BBC Learning English
Video Words in the News
13 March 2013
Attack survivor saves sharks
Transcript:
A frightening sight for any swimmer&
Jonathan Kathrein was attacked while surfing in 1998. He battled to free his leg
from a shark's jaws.
The Californian survived to tell the tale and he still has the scars to prove it.
He turned his ordeal into a campaign to save the animals, though.
And this month, his state added the great white shark to its list of protected
animals.
Vocabulary:
frightening
scary
jaws
bones in the mouth which contain the teeth
to tell the tale
to say to people what happened
scars
a mark on the skin from an injury
ordeal
experience which causes suffering
Watch the video online: Attack survivor saves sharks http://bbc.in/WFDZrA
Video Words in the News ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
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bbclearningenglish.com
Exercise:
Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from
news reports.
Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence
correctly.
frightening / jaws / to tell the tale / scars / ordeal
1. In both incidents the suspect was described as white, about 25 years old, of
average height and slim build. He had ________ on his face and two small
tattoos on his neck, possibly squares or Chinese symbols.
2. Two football players needed surgery for broken ________ after a fight
broke out on the pitch during a reserve game.
3. Only two men survived ________ of Operation Frankton, but its significance
reportedly led Winston Churchill to say he believed the raid could have
shortened the war by six months.
4. Local media reported that several other people in the same group, including
a Mexican woman, had been tied up and gagged while the attack took place.
After the ________ the women went to the nearest police station
accompanied by local tourism officials.
5. A number of planned flights were delayed by the storm, which also caused
power outages in several suburbs. Fallen trees and debris blocked some
roads. "This must have been an extremely ________ situation for many
people in the local community," Prime Minister John Key said in a statement.
Video Words in the News ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
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bbclearningenglish.com
Answers:
1. In both incidents the suspect was described as white, about 25 years old, of
average height and slim build. He had scars on his face and two small tattoos on
his neck, possibly squares or Chinese symbols.
Source: Police probe link in two Edinburgh muggings
http://bbc.in/13TjfiD
2. Two football players needed surgery for broken jaws after a fight broke out on
the pitch during a reserve game.
Source: Slough Town v Easington Sports: Four hurt in fracas
http://bbc.in/W6Jyup
3. Only two men survived to tell the tale of Operation Frankton, but its
significance reportedly led Winston Churchill to say he believed the raid could
have shortened the war by six months.
Source: Cousin's tribute to WWII Cockleshell Hero Cpl Albert Laver
http://bbc.in/12J4CMg
4. Local media reported that several other people in the same group, including a
Mexican woman, had been tied up and gagged while the attack took place. After
the ordeal the women went to the nearest police station accompanied by local
tourism officials.
Source: Six Spanish tourists raped near Mexico's Acapulco resort
http://bbc.in/WWJa3O
5. A number of planned flights were delayed by the storm, which also caused power
outages in several suburbs. Fallen trees and debris blocked some roads. "This
must have been an extremely frightening situation for many people in the local
community," Prime Minister John Key said in a statement.
Source: Three dead as tornado strikes New Zealand city
http://bbc.in/VxV1a7
Video Words in the News ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
Page 3 of 3
bbclearningenglish.com