The 'Iceman' who was shot 5,000 years ago

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: The 'Iceman' who was shot 5,000 years ago

Warm-up

Have you ever heard of Ötzi the Iceman? (Yes, he is...)

Vocabulary Match

parasites •• genes
isolated •• family
archaeology •• alone
dramatically •• bugs
ancestors •• suddenly
DNA •• study of history

Vocabulary Answers

parasitesbugs
isolatedalone
archaeologystudy of history
dramaticallysuddenly
ancestorsfamily
DNAgenes

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

Ötzi the Iceman, found in the Alps, lived over 5,000 years ago. New ________ studies show he had dark skin, brown eyes, and was losing his hair. His ________ came from Anatolia in Turkey, bringing farming to Europe. Ötzi lived in a small, ________ community in the Alps and faced many challenges, like broken bones and ________.

He also had a risk of heart disease, but his active life kept him healthy. Ötzi died ________, shot in the back with an arrow. Today, he can be seen at the South Tyrol Museum of ________ in Italy.

Ötzi the Iceman, found in the Alps, lived over 5,000 years ago. New DNA studies show he had dark skin, brown eyes, and was losing his hair. His ancestors came from Anatolia in Turkey, bringing farming to Europe. Ötzi lived in a small, isolated community in the Alps and faced many challenges, like broken bones and parasites.

He also had a risk of heart disease, but his active life kept him healthy. Ötzi died dramatically, shot in the back with an arrow. Today, he can be seen at the South Tyrol Museum of archaeology in Italy.

Quiz

  1. Where was Ötzi the Iceman found?
  2. What color were Ötzi's eyes?
  3. Where did Ötzi's ancestors come from?
  4. How did Ötzi die?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. In the Alps.
  2. Brown.
  3. Anatolia in Turkey.
  4. He was shot in the back with an arrow.

True or False

  1. Ötzi lived in a large city in the Alps. T F
  2. Ötzi's ancestors brought farming to Europe. T F
  3. Ötzi can be seen in a museum today. T F

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. True
  3. True

Conversation

A:Hey Ötzi, how's it going in the Alps?
B:Oh, you know, just surviving broken bones and parasites!
A:Sounds rough! At least you're keeping active.
B:Yep, keeps my heart ticking, I guess.
A:Heard you got an arrow in the back, though.
B:Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise!

Discussion

  1. What part of history interests you the most?
  2. Do you think you would survive in ancient times?
  3. Would you like to live in the mountains? Why or why not?
  4. Have you ever broken a bone?

Further Reading

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/famed-5300-year-old-alps-iceman-was-a-balding-middle-aged-man-with-dark-skin-and-eyes-180982744/

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