

7. Why is it important to have rules and checks at places like water parks?
It is important to have rules and checks to keep people safe and prevent accidents like this from happening again.

8. What problems did the fire cause for the hotel and offices nearby?
The fire caused problems for the hotel and offices nearby, and they had to be evacuated.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) minor
(2) leave
(3) nearby
(4) caused
(5) water
(6) makes
(7) built
(8) looking
(9) people
(10) happening
(11) visitors
(12) workers
(13) affected
(14) strict
(15) public
(16) learn
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. injuries
Answer: (I) Hurts or wounds

2. nearby
Answer: (D) Close to a specific place

3. equipment
Answer: (C) Tools or machinery needed for a specific purpose

4. amusement
Answer: (H) For fun or entertainment

5. investigation
Answer: (N) A detailed examination or inquiry

6. regulations
Answer: (O) Rules or laws designed to control or govern behavior

7. visitors
Answer: (F) People who come to a place, especially for leisure or entertainment

8. damage
Answer: (B) Harm or destruction

9. attractions
Answer: (M) Places or events designed to interest or amuse people

10. strict
Answer: (J) Very careful and precise about following rules

11. checks
Answer: (E) Inspections or examinations to ensure compliance with rules or standards

12. public
Answer: (K) Open to anyone, not private

13. learn
Answer: (L) Gain knowledge or understanding from experience

14. running
Answer: (G) Operating or managing something

15. affected
Answer: (A) Impacted or changed by something, usually in a negative way
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What happened at the water park in Gothenburg, Sweden?
Answer: (d) A huge fire broke out

2. How many people were injured in the fire?
Answer: (d) Twelve

3. What did authorities tell people to do because of the fire?
Answer: (b) Leave a nearby hotel and offices, and stay inside

4. What caused the fire at the water park?
Answer: (c) It is still unknown

5. What was the purpose of the video showing the fire?
Answer: (c) To document the incident

6. What are the police investigating regarding the fire?
Answer: (b) The cause of the fire

7. What lesson can be learned from this incident?
Answer: (a) The importance of safety regulations

8. What impact did the fire have on the water park?
Answer: (a) It caused a lot of damage and its opening is uncertain
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. A video has been released showing a storm at a new water park in Gothenburg, Sweden. (Answer: False)
2. It highlights the importance of implementing regulations and safety checks to protect visitors and workers at public attractions. (Answer: True)
3. The water park was scheduled to open later this year as part of the Liseberg Amusement Park. (Answer: True)
4. The cause of the earthquake is still unknown and under investigation. (Answer: False)
5. The incident raises approval about the safety of the water park’s construction. (Answer: False)
6. Authorities advised people to evacuate a nearby hotel and offices due to the smoke. (Answer: True)
7. Twelve people sustained major injuries and one person is currently found. (Answer: False)
8. The video footage depicts the water slides engulfed in flames and smoke rising into the sky. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

How about these other Level 3 articles?

Taylor Swift: Time Magazine’s Person of the Year

Taylor Swift, named Time Magazine’s person of the year for 2023, continues to dominate the music industry with her record-breaking tour and successful albums, solidifying her status as a generational talent.

Feedback