EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• crate: a large wooden box used to transport items
• financial: relating to money
• scavenger: a person who collects items that were thrown away
• oceanographer: a scientist who studies the oceans
• current: the flow of water in one direction
• awareness: knowledge of an issue or event
• collectible: an item considered valuable to collectors

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:49 — 1.7MB)

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Gapfill exercise

In 1992, a cargo ship on its way from Hong Kong to the United States lost a crate in the Pacific Ocean. That crate over 28,000 rubber ducks, most of which are still in the ocean today. At first, this was simply seen as a small financial loss. However, a few of these ducks made their way to the of Alaska, where they were found by scavengers. After this discovery, a team of oceanographers decided to track the ducks as they moved around the world. The oceanographers offered $100 rewards to anyone who found one of these ducks, so that they could make a map of the ducks’ . Rubber ducks began to appear in Japan and Australia. Some even travelled across the Arctic Ocean, ending up on the coasts of North America and Europe. The oceanographers used the they’d gathered from studying the ducks to confirm their predictions about the paths of major ocean currents. The story of the ducks was also used to raise awareness about the dangers of dumping in the ocean. Today, these rubber ducks are still being found on shores. They have even become highly valued collectibles – often being sold for up to $1000.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”19431″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. The now-famous rubber ducks were originally found by scavengers looking for interesting items along the shore. Have you ever found anything interesting on a beach?

Transcript

In 1992, a cargo ship on its way from Hong Kong to the United States lost a crate in the Pacific Ocean. That crate contained over 28,000 rubber ducks, most of which are still in the ocean today. At first, this was simply seen as a small financial loss. However, a few of these ducks made their way to the coast of Alaska, where they were found by scavengers. After this discovery, a team of oceanographers decided to track the ducks as they moved around the world. The oceanographers offered $100 rewards to anyone who found one of these ducks, so that they could make a map of the ducks’ journey. Rubber ducks began to appear in Japan and Australia. Some even travelled across the Arctic Ocean, ending up on the coasts of North America and Europe. The oceanographers used the information they’d gathered from studying the ducks to confirm their predictions about the paths of major ocean currents. The story of the ducks was also used to raise awareness about the dangers of dumping plastic in the ocean. Today, these rubber ducks are still being found on shores. They have even become highly valued collectibles – often being sold for up to $1000.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• voyage: a journey across an ocean
• construct: to build something
• luxury: designed for comfort and pleasure
• collide: to crash into something
• evacuate: to leave a dangerous place
• lifeboat: a small boat used to escape a sinking ship

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:32 — 1.4MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | More

Gapfill exercise

The Titanic was a British passenger ship that sank to the bottom of the during its first voyage. The ship was constructed during the 1900s by a transportation known as White Star. This was a part of their plan to introduce a new set of luxury passenger ships that would transport wealthy people across the Atlantic Ocean. White Star finished building the Titanic in 1911. At that time, it was the biggest ship that had ever been . The Titanic was designed with safety compartments that could fill up with water if any issues occurred. Because of this, many people that the Titanic was unsinkable. In April 1912, the Titanic began its trip from England to the United States, carrying over 2,000 passengers. While at sea, the ship collided with an iceberg and began to overflow. Passengers and crew evacuated the ship, but there were not enough lifeboats on board to save everyone. Out of the original 2,000 passengers, only 705 . The sinking of the Titanic has since been known as one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”19366″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. The sinking of the Titanic has inspired many books, movies, and conspiracy theories. Why do you think people are still so fascinated by this event?

Transcript

The Titanic was a British passenger ship that sank to the bottom of the ocean during its first voyage. The ship was constructed during the 1900s by a transportation company known as White Star. This was a part of their plan to introduce a new set of luxury passenger ships that would transport wealthy people across the Atlantic Ocean. White Star finished building the Titanic in 1911. At that time, it was the biggest ship that had ever been built. The Titanic was designed with safety compartments that could fill up with water if any issues occurred.  Because of this, many people believed that the Titanic was unsinkable. In April 1912, the Titanic began its trip from England to the United States, carrying over 2,000 passengers. While at sea, the ship collided with an iceberg and began to overflow. Passengers and crew evacuated the ship, but there were not enough lifeboats on board to save everyone. Out of the original 2,000 passengers, only 705 survived. The sinking of the Titanic has since been known as one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century.