The woman who survived three shipwrecks

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: The woman who survived three shipwrecks

Warm-up

What shipwrecks have you heard of?

Vocabulary Match

terrifying -   - path
exploded -   - big ice
iceberg -   - go under water
bravery -   - blow up
sink -   - scary
footsteps -   - stopped working
retired -   - courage

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

Violet Jessop, also known as 'Miss Unsinkable', was a woman with an incredible story. She was born in Argentina in 1887 and had to start working at a young age to support her family after her father died. She took a job on a ship, following in her mother's ________.

In 1911, Violet worked on the RMS Olympic, a large luxury ship. During a journey, the ship hit another one, but luckily no one was hurt. The following year, Violet was a stewardess on the Titanic. This ship hit an ________ and started to ________. Violet helped other passengers and managed to escape on a lifeboat with a baby in her arms.

Four years later, Violet was on the Britannic when it ________ and sank. Again, she survived. Despite these ________ experiences, she continued to work on ships and even traveled around the world twice.

Violet survived three shipwrecks, but never gave up. In 1950, after she ________, she received a call from the baby she had saved on the Titanic. "I'm the baby," the caller told her. Violet's ________ had not been forgotten.

Quiz

  1. Where was Violet Jessop born?
  2. How did Violet escape the sinking Titanic?
  3. What did she do despite those terrifying experiences?

True or False

  1. Violet Jessop was also known as 'Miss Sinkable'.  T  |  F
  2. She worked on the Titanic in 1912.  T  |  F
  3. Violet received a call from the baby she had saved on the Britannic.  T  |  F

Conversation

A: Violet, you sure are brave to keep working on ships!
B: Well, someone has to do it, right?
A: But three shipwrecks? That's terrifying!
B: It's all part of the job, I suppose.
A: I don't know about that.
B: Well, it's different for you. You're a pilot!

Discussion

  1. If you survived the Titanic, would you want to go on a ship again?
  2. What's the most dangerous situation you've ever been in?
  3. If you could travel around the world, what route would you choose?

True Story Answers

Violet Jessop, also known as 'Miss Unsinkable', was a woman with an incredible story. She was born in Argentina in 1887 and had to start working at a young age to support her family after her father died. She took a job on a ship, following in her mother's footsteps.

In 1911, Violet worked on the RMS Olympic, a large luxury ship. During a journey, the ship hit another one, but luckily no one was hurt. The following year, Violet was a stewardess on the Titanic. This ship hit an iceberg and started to sink. Violet helped other passengers and managed to escape on a lifeboat with a baby in her arms.

Four years later, Violet was on the Britannic when it exploded and sank. Again, she survived. Despite these terrifying experiences, she continued to work on ships and even traveled around the world twice.

Violet survived three shipwrecks, but never gave up. In 1950, after she retired, she received a call from the baby she had saved on the Titanic. "I'm the baby," the caller told her. Violet's bravery had not been forgotten.

Vocabulary Answers

footsteps → path
iceberg → big ice
sink → go under water
exploded → blow up
terrifying → scary
retired → stopped working
bravery → courage

Quiz Answers

  1. Violet was born in Argentina.
  2. She escaped the sinking Titanic on a lifeboat with a baby in her arms.
  3. She continued to work on ships and even traveled around the world twice.

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. True
  3. False

Further Reading

https://htschool.hindustantimes.com/editorsdesk/knowledge-vine/meet-violet-jessop-the-woman-who-survived-three-shipwrecks

More "True Story" Lessons

ESL Lessons: True Stories