The town that drowned

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: The town that drowned

Warm-up

Are there any dams in your area?

Vocabulary Match

copper •• metal
forced •• top
thriving •• digging places
peak •• busy
mines •• product name
brand •• made to

Vocabulary Answers

coppermetal
forcedmade to
thrivingbusy
peaktop
minesdigging places
brandproduct name

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

Kennett, California was once a busy town with shops, hotels, a school, and even its own ________ of whiskey. It grew quickly in the late 1800s after ________ was found nearby. At its ________, it had around 10,000 people. But after World War I, the ________ closed and people started to leave.

In the 1930s, the U.S. government chose the area for a dam. People were ________ to move, and by 1944, the whole town was underwater. Today, Kennett sits at the bottom of Shasta Lake. Though it's gone, stories and old photos help us remember this once-________ place.

Kennett, California was once a busy town with shops, hotels, a school, and even its own brand of whiskey. It grew quickly in the late 1800s after copper was found nearby. At its peak, it had around 10,000 people. But after World War I, the mines closed and people started to leave.

In the 1930s, the U.S. government chose the area for a dam. People were forced to move, and by 1944, the whole town was underwater. Today, Kennett sits at the bottom of Shasta Lake. Though it's gone, stories and old photos help us remember this once-thriving place.

Quiz

  1. What was found near Kennett that made it grow quickly?
  2. How many people lived in Kennett at its peak?
  3. What happened to the mines after World War I?
  4. Where is Kennett located today?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. Copper
  2. Around 10,000 people
  3. The mines closed
  4. At the bottom of Shasta Lake

True or False

  1. Kennett had its own brand of whiskey. T F
  2. The town is now a popular tourist attraction. T F
  3. The U.S. government built a dam in the 1930s. T F

True or False Answers

  1. True
  2. False
  3. True

Conversation

A:Did you know there's a town under Shasta Lake?
B:No way! What happened to it?
A:It was called Kennett. They flooded it to build a dam.
B:That's so sad. People had to leave their homes?
A:Yes, some even waited until the water rose.
B:I hope someone took photos before it was lost.

Discussion

  1. Would you like to visit Shasta Lake?
  2. Have you ever visited a ghost town?
  3. What would you do if your town was going underwater?
  4. What would you miss most if you had to leave your home?
  5. Do you think people could live underwater in the future?

Further Reading

https://www.activenorcal.com/once-a-northern-california-boomtown-now-a-sunken-city-at-the-bottom-of-a-lake/

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