Amazing Stories

Joan Acosta

Copyright 2013

Contents

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Students and teacher deliver baby . . . . . . . . 5

It’s never too late to say thank you . . . . . . . . 7

Pi is lost for 26 days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Climber loses nine fingers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Two amazing friends.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Mike Harcourt never gave up . . . . . . . . . . . 19

People rescue trapped horses . . . . . . . . . . 23

A new heart helps Carrie win . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Crossword puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Answers for exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

3

Welcome

This e-book is part of a seriescalled Best of The Reader. The storiesin the e-books are from The WestcoastReader. It is a newspaper for adultswho are improving their Englishreading skills.

4 You can use this bookin a classroom, with a tutor,or on your own.

4 Each story has exercises to gowith it. These exercises can helpyou improve your English andreading skills.

4 You can check your answersat the end of the book.

Most of the e-books in this serieshave three reading levels. This bookhas only one level:

There is a Teachers’ Guide on thiswebsite. The guide has ideas and suggestions on how to use the e-bookswith learners.

Acknowledgements

Credits

The author gratefully acknowledges the financialsupport of Capilano University for this project.

A special thank you to the learners and teacherswho helped choose the articles for this book.

All of the material in this book first appeared inThe Westcoast Reader (1982 to 2009). Some of thearticles have been updated. Most of the exercisesand activities for learners are based on material fromThe Westcoast Reader Teachers’ Notes (1982 to 2009).

Level 3

To the reader

To the teacher

Three reading levels

4

PhotosFront cover—Owen and Mzee: Peter Greste from Owen & Mzee (a free e-book);Erik: The Vancouver Sun; baby: The Province; horses: Marc LavignePages 5, 7: The Province; Page 9: Nelson Daily News; Page 12: The VancouverSun; Pages 14, 15, 16, 18: Peter Greste from Owen & Mzee (a free e-book), andfrom <www.lafargeecosystems.com>; Pages 19, 20, 21: The Vancouver Sun;Page 22: Orbit; Page 23: trapped horses, horses with blankets: Birgit Stutz; haydelivery: Stuart MacMaster; Page 24: shovelling: Tim Brown; leading horsesthrough trench, horses on logging road: Marc Lavigne: Page 26: MetroVancouver (Rafe Arnott); Page 27: Canada Coast to Coast by Joan Acosta (ITP) Nelson;IllustrationsPages 6, 11, 14, 16, 22, 28: Guy Parsons; Pages 8, 9, 10, 12, 14 (maps), 20,22 (boots), 23: Nola Johnston

Students and teacher deliver baby

The Westcoast Reader 4/2007 • Adapted from The Province

5

Haddy Saal-Keita withher six-year-old daughterAnta and her new baby

Haddy Saal-Keita waswriting an exam in her Englishclass. Suddenly, she felt sick.She says, “I raised my hand andtold the teacher I did not feel well.”

Teacher was worried Jill MacLachlan is Haddy’steacher. She was worried. Jill knewthat Haddy was pregnant. Jill told the students to take careof Haddy. Then she went to gethelp. When Jill returned to theclass, Haddy said, “Jill, the babyis here.”

A special delivery Jill, a security guard, and thestudents helped deliver Haddy’sbaby. Then they called 9-1-1. Firefighters took Haddyand her daughter to the hospital. Haddy says, “It was a veryspecial delivery.”

Students teased teacher The students joked with Jill.They said, “Your exam was so hardyou made Haddy go into labour.”

Write your own sentences

Tips for a pregnant womanUse the words in the boxes to finish the sentences.

Choose four phrases from the box below and use them in sentences.

1. ______________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________

go into labour get help deliver a baby raise (your) hand take care of feel sick

1. See a _______________________ right away.

2. Don’t _______________________.

3. Go to the dentist for a _______________________.

4. Take prenatal _______________________ every day.

5. Don’t _______________________ alcohol.

6. Drink milk and eat _______________________ with calcium.

drink

food

vitamins

doctor

smoke

checkup

It’s never too late to say thank you

The Westcoast Reader 4/2007 • Adapted from The Province

7

Remo Pastro and Walter Fabianwere schoolboys in 1978. Theylived in New Westminster, B.C.

Boys found tiny baby One day, the boys were playingoutside. They heard cries. Theyfollowed the cries to the porchof a vacant house. They founda tiny baby wrapped in a sheetunder the porch.

Police took baby The boys carried the baby home.They called the police. The policetook the baby to the hospital.

Couple adopted baby There were articles about thebaby in the newspaper. But thepolice could not find the motheror father. A young couple adoptedthe baby. They named him Thomas.

Remo

Walter

nurse

WalterRemo

Remo and Walter visited the baby in the hospital.

Thomas Pearson holdsa 1978 photo of himself and his two rescuers.

An important reunion Thomas Pearson contacted thepolice in New Westminster in 2006.He said he wanted to find Walterand Remo. He wanted to thankthe men for rescuing him. Thomas met Walter and Remoin January 2007. He finally hada chance to say thank you.

Which happened first?

____ Remo and Walter were playing outside. They heard cries.

____ The boys followed the cries to the porch of a vacant house.

____ Remo and Walter carried the baby home.

____ They found a baby wrapped in a sheet under the porch.

____ The boys called the police.

____ The police took the baby to the hospital.

____ A couple adopted the baby. They called him Thomas.

____ The police searched, but they could not find the baby’s parents.

A different endingCan you think of a different ending for the story? Write it on the lines.

Which happened first? Write 1 on the line.Which happened second? Write 2 on the line.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

1

2

3

4

Pi is lost for 26 days

The Westcoast Reader 2/2008 • Adapted from The Vancouver Sun

9

Pi (say: pie) is a three-year-oldcat. He belongs to Charles Dawesand Jane Hansell. The couple livesin Nelson. Their house is nearKootenay Lake.

USA

Nelson Cranbrook

KootenayLake

Castlegar

Pi got lost Pi goes outside every day.He likes to explore. He usuallycomes home after a few hours. On November 4, 2007, Pi wentout, but he did not come home.Charles and Jane looked everywherefor Pi. The couple could not findtheir cat.

A kayaker found Pi On November 30, a kayakerwas paddling along the shoreof Kootenay Lake. He heard cries.He looked up and saw a cat. It was Pi.

Charles and Jane and their cat Pi

A very lucky cat Charles and the kayaker rescuedPi. The cat was cold and wet. He wasalso very thin and weak. Charles says,“Pi fell off a cliff and couldn’t go upor down. He is lucky to be alive.”

MatchWrite the correct letterson the lines.1. paddle ___ a. a ladder

2. ride ___ b. a ball

3. fly ___ c. a kayak

4. kick ___ d. a stroller

5. push ___ e. a car

6. drive ___ f. a bike

7. climb ___ g. a kite

Label the drawing

Unscramble the letters andwrite the words on the lines.

1. flicf ____________________

2. tca _____________________

3. yakkera _________________

4. ledapd __________________

5. akayk ___________________

6. elka ____________________

Read the dates

November 1, 2007 03/30/96

11/19/99 July 1, 1865

April 23, 1976 10/10/10

June 4, 1980 01/12/00

03/19/56 May 11, 2001

Work with a partner. Take turnsreading the dates aloud.1 2

3

4

5

6

n We write 04/03/10 or April 3, 2010.n We say April third, twenty ten orApril third, two thousand ten.

Cat expressions Cat stories

to take a catnap

to fight like cats and dogs

to let the cat out of the bag

What does it mean?to argue or fightwith someone often

Example:David and his sister fightlike cats and dogs.

What does it mean?to tell a secret

Example: I really let the catout of the bag when I toldmy dad about the surprise party.

to rain cats and dogsWhat does it mean?to rain very hard

Example:We didn’t goon our picnic becauseit rained cats and dogs.

What does it mean?to have a short sleep

Example: John always feelsbetter after he takes a catnapafter lunch.

When the weather is warm,I often open the window in mybedroom. One hot day, a stray cat cameinto my bedroom through the openwindow. She went under my bedand gave birth. I woke up in the morning andheard kittens crying. Now I have a mother catand five kittens! Peggy Joe Vancouver

I have a black cat. His nameis Leo. My neighbour doesn’t likeLeo. She says that black cats bringbad luck. One day I saw my neighbourthrow a rock at Leo. I was angry.I usually try to keep Leo inside now.I don’t want him to get hurt. Tony Ma Kelowna

The Westcoast Reader 2/2006 The Westcoast Reader 9/2007

A big surprise

Leo

Climber loses nine fingers

The Westcoast Reader 9/2005 • Adapted from The Vancouver Sun

12

Erik Bjarnason is a firefighterin North Vancouver. In 2005,Erik and seven friends decidedto climb Mt. Logan.

Mt. Logan Mt. Logan is in Yukon. It is thehighest mountain in Canada. It is5,956 metres.

A storm hit Erik and two of his friendsclimbed to 5,500 metres. Suddenly,there was a storm. The wind blewat 140 kilometres an hour and thetemperature went down to –30° C. The wind blew away the men’stents and extra clothing. Erik hadno gloves. His fingers froze.

Helicopter rescued men Erik and his friends built a snowcave. They used their radioto contact the other climbers. After three days, a helicopterrescued the men.It took themto a hospital.All three menhad frostbite.

Erik lost nine fingers Doctors amputated nine of Erik’sfingers. He still has one thumb. Erik returned to his job as afirefighter after he recovered. Healso continued to climb mountains.

Erik Bjarnason with his daughterAriyah (left) and son Shayman

Yukon

NorthwestTerritories

Mt. Logan

BritishColumbia

Alaska(USA) Erik lost four

fingers onone hand.

How much do you remember?Draw a line under the correct word or number to finish each sentence.

1. Erik Bjarnason is a firefighter / police officer in North Vancouver.

2. In 2005, Erik and five / seven friends decided to climb Mt. Logan.

3. Mt. Logan is in Yukon / Alaska.

4. Erik and two of his friends climbed to 15,500 / 5,500 metres.

5. Suddenly, there was a storm / tornado.

6. The wind blew at 140 miles / kilometres per hour.

7. The temperature went down to –30° C / –13° C.

8. The wind blew away the men’s tent and extra food / clothing.

9. Erik had no toque / gloves and his fingers froze.

10. Erik and his friends used their radio / cellphone to contact the other climbers.

11. After three days, a snowmobile / helicopter rescued the men.

12. The men were taken to hospital. All three / seven had frostbite.

13. Doctors amputated nine of Erik’s toes / fingers.

14. Erik returned to school / work after he recovered.

15. Erik also continued to climb / paint mountains.

In December 2004, there washeavy rain in Kenya. Many riversflooded. Flood water swept a groupof hippos down a river and into theocean. One of the hippos was a baby.He lost his mother. He got stucknear shore.

People rescue hippo Many people helped savethe baby hippo. They caught himin a net and pulled him to shore.They named the hippo Owen. People took Owen to HallerPark near Mombasa.

Kenya is in easternAfrica. It is onthe Indian Ocean.

Part 1: The rescue

Two amazing friends

The hippo was stuck near shore.

Mombasa

Kenya

Africa

Kenya

•

People rescued the hippowith a net. Then they puthim in the back of a truck.

☞ More on page 15

People found the hippo here.

Part 2: New home

☞ More on page 16

Owen was too small to bewith other hippos at the park.So workers put him with somegiant tortoises. Owen walkedover to a tortoise and stoodbeside him. The tortoise’s name was Mzee(say: em-zee). He was about 130years old.

The first few days On the first day, Mzee hissedat Owen and tried to run away.But soon the tortoise startedto accept Owen. The next morning, Owenwas sleeping beside Mzee.A man took a picture andput it on the Internet.

Stephen works at the park.He is tickling Mzee’s chin.

Many people saw this pictureon the Internet.

Owen

Mzee

Part 3: Amazing friends Owen and Mzee became friends.People are very surprised becausethe two animals are so different. Owen and Mzee are togetherall the time. They sleep, walk, eat,and swim together.

Owen’s future When Owen is an adult, he willweigh about 3,000 kilograms. One day, Owen will live withother hippos in the park.

Mzee and Owen eat together.

Mzee and Owen take a nap.

The Westcoast Reader 1/2007 • Adapted from English Express

Owen and Mzee still liveat Haller Park. But they are nottogether. Owen lives with Cleo,a female hippo.

2010 update

17

True or falseCircle T if the sentence is true. Circle F if the sentence is false (not true),

1. Many rivers in Egypt flooded in 2004.

2. Flood waters swept a group of hippos down a river into the ocean.

3. One of the hippos lost his father and got stuck near the shore.

4. Many people helped to save the baby hippo.

5. They named the hippo Owen and took him to a wildlife park.

6. People at the park put Owen in an area with some tortoises.

7. Owen walked over to a tortoise and stood under him.

8. At first, the tortoise did not like Owen.

9. But soon Owen and the tortoise were together all the time.

Missing lettersAdd the missing vowels (a, e, i, o, u) to finish each word. All these wordsare on pages 14 to 16.1. K__ ny__

2. Afr__c__

3. Ow__n

4. Mz__ __

5. h__pp__

6. t__rt__ __s__

7. sl__ __p

8. w__lk

9. __ __t

10. k__l__gr__ms

11. __m__z__ng

12. fr__ __nds

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

18

Photo fun

What do you think? Children in many partsof the world love the storyabout Owen and Mzee.n Why do you think theylike the story so much?n Write your ideas onthe lines.

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

Look at the photo of Owen and Mzee.What are they thinking?Write it in the bubble.

☞ Show a partner what you wrote.

Mike Harcourt never gave up

☞ More on page 20

Mike Harcourt is well knownin British Columbia. He was themayor of Vancouver from 1980to 1986 and the premier of B.C. from 1991 to 1996.

deck

ocean

The Coast Guard rescuedHarcourt after he fell.

In 2002, Mike Harcourt hada serious accident. He slipped onthe deck of his cottage on PenderIsland. He fell six metres intothe ocean. Luckily, Harcourt’s wife foundhim right away. She called 9-1-1.The Coast Guard came. They gotHarcourt out of the water. He couldnot move his arms or legs.

Doctors operated An air ambulance took Harcourtto Vancouver General Hospital. Harcourt had injured his spinalcord. Doctors operated on hisinjured spine. They were not sureif Harcourt would walk again.

Relearning to use his body Harcourt was very athleticbefore the accident. He ran everyday. Now he had to build hismuscles again. He had to relearnto use his body. He says, “I always believedI would walk again. I didn’t wantto give up on that idea.”

Harcourt beforethe accident

Physiotherapists helped Harcourt spent three monthsin the hospital. Physiotherapistsworked with him every day. Harcourt learned to usehis arms and legs again.He learned to walk again.

Lucky to be alive Today, Mike Harcourt hasa busy and active life. He says, “I am lucky to be alive. I am stillworking every day to get better.”

A physiotherapist helpedHarcourt learn to walk again.

Did you know?

spinal column

■ The spinal column goes fromthe base of the brain to the tailbone.

■ The spinal column is madeup of small bones called vertebrae.These bones protect the spinal cord.■ Nerves from the spinal cordgo to every part of the body.

brain

tailbone

spinal cordvertebra

disc

nerve

The Westcoast Reader 5/2004 • Adapted from The Vancouver Sun

walker

Finish the sentences

1. Mike Harcourt had _______________________________________________

2. He fell into the ocean _____________________________________________

3. Harcourt’s wife found him _________________________________________

4. The Coast Guard rescued __________________________________________

5. An air ambulance took Harcourt ____________________________________

6. Doctors operated on ______________________________________________

7. Physiotherapists helped Harcourt ____________________________________

8. Today, Mike Harcourt ____________________________________________

q his injured spine.

q him from the water.

q an accident in 2002.

q right away and called 9-1-1.

q has a busy and active life.

q learn to walk again.

q from the deck of his cottage.

q to Vancouver General Hospital.

These sentences are divided into two parts. Match each part at the top with apart from the bottom. Then write the second part of the sentence on the line.

21

Protect yourself How can you protect yourselffrom a spinal cord injury?

Did you know?

✔ Always wear your seat belt.

✔ Don’t drink alcohol and drive.

✔ Always wear a helmet when youride a bicycle or go skateboarding.

✔ Check water before you dive.Make sure the water is at least2.5 to 3 metres deep.

✔ Wear boots with treadsin the winter.

In Canada, the most commoncauses of spinal cord injuries are: ■ car crashes ■ falls ■ sports injuries

treads

People rescue trapped horses

23

In December 2008, Logan Jeckwas riding his snowmobile in themountains near McBride, B.C.The 21-year-old got a big surprise.He found two horses trappedin the snow.

BritishColumbia(B.C.)

Alberta

•

Town decided to help Logan told his father aboutthe horses. People in McBride heardthe news. They decided to try to savethe horses.

The trapped horses had ice ontheir backs and were very thin.

People volunteered to help4 Volunteers took hay to the horseson snowmobiles.

4 They put warm blanketson the horses.

blankets

hay

☞ More on page 24

ice

McBride

24

Finding a way out People in McBride talked abouthow to get the horses out. Theythought the horses were too weak tobe lifted by a helicopter. They decidedto dig a trench for the horses towalk through. It took seven days to diga one-kilometre trench. Volunteersshovelled snow for eight hoursa day.

Volunteers tookturns shovellingsnow.

The horses walked through the trench.

Finally, the trench was finished.Two men led the horses throughthe trench and out to a road.

Free at last After the horses came throughthe trench, volunteers walked thehorses down a logging road. Theywalked for 28 kilometres to a farm.

2010 update A man in Edmonton ownedthe horses. He lost the animalson a trip in September 2008.He later found the horses,but he was not able to getthem out of the snow. After volunteers rescued thehorses, the British ColumbiaSPCA decided to find new ownersfor the animals. Both horses aredoing well in their new homes.

The Westcoast Reader 2/2009 • Adapted from The Province

Is it a, b, or c?

Word groups

Circle a, b, or c to finish the sentences.

Read each pair of words and think about how they are alike. Write one wordfrom the box that best finishes the word group.

1. Logan Jeck was riding _____ in the mountains in December 2008.a. his horse b. his snowmobile c. his bike

2. Logan found ______ trapped in the snow.a. two cows b. three horses c. two horses

3. People in Logan’s town decided ________ the horses.a. to leave b. to try to save c. to ride

4. Volunteers _________ to get the horses out.a. dug a trench b. hired a helicopter c. built a road

5. _______ the trench was finished.a. In two days, b. On January 15, c. After a week,

6. The horses walked through the trench and ______.a. onto a logging road b. into a nearby farm c. into a truck

1. farm, pasture, _________________

2. ice, snow, _____________________

3. trench, ditch, __________________

4. surprised, amazed, _____________

5. road, path, ____________________

6. save, liberate, _________________

7. horse, mule, __________________

8. led, steered, __________________

guided canal sleet rescueshocked burro barn highway

The Westcoast Reader 10/2007

26

Carrie competed Carrie competed in the WorldTransplant Games in Thailand in 2007.The Games are for people who havehad organ transplants. About 1,000athletes from 70 countries competedin the Games.

Carrie won two medals Carrie won a gold medal in the200-metre race and a silver medal inthe 100-metre race. She says, “WhenI compete, I always think about mynew heart and the gift I receivedfrom my donor.”

Carrie Jung lives in Vancouver.She is an English as a SecondLanguage (ESL) teacher.

Carrie had a serious illness For seven years, Carrie wasvery sick. She had a serious illness.Doctors told her she needed a newheart.

Carrie had a heart transplant Carrie had to wait a few years fora new heart. Finally, in 2002, she hada heart transplant. After her transplant, Carrie beganto run to keep fit. She found that sheloved to run.

A new heart helps Carrie win

2013 Update

™ Carrie will compete in the2013 World Transplant Gamesin South Africa from July 28to August 4, 2013.

™ Athletes will compete in 12sports. For example, track andfield, volleyball, and swimming.

Carrie Jung

A mother’s story

skin

eye tissue

heart

lung

kidney

bone

bowel

pancreas

liver

What can doctors transplant?Here are some parts of the body that can be transplanted.

My son Paul died in a car _____________ five years ago. He was 24 years old.

When he was 18, he told us that he wanted to ____________ his organs if he died.

After the accident, doctors transplanted five of Paul’s _____________.

I miss my son and think about him every day, but I am happy to know that his

healthy organs are helping other people _____________.

Use the words in the box to finish the sentences.

donate live crash organs

Story by Sally Saunders as told to Joan Acosta/March, 2013

5Ws and How

28

1. Who is Carrie Jung? a. a science teacher b. a doctor c. an ESL teacher

2. What did doctors tell Carriethat she needed?

a. a liver transplant b. a new heart c. eye surgery

3. When did she get a transplant? a. 5 years ago b. in 2002 c. six months ago

4. Why did Carrie start to run? a. to meet people b. to train for the Olympics c. to keep fit

5. Where were the WorldTransplant Games in 2007?

a. in Edmonton b. in China c. in Thailand

6. How many medals did Carrie win in the Transplant Games? a. two b. one c. four

Put a circle around the correctanswer.

Heart puzzles

1. ___________________________

2. ___________________________

3. ___________________________

4. ___________________________

Can you guess these expressions?They all have the word “heart”in them. Write the answers onthe lines.

Discuss the meaning of eachexpression with a classmate.

1 2

3 4

Crossword: Amazing stories

1

2

3

4 5 6

7 8

9 10

11

12

Across

Down

Across Down2. Mike Harcourt was the __ of B.C.

5. Haddy had her baby in __.

7. Owen and Mzee became __.

10. People in McBride rescuedtwo __ horses.

11. Mzee is a giant __.

12. Doctors amputated __ of Erik’sfingers.

1. On Mt. Logan, Erik got __ onboth hands.

3. A __ found Pi.

4. Owen is a __.

6. Pi was __ for 26 days.

8. Mike Harcourt injured his __.

9. Remo and Walter __ a baby.

Tips for a pregnant woman (p 6)1. doctor 4. vitamins2. smoke 5. drink3. checkup 6. food

Which happened first? (p 8)1. 1,2 2. 2,1 3. 1,2 4. 2,1

Label the drawing (p 10)1. cliff 4. paddle2. cat 5. kayak3. kayaker 6. lake

Match (p 10)1c 2f 3g 4b 5d 6e 7a

How much do you remember? (p 13)1. firefighter 9. gloves2. seven 10. radio 3. Yukon 11. helicopter4. 5,500 12. three5. storm 13. fingers6. kilometres 14. work7. –30° C 15. climb8. clothing

True or false (p 17)1F 2T 3F 4T 5T 6T 7F 8T 9T

Missing letters (p 17)1. Kenya 7. sleep2. Africa 8. walk3. Owen 9. eat4. Mzee 10. kilograms5. hippo 11. amazing6. tortoise 12. friends

Finish the sentences (p 21)1. Mike Harcourt had an accident in 2002.2. He fell into the ocean from the deckof his cottage.3. Harcourt’s wife found him right awayand called 9-1-1.

4. The Coast Guard rescued himfrom the water.5. An air ambulance took Harcourtto Vancouver General Hospital.6. Doctors operated on his injured spine.7. Physiotherapists helped Harcourtlearn to walk again.8. Today, Mike Harcourt has a busyand active life.

Is it a, b, or c? (p 25)1b 2c 3b 4a 5c 6a

Word groups (p 25)1. barn 5. highway2. sleet 6. rescue3. canal 7. burro4. shocked 8. guided

A mother’s story (p 27)crash, donate, organs, live

5Ws and How (p 28)1c 2b 3b 4c 5a 6a

Heart puzzles (p 28)1. broken heart 2. cold heart 3. heavy heart 4. heart to heart

Crossword (p 26)

Answers for exercises

30

f1

p2

r e m i e ro k

3

s ah4

t c5

l6

a s s yi b o ap f

7r i e n d s s

8k

p f9

t t10

r a p p e dt11

o r t o i s e i ru nn n

12i n e

d

[premier] 5 [class] 7 [friends]

1 [trapped] 1 [tortoise] 1 [nine]

D [frostbite]

3 [kayaker] 4 [hippo] 6 [lost] 8 [spine] 9 [found]