LIFE 4 SECOND EDITION

UNIT 3
WATER
Name: Jhuliana Carrion Date: April, __16 _ 2020
LESSON C: LOVE AND DEATH IN THE SEA
Answer the following questions.
Where is the best place to go swimming? A pool, a lake, the ocean, …?
The best place to go swimming is the pool.
What kind of problems can swimmers have in the place above?
The problem they may have is that the waves are very strong in the ocean.
READING: LOVE AND DEATH IN THE SEA
The ocean has almost killed me a couple of times. It wasn’t her fault; it
was mine, for not respecting her. I still remember the last time—a
stormy day off the Costa Brava of Spain, in early summer 2008. Every
time I think about it, my heart races.

The place where I used to swim every day was hit by a storm with
strong eastern winds. The clear blue waters of summer quickly changed
into a dirty soup of sand and cold gray water. Waves were breaking in
all directions. But beyond the surf zone, the sea seemed swimmable. In
a moment of Catalan bravado, I put on my bathing suit, mask, and fins,
and got into the water. It was crazy, but I did it. I swallowed sand and
salt while I was trying to swim through the surf zone. Fighting against the water, I swam—I still don’t know why—for twenty
minutes. The storm got worse, and I decided to call it a day. I turned to swim back. Then I realized I couldn’t get to the beach.
Waves were breaking all around me. I tried to bodysurf one wave to the shore, but it took me down under the water. When I came
up, I turned around and a second wave hit me just as hard, taking me down again. I hit the sandy bottom. I pushed myself up, but
once again, waves were coming and I couldn’t rest or breathe. I was caught in the surf zone, with waves pushing me out and a
current pulling me in. I wasn’t getting any closer to the beach.
The ocean is our mother, sister, and home, and as such I love her. We get so much from the sea. She gives us life, oxygen, and
food. Without the ocean and all the life in it, our planet would be much poorer. We should thank the sea, the ocean, every day. But
on this day, I was having a hard time feeling grateful.

After a few more attempts, I decided to let myself go and give up the fight. I took a deep breath. The next wave took me down and
forward. I hit the bottom with my back. I rolled over, hit my head, and after what seemed the longest minute of my life, I found
myself lying in a foot of water. I crawled out of the water and onto the beach. I’d got out, but I’d lost my mask, snorkel, and one
fin. My whole body was sore. I sat on the beach, watching the ocean and feeling lucky to be alive. I walked back home slowly,
like a beaten dog.
Some days the sea wants us and some days she doesn’t. Since that day, I have not been to the ocean when she does not want me. I
have learned my lesson. I now thank the ocean every day the surface is calm, the waters are clear, and diving is easy.

Enric Sala is a marine ecologist. Read the article he wrote for World Ocean Day. Answer the questions.
1. What happened to Enric Sala?

National Geographic: Life 3, second edition. Unit 3

The ocean has almost killed him a couple of times.
2. Why this happened to him?
Because it wasn’t her fault; it was mine, for not respecting the ocean.
3. How has the experience changed him?
He has learned his lesson. He now thanks the ocean every day. The surface is calm, the water is clear, and
diving is easy.

Find the expressions in the article and highlight them. What do they mean? Choose the correct option.
EXPRESSION MEANING

1. a couple of times on a few many occasions

2.my heart races I feel angry I feel afraid
3. I decided to call it a day I decided to stop I decided to try again
4. I was having a hard time it took a long time it was difficult for me
5. I decided to let myself go I decided to try again I decided to stop swimming
6. I have learned my lesson my bad experience taught me my good experience taught me

Critical thinking: drawing conclusions

Read the sentences. Which three are conclusions (C) and which one is stated in the text (S).
1. The Costa Brava is a dangerous place for swimmers. __C__
2. Enric Sala has recovered from the experience now. __C__
3. He was lucky to be alive after the experience. _S___
4. The experience has made him wiser. __C__

WORD FOCUS : get

Look at the verbs in bold in these sentences. Match them with expressions with get so that they have the same
meaning.
1. I entered the pool. __d__ a. get to

2. The weather didn’t improve. _e___ b. getting any closer to

3. I couldn’t reach the shore. __a__ c. got out

4. I wasn’t moving toward the land. __b__ d. got into

5. We receive so much from nature. __f__ e. got worse

National Geographic: Life 3, second edition. Unit 3
6. We put the bird in a cage, but it escaped. ___c_ f. get

LESSON D: NO WAY!
Real life: telling stories
Highlight which of the following statements (a-d) are true for you.
a. When I’m in a group, I listen more than I talk.
b. I’m always telling funny stories about things that happen to me.
c. I’m no good at telling stories, but I’m a good listener.
d. People say I exaggerate, but they always laugh at my stories.
Look at the photo below. Which group of words (A or B) do you think are from the story of the photo?

A looking after it food and water

empty cage searched everywhere
taking a bath
B learned to fly jump in the air
A lid on a tank above the kitchen sink
There was some water in it

Telling stories expressions

Beginning a story
Did I ever tell you about … ?
I remember once …
A couple of years ago, …
You’ll never believe what happened once …

Saying when things happened

… after we saw …
after a few days …
a couple of weeks later …
one day …
all of a sudden …

National Geographic: Life 3, second edition. Unit 3

suddenly …
immediately …
then …
the next thing was …
while I was …
during the night …

LESSON E: WHAT A WEEKEND

The calm after the storm

It was pouring rain all weekend, so we spent almost the whole time indoors trying to entertain the kids. Then,
unexpectedly, the sun came out late on Sunday afternoon. We grabbed our beach gear, jumped into the car, and
headed down to the bay. When we got there, we realized that everyone had had the same idea! The beach was
packed. But everyone was staring out over the water and picking stuff up off the sand. Ellie, Louis, and Oscar
rushed down to the water’s edge, full of excitement. It turned out that a ship had lost its cargo in Saturday’s storm.
Five containers of sneakers had washed up on the beach! Everyone was clutching odd shoes, looking for the other
one to make a pair! What a strange end to the weekend!

Written by James 28 Feb., 23:17

Read the blog post.

Put the main events of the story (a-g) in the correct order.
__7__ a. Ellie, Louis, and Oscar ran to the water.
__3__ b. The sun started to shine.
__1__ c. There was a storm.
__2__ d. A ship lost a cargo of sneakers.
__5__ e. They got into the car.
__4__ f. They picked up things to take to the beach.
__6__ g. They went to the beach.

Read the sentences. Replace the words in bold with these words.

walked ran fell down tired really

1. The kids raced along the street. ______ran________

2. I felt exhausted after my walk. _______tired_______
3. The weather was boiling hot. _______really_______
4. I wandered along the beach, enjoying the silence. _walked___
National Geographic: Life 3, second edition. Unit 3
5. At the end of the game, we collapsed on the sand. ___fell down__________

UNIT 3 REVIEW
Choose the correct options to complete the story.
I learned / had learned to surf a few years ago when I was /
had been in my teens. My dad paid / was paying for the
course, because I just passed / had just passed some important
exams. It was / had been a sunny weekend in June. Anyway,
the whole first day went / was going by and I didn’t manage /
hadn’t managed one successful ride. All my friends were
watching / watched , and of course I was wanting / wanted to
impress them. I eventually was paddling / paddled out for my
last attempt of the day as the sun set / had set over the bay. I
scrambled / had scrambled onto the board, and – for the first
time – I didn’t fall off / wasn’t falling off right away. I just got up / had just got up on my feet on the board when
someone almost crashed / was crashing right into me! But I stayed / was staying on.

Vocabulary: Circle the correct options to correct the sentences.

a. He checked the exam answers very carefully / suddenly.

b. She usually drives quite secretly / slowly.

c. I sat calmy / badly in the dentist’s chair.

d. She politely / suddenly had a brilliant idea.

e. He politely / dangerously asked a stranger for directions.

Choose two activities you think best match each category (1-3).
diving jet skiing kayaking rafting
rowing snorkeling waterskiing windsurfing
ACTIVITIES

1. people find this relaxing diving snorkeling

2. people do this to get a thrill windsurfing jet skiing
3. it’s best to do this with other people rowing rafting

National Geographic: Life 3, second edition. Unit 3