When Niagara Falls stopped flowing

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: When Niagara Falls stopped flowing

Warm-up

Have you ever been to Niagara Falls?

Vocabulary Match

riverbed -   - moving
halted -   - stopped
erosion -   - wearing away
flowing -   - river floor
temporary -   - short-term
geological -   - rock-related

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

Niagara Falls, one of the world's most famous waterfalls, has stopped ________ twice in the last 120 years. The first time was in 1848 when an ice jam on the Niagara River ________ the water for about 30 hours.

The second time was in 1969 when the American Falls were stopped by engineers to study ________ and repair the rocks. During this time, workers found interesting things on the dry ________, including coins and ancient weapons.

This ________ drying up allowed people to walk on the riverbed and explore the unique ________ features usually hidden under the rushing water. The falls have since returned to their powerful flow, continuing to amaze millions of visitors every year.

Quiz

  1. When did Niagara Falls first stop flowing?
  2. What caused the water to stop in 1848?
  3. Why did engineers stop the American Falls in 1969?
  4. What did workers find on the dry riverbed?

True or False

  1. Niagara Falls is one of the world's most famous waterfalls.  T  |  F
  2. Engineers used ancient weapons to stop the American Falls.  T  |  F
  3. People could ice skate on the riverbed when the falls dried up.  T  |  F

Conversation

A: I'm confused. What's the difference between Niagara Falls and American Falls?
B: Oh yes, the American Falls are on the US side of the border.
A: Okay, so what is on the Canadian side?
B: The Horseshoe Falls. 90% of the water flows over the Canadian side.
A: Interesting. So the American and Horseshoe Falls combined are...
B: Niagara Falls. That's right!

Discussion

  1. Have you ever visited a famous waterfall?
  2. Would you like to see Niagara Falls? Why or why not?
  3. What would you do if you found ancient coins?
  4. Can you think of three reasons why people build dams?

True Story Answers

Niagara Falls, one of the world's most famous waterfalls, has stopped flowing twice in the last 120 years. The first time was in 1848 when an ice jam on the Niagara River halted the water for about 30 hours.

The second time was in 1969 when the American Falls were stopped by engineers to study erosion and repair the rocks. During this time, workers found interesting things on the dry riverbed, including coins and ancient weapons.

This temporary drying up allowed people to walk on the riverbed and explore the unique geological features usually hidden under the rushing water. The falls have since returned to their powerful flow, continuing to amaze millions of visitors every year.

Vocabulary Answers

flowing → moving
halted → stopped
erosion → wearing away
riverbed → river floor
temporary → short-term
geological → rock-related

Quiz Answers

  1. In 1848.
  2. There was an ice jam on the Niagara River.
  3. To study erosion and repair the rocks.
  4. They found coins and ancient weapons.

True or False Answers

  1. True
  2. False
  3. False

Further Reading

https://www.insauga.com/niagara-falls-dried-up-twice-in-the-last-120-years/

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ESL Lessons: True Stories