CHAPTER 2 - Alive to Tell Their Tale

Vocabulary Skill - The Suffix -ful

A. Add the suffix -ful to the nouns in the box to form an adjective. Then match the new word with its definition.

B. Complete the sentences below using the words from A.

1. Bill has a toothache, and it's very
2. The people in Pilobolus wear costumes of blue, red, purple, and yellow.
3. Annette is a very girl. She's always taking care of others.
4. My grandmother is 80 years old, but she still has a very way of thinking.

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.