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Rescue workers saved four people.
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Rescue workers pulled a man, a woman, and two children from the cold, rushing water. The mother and her two daughters got into trouble first. Their car drove off the road into the water. The man, a truck driver, almost died when he tried to save them.
The trouble started when Mrs. Leslie Cady lost control of her car on a winding mountain road. The car fell down thirty feet from the road into the water. It rolled over once and landed right side up in the rushing water. All three people were wearing their seatbelts. Nobody was hurt by the fall. However, they couldn’t leave the car. The water outside was too cold and too fast for safe swimming.
The rescue started almost immediately. Another driver told the police about the trouble. The police called special rescue workers and a truck to pull the car out.
The driver of the truck, Paul Ruter, arrived before the other rescue workers. Immediately he took a rope from his truck and began to walk through the rushing water to the car. Then he got into the trouble, too.
The water was too fast, the ground was slippery, and he got caught in the ropes. He went under the water by the car. Mrs. Cady saw him and reached for his hand. She pulled as hard as she could and brought him to the car door.
Next the other rescue workers arrived. They put on special suits to stay warm. They brought safety ropes, life jackets, tire tubes, and warm blankets. First they pulled the people out of the back window onto the top of the car. Then they swam with each person to the shore. They saved Mr. Ruter, Mrs. Cady, and the little girls.
Finally all the people went to hospital. Nobody was hurt badly. The rescue workers said that they all were lucky to be alive.
Exercise 4.3.3. Complete the Table:
| The Russian meaning | Present Simple (V1) | Past Simple (V2) |
| Говорить | ||
| drive | ||
| Делать | ||
| Ловить, хватать | ||
| Приносить | ||
| Проигрывать, терять | ||
| fell | ||
| hurt | ||
| put | ||
| went | ||
| wear |
Exercise 4.3. 4. Insert the prepositions where necessary.
1. The mother and her two daughters got …trouble first.
2. Their car drove …the road into the water.
3. The trouble started when Mrs. Leslie Cady lost control… her car … a winding mountain road.
4. The car fell down thirty feet from the road…the water.
5. It rolled …once and landed right side up in the rushing water.
6. Nobody was hurt …the fall.
7. The water outside was too cold and too fast … safe swimming.
8. Another driver told the police …the trouble
9. The police called special rescue workers and a truck to pull the car ….
10. The driver of the truck, Paul Ruter, arrived …the other rescue workers
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11. Immediately he took a rope from his truck and he began to walk …the rushing water to the car.
12. The water was too fast, the ground was slippery, and he got caught …the ropes.
13. Mrs. Cady saw him and reached …his hand.
14. They put …special suits to stay warm.
15. First they pulled the people … …the back window …the top of the car.
Exercise 4.3.5. Check your memory. Speak about an accident which happened to the people in the text.
Text 4.4. Swimming the Channel
Read and translate the text. Pay attention to the usage of the Present Simple Tense – There + to be – the Past Simple Tense
Every summer many people, girls and women as well as boys and men, try to swim from England to France or from France to England. The distance at the nearest point is only about twenty miles, but because of the strong tides, the distance that must be swum is usually more than twice as far.
There is a strong tide from the Atlantic Ocean. This divides in two in order to pass round the British Isles. There is a strong tide which goes round the north of Scotland, then into the North Sea, and then south, towards the Dutch and Belgian coast. There is a strong tide up the English Channel. The two tides meet near the mouth of the Thames, and the strong currents they cause make it impossible to swim in a straight line across the Channel.
The first man to succeed in swimming the Channel was Captain Webb, an Englishman. This was in August 1875. He landed in France 21 hours 45 minutes after entering the water at Dover. Since then there have been many successful swims and the time has been shortened. One French swimmer crossed the Channel in 11 hours and 5 minutes. Numerous Egyptian swimmers have been successful.
Because the sea is usually cold, swimmers cover their bodies with grease. This, they say, helps to keep out the cold. They are accompanied by men who go with them in small boats.
Cultural reference.
The Channel (the English channel) – is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France. Most people use its French name – la Manche (Ламанш).
Exercise 4.4.1. Make the sentences negative
1. Girls and women try to swim from England to France.
2. The distance at the nearest point is about 20 miles.
3. There is a strong tide from the Atlantic Ocean.
4. The two tides meet near the mouth of the Thames.
5. The first man to succeed in swimming the Channel was a Frenchman.
6. This was in May 1875.
7. He landed in France 21 hours 45 minutes after entering the water at Dover.
8. Swimmers cover their bodies with grease.
9. This helps to keep out the cold.
Exercise 4.4.2 Find these words (1 – 15) in the text. Match them with their Russian equivalent (a – p).
1. distance a) кормить
2. point b) по направлению
3. tide c) преуспевать
4. to divide d) прилив
5. towards e) укорачивать
6. mouth f) многочисленный
7. current g) устье
8. to cause h) пункт
9. straight i) течение
10. to succeed j) вызывать
11. to shorten k) прямая
12. numerous l) жир, сало
13. to cover m) покрывать
14. grease n) расстояние
15. to feed o) делить
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Exercise 4.4.3. Compose a question to the underlined words.
1. The distance at the nearest point is about 20 miles.
2. The two tides meet near the mouth of the Thames
3. The first man to succeed in swimming the Channel was Captain Webb
4. He landed in France 21 hours 45 minutes after entering the water at Dover
5. Because the sea is usually cold, swimmers cover their bodies with grease.
Exercise 4.4.4. Check your memory. Speak about the history of swimming the Channel.
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