The Reading / Listening - Isolation - Level 4

An athlete just spent a record-breaking 500 days alone in a 70-metre-deep cave. Beatriz Flamini, 50, is a mountaineer. She took part in a study to examine the effects of isolation and deprivation on health. She started her solitary endeavour in November 2021 and came out of the cave last Friday. After resurfacing, she had health check-ups. Rather than have a shower, she went into a press conference.

Ms Flamini smiled as she explained that time had flown by. She was surprised the 500 days had ended. She said she lost track of time after day 65 because "it was always 4am". She was monitored by psychologists, but had no contact with anyone else. She said her success was due to getting on well with herself. She was happy that she kept her promise to stay in the cave for 500 days. She missed roast chicken.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Isolation - Level 5 or  Isolation - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/14/spanish-woman-emerges-after-spending-500-days-living-alone-in-cave
  • https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/woman-emerges-cave-spending-really-140737153.html
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/14/spanish-climber-leaves-cave-after-500-days-in-isolation


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. a record-
  2. She took
  3. examine the effects
  4. She started her solitary
  5. came out of the
  6. she had health
  7. Rather
  8. she went into a
  1. of isolation
  2. endeavour
  3. press conference
  4. cave last Friday
  5. than have a shower
  6. breaking 500 days
  7. check-ups
  8. part in a study

Paragraph 2

  1. time had
  2. She was surprised the
  3. she lost track
  4. She was monitored
  5. had no contact with
  6. getting on well
  7. she kept her
  8. She missed roast
  1. anyone else
  2. chicken
  3. 500 days had ended
  4. flown by
  5. promise
  6. by psychologists
  7. of time
  8. with herself

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An (1) ___________________ a record-breaking 500 days alone in a 70-metre-deep cave. Beatriz Flamini, 50, is a mountaineer. She (2) ___________________ a study to examine the effects of (3) ___________________ on health. She started (4) ___________________ in November 2021 and came out of the cave last Friday. After resurfacing, she had health check-ups. (5) ___________________ a shower, she went into (6) ___________________.

Ms Flamini smiled as she explained that (7) ___________________ by. She was surprised the 500 days had ended. She said she (8) ___________________ time after day 65 because "it was always 4am". She (9) ___________________ psychologists, but had no contact with anyone else. She said her (10) ___________________ to getting on well with herself. She was happy that she (11) ___________________ to stay in the cave for 500 days". She (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anathletejustspentarecord-breaking500daysaloneina70-metre-de
epcave.BeatrizFlamini,50,isamountaineer.Shetookpartinastudytoe
xaminetheeffectsofisolationanddeprivationonhealth.Shestartedher
solitaryendeavourinNovember2021andcameoutofthecavelastFrida
y.Afterresurfacing,shehadhealthcheck-ups.Ratherthanhaveasho
wer,shewentintoapressconference.MsFlaminismiledassheexplained
thattimehadflownby.Shewassurprisedthe500dayshadended.Shesai
dshelosttrackoftimeafterday65because"itwasalways4am".Shewas
monitoredbypsychologists,buthadnocontactwithanyoneelse.Shesai
dhersuccesswasduetogettingonwellwithherself.Shewashappythats
hekeptherpromisetostayinthecavefor500days".Shemissedroastchic
ken.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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