221. Victims of Nature (complete version) B1, B2

Practising English

Victims of Nature Complete Version (B1, B2)

This is the full version of the two story parts published last September.

Comprehension questions

1) What reasons did Alberto's mother give Alberto for leaving the Alpujarra?

2) What did Gustavo mean by the comment "we're just victims of nature"?

3) The story says, "When Alberto saw the pink clouds at dawn, he knew bad weather was on the way". What was the saying mentioned in the story which told Alberto there was going to be a storm?

4) Why was Alberto worried when he saw the effects of the storm on the mountain?

5) Why did the picnickers run away from the pool?

6) Was this a true story?

There are some more exercises at my website:

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-206.htm

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-207.htm

Answers to the questions above - please listen to the podcast first before you read the answers.

1) What reasons did Alberto's mother give Alberto for leaving the Alpujarra?

She said Alberto would be bored:

"You’ll be bored stiff. Only sheep, poverty and danger around here. Do you want to be a shepherd for the rest of your life?"

She said Alberto should be like his brother, Gustavo:

"Your brother took a risk and left. Look at him now. He’s taken charge of his life: he’s set up his own business in Granada - paying a mortgage on his flat. He has an expensive car and a lovely wife and baby."

She said Alberto would probably die in the Alpujarra:

Where’s that going to lead you?’ Off a cliff probably, off another cliff - just like your father, and tears fell down her cheeks.

2) What did Gustavo mean by the comment "we're just victims of nature"?

That the mountainous Alpujarra was too dangerous to live in:

This place defeats a human being. Those mountains are too big, too dangerous. You can’t beat them. Life here is beyond our control. This land will kill you in the end. Here, we’re just victims of nature itself.’

3) The story says, "When Alberto saw the pink clouds at dawn, he knew bad weather was on the way". What was the saying mentioned in the story which told Alberto there was going to be a storm?

“Red sky at night, shepherds' delight, but red sky in the morning, shepherds’ warning”, which means red clouds in the evening means good weather tomorrow, but red clouds in the morning bad weather that day.

4) Why was Alberto worried when he saw the effects of the storm on the mountain?

He was worried about the picnickers lower down the river in Trevelez:

"Every day in August the place was full of swimmers and picnickers. Those enormous wooden logs were rushing towards them. To make matters worse, they would fall over the waterfall down into the swimming pool below killing everybody in their path."

5) Why did the picnickers run away from the pool?

Because they were frightened when they saw Alberto:

At the sight of this mad-looking, bearded mountain man, who had apparently fallen out of the sky into the middle of the pool, some forty or fifty people, very frightened people, screamed and raced out of the water.

6) Was this a true story?

Yes it was, although I have made invented how the swimmers and picnickers were saved, of course. See the video of the near disaster at practisingenglish.com podcast 207.