Category Archives: People

Why We See Faces in Everything

“Your brain is super attuned to see faces everywhere,” says Susan Wardle, a scientist who studies how and why people see illusory faces in objects, a phenomenon known as “face pareidolia.” M. Wollan, The New York Times  March 29, 2022

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Photograph by George Etheredge, The New York Times

Excerpt: How to See Faces Everywhere By Malia Wollan, The New York Times  March 29, 2022

“Humans are hypersocial animals. We’re constantly looking for one another out in the world — to find love, avoid danger, connect — so much so that we often see a face where there isn’t one. ‘You only need this minimal information to see a face because it’s more adaptive to make a mistake and see a funny face in a cloud than to miss a real human face,’ says Wardle, who works at the Laboratory of Brain and Cognition at the National Institute of Mental Health… In one study, Wardle asked subjects to look at 256 photographs of illusory faces. ‘Bizarrely, a lot of our examples came from bell peppers cut in half,’ Wardle says… Unlike human faces though, illusory faces, even the scariest-looking ones, don’t pose any real or potential threat.”

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 60 minutes. 

Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.


Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing. 

 Predictions: Using a Pre-reading Organizer

Directions: Examine the title of the post and of the actual article. Next examine  any photos. Write a paragraph describing what you think this article will discuss. A pre-reading organizer may be used.

Pre-reading chart by J. Swann

 

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try  to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance. 

  1. Our brains are super attuned to see faces everywhere.
  2. Susan Wardle is a scientist who studies how and why people see illusory faces in objects.
  3. As humans we want to find love, avoid danger and connect.
  4. You only need this minimal information to see a face.
  5. It’s more adaptive to make a mistake and see a funny face in a cloud than to miss a real human face.
  6. Wardle has colleagues who begin spotting faces in sandwiches.
  7. Growing up, she [Wardle] and her sister gave them their own moniker: “beezups.”
  8. Some saw faces in storm-drain covers.
  9. Wardle says “just stare out, not looking at anything in particular, and allow yourself to see patterns.”
  10. “Bizarrely, a lot of our examples came from bell peppers cut in half.”

Grammar Focus: Word -Recognition

Directions: Students choose the correct word to complete the sentences taken from the article. They are to choose from the options presented.

I

  1. Wardle worry her human subjects would laugh.
  2. M.R.I.s require absolute stillness.
  3. In one study, Wardle asked subjects to look at 256 photographs of illusory faces

II

  1. If you’re not seeing them, try to give yourself the time and space to look.
  2. Just stared out, not looking at anything in particular.
  3. Humans are hypersocial animals.

 

III

  1. You only need this minimal information to sea a face.
  2. We’re constantly looking for one another out in the world.
  3. To see more illusory faces, spend time thinking about them.

 

Reading ComprehensionFill-ins

Directions: Place students in groups and after they have read the entire article, have them complete the following sentences taken from the article. They can use the words and terms from the list provided, or provide their own terms. They are to find the meanings of any new vocabulary.

Brain-imaging ___show that___faces ___up a part of the ___called the “fusiform face area” that is central to all ___recognition. Unlike___ faces though, illusory___, even the ___ones, don’t ___any real or potential threat.

WORD LIST: scariest-looking, faces, human, facial, brain, scans, illusory, light, pose,

III Post Reading

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Directions: Have  students discuss the following questions/statements. Afterwards,  students share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics mentioned.

  1. Have you ever seen faces in clouds?  If not clouds, have you seen faces in any inanimate objects? 
  2. Seeing faces in objects is known as what phenomenon?
  3. According to Ms. Wardle, what does it mean to be hypersocial?
  4. How do we see more illusory faces?
  5. What directions does Wardle give on how to see faces in objects?
  6. After reading this article, do you think that you’ll begin seeing faces in objects? Why ot why not?
  7. List three new ideas  that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading,  two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you  would like to know that the article did not mention.  Share your responses with your class.

IV Extra Activity

The following photos are from the New York Times article: 

Faces, Faces Everywhere, by Benedict Carey. All photographs are by George Etheredge May 5, 2020

Directions: In groups view all 7 pictures and answer the following questions:

Which pictures are easiest to see a face?

Which pictures are more difficult to see a face?

Why do you think that some pictures are easier than others? 

Go outside and take pictures of your own and share them with the class. 

 

ANSWER KEY

Category: People, Psychology, Social Issues | Tags:

Brookline Student Starts an ESL Global Community

“Anna Lin started teaching English in the fifth grade. Now she has a student-run nonprofit dedicated to the practice.” By J. Osterheldt, Globe Columnist,Updated June 7, 2022,

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Brookline High School students Luchenzhi “Sunny” Wang, Anna Lin, and Bezawit O’Neill are part of Language Virtual, a tutoring program started by Anna to teach students how to learn and speak English. Jonathan Wiggs/globe Staff

Excerpt: How one Brookline student turned teaching English into a young, global community By Jennee Osterheldt,Globe Columnist,Updated June 7, 2022,

“As a fifth-grader Anna Lin became a teacher.

Her family would travel from Brookline to Thailand to see relatives in the summer and she was asked to help students learn English.

‘I stepped in a classroom of 30 students, all wearing their green and khaki uniforms, and I was younger than them,’ she recalls. ‘I felt like there was a wall between me and them and I thought we couldn’t connect.’

She started by using something she loved — math — to teach the language. PEMDAS: parentheses, exponents, multiplication, and division from left to right, and addition and subtraction from left to right…Summer after summer, she returned and taught. Until the pandemic gripped the world in 2020. She was a freshman at Brookline High School and she wasn’t thinking about what COVID meant for summer fun. She was thinking about teaching in Thailand. ‘I promised I would come back,’ she says. ‘I was sitting at my dinner table with my mom and thinking we don’t have to go to the country to connect with them. We can do it virtually.’ Lin began to reach out to friends at school and friends around the world who moved away, too. They could be teachers to their peers wanting to learn English.

She created a website, Language Virtual, and put out a sign-up sheet. That first year, there would be three students and three teachers.

Now, Anna Lin is finishing her junior year in high school. And she has 100 teachers her age, largely sophomores and juniors, teaching the English language. It also counts as community service hours that some students need to graduate. A lot of them are in Brookline but there are also teachers nearby in Concord, Belmont, and Revere, and as far away as Turkey…Language Virtual does not adhere to a specific teaching style. They have lesson plans around storybooks like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” There are exercises around family, food, and animals. And there is room for teachers to cater curriculums to students.”

Free, Online, Quality English Lessons Please Visit Language Virtual 

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

 

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 60 minutes. 

Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.


Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing. 

 Predictions: Using a Pre-reading Organizer

Directions: Examine the title of the post and of the actual article. Next examine  any photos. Write a paragraph describing what you think this article will discuss. A pre-reading organizer may be used.

Pre-reading chart by J. Swann

 

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try  to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance. 

  1. All 30 students were wearing their green and khaki uniforms.
  2. Math is universal  Lin says.
  3. The beginning was very nerve-racking.
  4. After that month I began to look at them as friends.
  5. She was a freshman at Brookline High School.
  6. She was thinking about teaching in Thailand.
  7. Now, Anna Lin is finishing her junior year in high school. 
  8. They have students in America who have immigrated to the United States from many countries.
  9. Sometimes students come by word of mouth, other times they are referred by ESL teachers.
  10. She and her four siblings were adopted from Ethiopia. 

 

Grammar Focus: Word -Recognition

Directions: Students choose the correct word to complete the sentences taken from the article. They are to choose from the options presented.

Language Virtualdoes/donot/knotadhere too/to a specific teaching/teach style. They has/have lesson plans around storybooks like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” Their/There are exercises/exercise around family, food, and animals. And their/there is room for teachers to/two cater curriculums too/to students.

Reading ComprehensionFill-ins

Directions: Place students in groups and after they have read the entire article, have them complete the following sentencestaken from the article. They can use the words and terms from the list provided, or provide their own terms. They are to find the meanings of any new vocabulary.

Lin began to ___out to ___at school and ___around the ___who moved away, too. They could be ___to their ___wanting to ___English.

She created a___, Language Virtual, and put out a sign-up sheet. That first year, there would be three ___and three teachers.

WORD LIST:website,learn, peers,teachers, world, reach, friends, students, friends,

III. Post Reading Activities

WH-How Questions

Directions: Have students use the  WH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article. 

Who or What is the article about?

Where does the action/event take place?

When does the action/event take place?

Why did the action/event occur?

How did the action/event occur?

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

3,2,1, Questions

Directions:Discuss three new ideas  that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading,  two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you would like to know that the article did not mention.

Ask/Answer Questions

 Directions:  Place students in groups and have each group list 3  questions they would like to pursue in relation to  the article. Have groups exchange questions. Each group tries to answer the questions listed. All responses are shared as a class.

Group Activity

Directions: With your group members think of ways you might start a global ESL learning community in your school. Write a letter to Anna Lin (in care of Language Virtual) asking for information.

ANSWER KEY

 

Category: Education, Language, People, Social Issues | Tags: ,

Back at Work After the Pandemic: How to Handle Annoying Office Colleagues

“After two years of working from home during the pandemic, and plenty of false starts, employees are officially heading back to work…The gossip, the loud talker and the nosy colleague are all manageable with the right mind-set.”J. Dunn, The New York Times, April 24, 2022

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

image The New York Times

 

Excerpt: Your Office Is More Annoying Than You Remembered. Here’s How to Handle It.  By Jancee Dunn, The New York Times, April 24, 2022

“Roughly 60 percent of U.S. workers who could work from home were still signing in remotely as of January, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center, as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus set back [return to office] R.T.O. plans.

But now companies like Google are insisting that their workers return to the office on hybrid work schedules.

For many workers, the commuter train has already left the station. And after controlling our own environment at home, returning to work means we’ll be faced with annoying behaviors among our colleagues again: loud talkers, nosy cubicle mates, the olfactory emanations of the shared microwave.

Image: The New York Times

How do we confront these people — and how do we check our emotions, which may be in overdrive after working in relative isolation, to keep ourselves from snapping?

Consider this a fresh start for everybody, said Darian Lewis, who, with his wife, Monica, founded the Monica Lewis School of Etiquette in Houston. ‘You know all those things you wanted to change in your workplace prior to the pandemic, but you just couldn’t figure out how to do it?’ he said. “Well, seize the opportunity right now.’

Here’s how to deal quickly and effectively with some of the most irritating workplace habits.

The Loud Talker If your attention is consistently being pulled away by a colleague’s loud chatter, Mr. Lewis said, take a deep breath and approach the person, using what he calls the ‘S.E.C.’rule: smile, maintain eye contact and remain calm… The Gossip ‘Gossip is what we would call ‘harmful speech,’ said Mr. Miglioli, the Buddhist priest… The Nosy Cubicle Mate When your overly inquisitive co-worker begins to dig, ‘find a mantra, and then be a broken record,’ suggested Ms. Pollak, the workplace expert…One of the takeaways of the pandemic is that communities survive better than individuals.

Image- The New York Times

As we all return to the workplace, Mr. Miglioli said, we have two choices. ‘One way is to disconnect as soon as possible with all that has happened and get back to your life’…“The other is to embrace the pandemic as a great teacher.”

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced


Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.


Time: Approximately 60 minutes.


Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.


Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing.

I. Pre-Reading Activities

 Predictions: Analyzing headings and photos

Directions: Examine the titles of the post and of the actual article.  Examine any photos, then create a list of  words and  ideas  that you  and your group members think might be related to this article. 

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.

  1. Workers return to the loud talkers, nosy cubicle mates and the olfactory emanations of the shared microwave.
  2. How do we confront these annoying people?
  3. More importantly, how do we check our emotions, which may be in overdrive after working in isolation?
  4. The article teaches you how to handle unpleasant situations at work.
  5. The gossip, the loud talker and the nosy colleague are all manageable.
  6. There are three things to keep in mind when you’re getting back in the groove.
  7. There’s actually a big difference between responding and reaction.
  8. That pause will give you a chance to choose your battles.
  9. Try to exercise tolerance.
  10. One of the takeaways of the pandemic is that communities survive better than individuals.

Grammar Focus: Word -Recognition

Directions: Students choose the correct word to complete the sentences taken from the article. They are to choose from the options presented.

For many worker/workers, the commuter train/trainshas/have already leave/left the station. And after controlling our own/owner environment in/at home, returning too/to work means/meanwe’ll/well be faced with annoy/annoying behaviors among our colleague/colleagues again: loud talkers, nosy cubicle mates, the olfactory emanations of/off the shared microwave.

 

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension: Identify The  Speakers

Directions: Read the following quotes from the speakers in the article. Then identify the speakers.

  1. “You know all those things you wanted to change in your workplace prior to the pandemic, but you just couldn’t figure out how to do it? Well, seize the opportunity right now.”
  2. “There are three things to keep in mind when you’re getting back in the groove. Acknowledge that we are out of shape dealing with other people. Lower your expectations and assume that you’re going to have some annoyances. And really give thought to the new habits that you want to create from Day 1, and be deliberate about making changes now.”
  3. “There’s actually a big difference between responding and reaction. What I do is pause, breathe and connect with the present moment.”

 

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Directions: Have  students discuss the following questions/statements. Afterwards,  students share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics mentioned.

  1. Have you been back to work since the pandemic ended?
  2. Describe your reactions on the first day in the office.
  3. If you don’t work in an office, how did you feel on your first day back at school?
  4. What advice does author Lindsey Pollack offer for those going back to work?
  5. What are some of the characteristics listed as being annoying? Give a brief description of each.
  6. How does Mr. Lewis advise handling a person who talks loudly?
  7. What is an important lesson concerning communities  that we’ve learned from the pandemic?
  8. List three new ideas  that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading,  two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you  would like to know that the article did not mention.  Share your responses with your class.

ANSWER KEY

Category: Business, Culture, People, Social Issues | Tags:

Employees Are Suing Their Employers for Their Work From Home Expenses

“In the more than two years since the pandemic shut down many offices, employees across the country have been forced to set up desks in cluttered kitchens and cramped bedrooms… A rise in employee lawsuits demanding reimbursement [some as high as $5,000] for expenses incurred while working from home during the pandemic.” H. Martín, Los Angeles Times, April 12, 2022

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Getty Images

 

Excerpt:  Workers are suing their bosses to get their work-from-home costs reimbursed By Hugo Martín, Los Angeles Times, April 12, 2022

‘We have tons of these in the pipeline,’ said Jacob Whitehead, an attorney who has filed about 20 class-action lawsuits over business expenses demanded by employees.

Home expenses such as telephone and internet fees, extra energy to heat or cool a house and office supplies can add up to $50 to $200 a month per employee, according to more than a dozen lawsuits examined by The Times.

If expenses were incurred during the entire duration of the pandemic, that could add up to as much as $5,000 for every worker. Some lawsuits are also demanding payment for the potential revenue employees could have collected had they rented out their home office instead of using it for work…

Other lawsuits, many of which are still working their way through the court system, have targeted such business giants as Wells Fargo Bank, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Visa, Oracle and Bank of America…The lawsuits highlight one of the most dramatic changes the pandemic brought to the business world: the widespread transfer of employees from business offices to home offices to help minimize the spread of the coronavirus.”

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced


Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.


Time: Approximately 60 minutes.


Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.


Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing.

I. Pre-Reading Activities

KWL Chart

The K-W-L chart is used to activate students’ background knowledge of a topic in order to enhance their comprehension skills.

Directions: Have students use the KWL chart to list the information they already know about people working from home during the pandemic. Next, have students list the information they would like to learnLater in the Post- Reading segment of the lesson, students can fill in what they’ve learned about the topic.

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.

  1. It has been more than two years since the pandemic shut down many offices.
  2. White-collar employees across the country have been forced to set up desks in cluttered kitchens and cramped bedrooms.
  3. Another consequence of the mass relocation of office workers: A rise in employee lawsuits demanding reimbursement for expenses.
  4. There are tons of lawsuits over business expenses demanded by employees.
  5. If expenses were incurred during the entire duration of the pandemic, that could add up to as much as $5,000 for every worker.
  6. Many companies paid for snacks and lunch for employees who worked in the office — perks that were eliminated when members were ordered to work from home.
  7. Other lawsuits, many of which are still working their way through the court system, have targeted business giants.
  8. Companies that are being sued for failing to reimburse their employees have argued that the pandemic caught them off guard and unprepared to respond.
  9. The lawsuits highlight one of the most dramatic changes the pandemic brought to the business.
  10. Workers said they teleworked frequently before the coronavirus outbreak.

Grammar Focus:Structure and Usage

Directions: The following groups of sentences are from the article. One of the sentences in each group contains a grammatical  error.  Identify the sentence (1, 2, or 3 ) from each group that contains the grammatical error.

I

  1. New social codes developed between employees and employers.
  2. This was another consequences of the mass relocation of office workers.
  3. Home expenses such as telephone and internet fees can add up.

II

  1. Seppala was laid off from Better Mortgage in December of 2021.
  2. Better Mortgage did knot respond to emails seeking comment on the case.
  3. The tech industry has faced strong criticism from workers after cutting perks during the pandemic.

III

  1. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, got pushback from employees last month.
  2. Other lawsuits  have targeted such business giants as Wells Fargo Bank, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Visa, Oracle and Bank of America.
  3. Visa declined too comment on the lawsuit.

Reading Comprehension: Identify The  Speakers

Directions: Read the following quotes from the speakers in the article. Then identify the speakers.

  1. “We have tons of these in the pipeline.”
  2. “This is one of those pandemic-related issues that rose very suddenly.”
  3. “As soon as we started working from home, I realized how much day-to-day money I really had because of how much went toward paying for that stuff.”
  4. Her bosses have failed to reimburse her and other employees for a variety of business expenses since sending them to work from home in March 2020.
  5. The cost shouldn’t be shifted to the employees…This benefits the business.”
  6. “For equipment like laptops, webcams, microphones and a work desk, it is reasonable for an employer to pay for this…For more general costs like refurbishing a home office, improved broadband or lunch, that is less common and would depend on a case-by-case basis.”

 

III. Post Reading Activities

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Directions: Have  students discuss the following questions/statements. Afterwards,  students share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics mentioned.

  1. Did you have to work from home during the pandemic? Did you incur expenses while you worked? If so what were they?
  2. Did you have to attend school from home? If so, do you think students should be reimbursed for expenses incurred while working on their computers?  Why or why not?
  3. What are some of the expenses incurred by employees who were forced to work from home during the pandemic?
  4. Do you agree that employees should be reimbursed for these expenses?  Why or why not?
  5. What were some of the perks employees had while working from the office?
  6. Why are so many well known businesses being targeted with lawsuits?
  7. What are the reasons companies are giving for not reimbursing their employees?
  8. Do you agree with the companies or the employees? Provide reasons for your response.
  9. Why are some employees conflicted about suing their employers? Do you think they are correct in feeling this way?
  10. List three new ideas  that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading,  two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you  would like to know that the article did not mention.  Share your responses with your class.

 

ANSWER KEY

Category: Business, Culture, Economy, People | Tags:

This Woman Saved Lives While on a Zoom Call

“All three crew members of a fishing boat named Bing Bing were rescued after a woman working from home saw the vessel capsize off Scituate, Mass. “She saved our lives,” one survivor said.” N.  Vigdor,The New York Times,Feb. 4, 2022

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Members of the Bing Bing fishing boat being rescued as seen in drone footage from the Scituate Fire Department.Credit- Scituate Fire Department

Excerpt: A Sinking Boat Caught Her Eye During a Zoom Call,  By Neil Vigdor,The New York Times,Feb. 4, 2022

“On a very clear day, Pam Harght can see Boston from her third-floor home office, which is roughly 30 miles to the southeast, but her eyes darted away from a Zoom call with her boss on Tuesday to the sea…A commercial fishing boat named Bing Bing that had been combing the choppy seas near Scituate, Mass., for surfclams had rolled over and partially disappeared, the authorities said…At that point, Ms. Harght said she excused herself from the meeting and called 911, figuring that surely others must have seen the overturned vessel and had already contacted emergency responders. But there was no one else, according to John P. Murphy, Scituate’s fire chief, who said on Friday that Ms. Harght had played a pivotal role in facilitating the rescue of all three of the boat’s crew members from the 42-degree waters of Massachusetts Bay…“She saved our lives,” he said. “If it wasn’t for her calling, nobody would have found us and nobody would have known.”

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced


Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.


Time: Approximately 60 minutes.


Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.


Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing.

I. Pre-Reading Activities

 Predictions: Analyzing headings and photos

Directions: Examine the titles of the post and of the actual article.  Examine any photos, then create a list of  words and  ideas  that you  and your group members think might be related to this article. 

Pre-reading Organizer By Scholastic

 

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.

  1. Pam eyes darted away from a Zoom call with her boss on Tuesday to the sea.
  2. A commercial fishing boat named Bing Bing had been combing the choppy seas near Scituate, Mass.
  3. Ms. Harght, 38 started working from home during the pandemic.
  4. Seconds later, the boat just vanished.
  5. The crew members, who were in the water for 45 minutes, were experiencing hypothermia.
  6. They also had ingested diesel fuel and were clinging to a hose from the boat.
  7. It is likely that part of the boat’s equipment for dredging caught on something, causing the vessel to overturn.
  8. Mr. Roderick, 50, a father of four from New Bedford, Mass. began to weigh his mortality.
  9. Mr. Roderick said that his chest was sore from treading water.
  10. Monte Rome, the owner of Intershell International, said that it was serendipitous that Ms. Harght had been watching.

 Grammar Focus: Structure and Usage

Directions: The following groups of sentences are from the article. One of the sentences in each group contains a grammatical  error.  Identify the sentence (1, 2, or 3 ) from each group that contains the grammatical error.

I

  1. Over a very clear day, Pam Harght can see Boston.
  2. Ms. Harght, lives in Marshfield, Mass.
  3. A commercial fishing boat had been combing the choppy seas.

II

  1. Ms. Harght started working from home during the pandemic.
  2. The crew members were in the water for 45 minutes.
  3. Chief Murphy said that all three men were expected to recover.

III

  1. All three crew member of a fishing boat were rescued.
  2. Ms. Harght, excused herself from the meeting and called 911.
  3. All three crew members had ingested diesel fuel.

 

Reading Comprehension: Identify The  Speakers

Directions: Read the following quotes from the speakers in the article. Then identify the speakers.

  1. “My boss is in L.A. Thirty seconds later, the boat just vanished. That’s when my jaw just dropped.”
  2. “She must have just looked up at the right time. The stars were aligned for these gentlemen being alive today.”
  3. “I was thinking about my children. In my imagination, I was never going to make it home. It was ice-cold water out. It was terrifying.”
  4. “It was serendipitous that Ms. Harght had been watching and that the hose acted as a float.”

 

III. Post Reading Activities

Directions:  Have students use this advanced organizer from Write Design to assist them with  discussing  or writing about  the main idea and points from the article.

Main idea chart By Write Design

 

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Directions: Have  students discuss the following questions/statements. Afterwards,  students share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics mentioned.

  1. Have you ever saved someone’s life? If yes please describe the incident.
  2. Do you know of other stories where someone saved another person’s life or had their life saved?
  3. How did Ms. Harght see the sinking boat?
  4. Where does Ms. Harght’s boss live?
  5. What caused Ms. Harght to work from home?
  6. What did Ms. Harght do after she saw the boat vanish?
  7. How many crew members were there on the boat?
  8. How many of the men recovered?
  9. According to Chief Murphy  what caused the boat to capsize? 
  10. Why didn’t the men use their cell phones?
  11. List three new ideas  that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading,  two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you  would like to know that the article did not mention.  Share your responses with your class.

ANSWER KEY

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