The only human to be hit by a space rock

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Elementary A2

PDF: The only human to be hit by a space rock
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Warm-up

Do you know what a meteorite is? (Yes, it's...)

Vocabulary Match

a bruise •• sleeping
investigate •• a mark
incident •• look into
napping •• rock scientist
geologist •• event
recovered •• got better

Vocabulary Answers

a bruisea mark
investigatelook into
incidentevent
nappingsleeping
geologistrock scientist
recoveredgot better

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

In 1954, a meteorite hit a house in Sylacauga, Alabama. It went through the roof and hit a woman named Ann Hodges while she was ________ on her couch.

The hit left a bad ________ on her side, but she wasn't badly hurt. The meteorite left a hole in the roof and a rock on the floor. Many people in the area saw a fireball in the sky and heard a loud noise. The police came to ________, and a ________ confirmed it was a meteorite.

The ________ caused a lot of media attention. Ann Hodges became famous and appeared in magazines and on TV. Her husband thought they could make money from the meteorite, but they only received a small amount.

Ann never fully ________ from the incident, and her health declined. She died in 1972 at the age of 52. The "Hodges Meteorite," named after her, is on display at the Alabama Museum of Natural History.

In 1954, a meteorite hit a house in Sylacauga, Alabama. It went through the roof and hit a woman named Ann Hodges while she was napping on her couch.

The hit left a bad bruise on her side, but she wasn't badly hurt. The meteorite left a hole in the roof and a rock on the floor. Many people in the area saw a fireball in the sky and heard a loud noise. The police came to investigate, and a geologist confirmed it was a meteorite.

The incident caused a lot of media attention. Ann Hodges became famous and appeared in magazines and on TV. Her husband thought they could make money from the meteorite, but they only received a small amount.

Ann never fully recovered from the incident, and her health declined. She died in 1972 at the age of 52. The "Hodges Meteorite," named after her, is on display at the Alabama Museum of Natural History.

Quiz

  1. Was Ann Hodges badly hurt?
  2. What did the incident cause?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. No, she wasn't. The hit left a bad bruise on her side, but she wasn't badly hurt.
  2. The incident caused a lot of media attention. Ann Hodges became famous and appeared in magazines and on TV.

True or False

  1. The meteorite left a hole in the floor and a rock on the roof. T F
  2. Ann Hodges fully recovered from the incident. T F
  3. The meteorite is on display at the Alabama Museum of Natural History. T F

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. False
  3. True

Conversation

Ann:Ouch! What just happened, Eugene?
Eugene:Oh dear! You're hurt. What hit you?
Ann:I don't know. I was just napping.
Eugene:Oh! There's a hole in the ceiling!
Ann:I think you should call the police.
Eugene:Good idea. And an ambulance, too!

Discussion

  1. Have you ever seen a shooting star?
  2. Do you believe in aliens?
  3. Would you like to be famous? Why or why not?

Further Reading

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/1954-extraterrestrial-bruiser-shocked-alabama-woman-180973646/

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