Learn English with the News: “Shipwrecked”

Hello!

Are your ears ready? It’s time for a listening!

1. Read the text
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. Watch the news

Text

A Nigerian man survives 62 hours underwater, in a shipwreck’s air bubble. 29-year-old Harrison Okene was sure he was going to die… until a rescuers’ flashlight pierced through the darkness.

– He’s alive! He’s alive!

– All right just keep him there. Keep him there.

A tugboat had capsized off the coast of Nigeria in May, while stabilizing an oil tanker filling up at a Chevron platform. Of the 12 people on board, divers recovered 10 dead bodies. The ship’s cook had not been found – until this moment, captured in recently emerged video.

– Tell him to keep drinking his water. Where’s his water? Drink it buddy, drink it. He hasn’t drunken much eh?

-Nah he’s almost finished it

– Oh he’s almost finished it, ok sorry. Tell him to… what’s wrong with him?

– He says it’s cold.

– What’s cold, the water? Yeah. He says the water’s cold.

After the ordeal, Okene spent another 60 hours in a decompression chamber where his body pressure was returned to normal.

Vocabulary

Shipwreck – the destruction or sinking of a ship at sea.

Rescuer – to save (someone or something) from danger or harm.

Flashlight – a small electric light that can be carried in your hand and that runs on batteries.

Pierced – to go through or into (something) in a forceful or noticeable way.

Tugboat – a small, powerful boat that is used for pulling and pushing ships especially into harbors or up rivers.

Capsized – to turn over : to turn so that the bottom is on top.

Diver – a person who dives into water.

Emerged – to become known or apparent.

Buddy – a close friend — used especially to describe men or boys who are friends.

Decompression – to release or reduce the physical pressure on something.

Chamber – a room used for a special purpose.

Video