Vocabulary Comprehension - Words in Context

A. In each sentence, choose the best answer. The words in bold are from the passage.

1. I usually take the elevator to my office on the _______ floor.
A) first
B) ninth

2. Tommy didn't mean to _______. It was an accident.
A) break the window
B) fix the window

3. You will need some tools if you are going to _______
A) build a table
B) eat dinner

4. Polar bears survive the winter in Antarctica by _______
A) playing in the snow
B) eating fish

5. Which of these can people trap?
A) mice
B) fruit

6. At the pool, the lifeguard's job is to rescue people who _______
A) can't swim
B) break the rules

7. Which of these are you more likely to celebrate?
A) a birthday
B) an exam

8. Which of these is more terrifying?
A) a sandwich
B) an earthquake

Alive to Tell Their Tale!¹

On August 5, 2010, an accident trapped 33 men 700 meters underground.The men worked for a copper and gold mine near Copiap6, Chile.At first, no one knew if the miners had lived through the accident

Then, on the morning of August 22, rescue workers made a hole deep enough to reach the miners.The men wrote notes and sent them up. The miners had survived by eating only small bits of food at a time and drinking a little milk once a day.(The mine kept some food and drinks underground in cast of an emergency.) They had used their tools to dig for water. They had used the batteries from machines to keep, some lights on.

Once the miners were found, the rescue workers passed them food, water, books, and letters from their families.Even though the miners had been found, the rescuers had to work hard to get them out.The rescuers needed a powerful drill to dig deep into the ground.It took 52 more days to save the men.

On the night of October 12, the workers were able to save the men. One by one the miners were brought up in a specially built elevator. They were weak, so the workers were very careful.Family members, friends, and people around the world cheered and celebrated. Church bells rang throughout Chile.

In all, the miners spent 69 terrifying days underground. "We had strength, ...we wanted to fight for our families, and that was the greatest thing." said Luis Urzua, the 30 supervisor.² He was the last miner to be saved.