The Reading / Listening - Survival - Level 4

Madagascar's police minister has beaten the odds to survive a helicopter crash. Serge Gelle, 57, swam to the mainland on Tuesday after his helicopter crashed into the Indian Ocean. Mr Gelle was one of two passengers who survived. They both swam for 12 hours to reach the shore. Gelle used a helicopter seat as a float. At least 39 people died in the disaster. A police spokesperson said the death toll could increase over the next few days.

Mr Gelle was in high spirits, but looked totally exhausted. He mustered up the energy to talk about his ordeal. He said he ejected from the aircraft after it hit trouble. A colleague spoke about Mr Gelle. He said: "Gelle has always had great stamina.…He has nerves of steel." Mr Gelle said: "My time to die hasn't come yet." He has served in the police force for 30 years. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Survival - Level 5 or  Survival - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/22/madagascar-minister-swims-12-hours-to-safety-after-helicopter-crash
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/serge-gelle-official-swims-12-hours-shore-helicopter-crash-madagascar/
  • https://www.dw.com/en/madagascar-minister-swims-12-hours-to-shore-after-helicopter-crash/a-60219728


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Madagascar's police
  2. beaten the
  3. one of
  4. reach the
  5. Gelle used a helicopter seat
  6. A police
  7. the death toll
  8. over the next
  1. shore
  2. could increase
  3. as a float
  4. two passengers
  5. few days
  6. odds
  7. minister
  8. spokesperson

Paragraph 2

  1. Mr Gelle was in high
  2. He mustered
  3. Gelle has always had great
  4. He has nerves
  5. My time to die
  6. He has served
  7. The cause
  8. currently under
  1. in the police force
  2. spirits
  3. investigation
  4. stamina
  5. of the crash
  6. up the energy
  7. hasn't come yet
  8. of steel

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Madagascar's police minister has (1) ___________________ to survive a helicopter crash. Serge Gelle, 57, swam (2) ___________________ on Tuesday after his helicopter (3) ___________________ Indian Ocean. Mr Gelle was (4) ___________________ passengers who survived. They both swam for 12 hours to (5) ___________________. Gelle used a helicopter seat as a float. At least 39 people died in the disaster. A police spokesperson said the death toll could increase (6) ___________________ few days.

Mr Gelle was (7) ___________________, but looked totally exhausted. (8) ___________________ the energy to talk (9) ___________________. He said he ejected from the aircraft after it hit trouble. A (10) ___________________ Mr Gelle. He said: "Gelle has always had great stamina....He has (11) ___________________." Mr Gelle said: "My time to die hasn't come yet." He has served in the police force for 30 years. The cause of the crash (12) ___________________ investigation.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Madagascar'spoliceministerhasbeatentheoddstosurviveahelicopter
crash.SergeGelle,57,swamtothemainlandonTuesdayafterhishelicop
tercrashedintotheIndianOcean.MrGellewasoneoftwopassengerswh
osurvived.Theybothswamfor12hourstoreachtheshore.Gelleusedah
elicopterseatasafloat.Atleast39peoplediedinthedisaster.Apolicespo
kespersonsaidthedeathtollcouldincreaseoverthenextfewdays.MrGel
lewasinhighspirits,butlookedtotallyexhausted.Hemustereduptheen
ergytotalkabouthisordeal.Hesaidheejectedfromtheaircraftafterithit
trouble.AcolleaguespokeaboutMrGelle.Hesaid:"Gellehasalwayshad
greatstamina....Hehasnervesofsteel."MrGellesaid:"Mytimetodiehas
n'tcomeyet."Hehasservedinthepoliceforcefor30years.Thecauseofth
ecrashiscurrentlyunderinvestigation.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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