The miners who survived 69 days underground

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: The miners who survived 69 days underground

Warm-up

Why is mining such a dangerous job? (Well, I think it's dangerous because...)

Vocabulary Match

techniques •• fell down
collapsed •• suffered
endured •• thrilling
setbacks •• trouble
ordeal •• problems
dramatic •• methods

Vocabulary Answers

techniquesmethods
collapsedfell down
enduredsuffered
setbacksproblems
ordealtrouble
dramaticthrilling

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

In 2010, 33 miners were trapped 700 metres underground in a Chilean mine after it ________. For over two months, they ________ extreme heat, limited food, and the constant fear of never being rescued. Their leader, Luis Urzúa, helped keep order and hope alive.

Above ground, engineer André Sougarret led a global rescue team, involving experts from NASA and other international organisations. The world watched as the miners' ________ unfolded, with over a billion people tuning in to see the ________ final rescue.

After using various advanced drilling ________ and overcoming multiple ________, all 33 miners were eventually brought to safety, in what remains one of the most extraordinary rescues in modern history. After being rescued, Luis Urzúa said, "We have done what the entire world was waiting for: we fought until the end."

In 2010, 33 miners were trapped 700 metres underground in a Chilean mine after it collapsed. For over two months, they endured extreme heat, limited food, and the constant fear of never being rescued. Their leader, Luis Urzúa, helped keep order and hope alive.

Above ground, engineer André Sougarret led a global rescue team, involving experts from NASA and other international organisations. The world watched as the miners' ordeal unfolded, with over a billion people tuning in to see the dramatic final rescue.

After using various advanced drilling techniques and overcoming multiple setbacks, all 33 miners were eventually brought to safety, in what remains one of the most extraordinary rescues in modern history. After being rescued, Luis Urzúa said, "We have done what the entire world was waiting for: we fought until the end."

Quiz

  1. What were the miners in constant fear of?
  2. How many people watched the final rescue?
  3. In the end, what happened to the 33 miners?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. They were in constant fear of never being rescued.
  2. Over a billion people watched the final rescue.
  3. They were eventually brought to safety.

True or False

  1. The miners were really hot, hungry and scared. T F
  2. Experts from NASA tuned in to see the dramatic final rescue. T F
  3. After overcoming multiple backaches, all the miners were brought to safety. T F

True or False Answers

  1. True
  2. False
  3. False

Conversation

A:Luis, how did you keep everyone calm down there?
B:It wasn't easy, but we had to stay strong for each other.
A:André, how did you manage the rescue operation?
B:We had a great team and never gave up, even with setbacks.
A:I'm glad everyone made it out safely.
B:Me too. It was a true team effort.

Discussion

  1. Have you ever been in a difficult situation and needed help?
  2. Would you work in a gold mine if you could keep the gold?
  3. Do you like watching rescue stories on TV? Can you remember any of them?

Further Reading

https://hbr.org/2013/07/leadership-lessons-from-the-chilean-mine-rescue

MORE: