Lesson
B2ENWould You Survive? Decisions Under Pressure
Face life-or-death survival scenarios and make decisions using modal verbs. Watch a TED-Ed video about escaping Pompeii, learn survival vocabulary, and build your own survival story with a partner. A practical B1 English lesson on modal verbs, survival vocabulary, and decision-making language. Ideal for adult learners, English tutors, and language schools.
Survival Myths — Fact or Fiction?: Predict & Verify
Predict & Verify
Prediction questions
- Which myth surprised you the most? Why?
- Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make a quick decision to stay safe?
- Do you think most people would make good decisions in an emergency? Why or why not?
Could You Actually Survive? Most People Get These Wrong
Many popular survival tips are actually dangerous myths. Most people believe you should suck the venom out of a snake bite. In reality, this can make the wound worse and spread the poison faster. You should keep still and call for help. Another common myth is that you must find food immediately if you are lost. In fact, the human body can survive up to three weeks without food, but only about three days without water. Finding clean water should always be your first priority. Many people think you should play dead if a bear attacks you. This is only true for grizzly bears — if a black bear attacks, you must fight back. Getting them confused could cost you your life. Some people believe you can drink water from a cactus in the desert. Most cactus water is actually toxic and will make you vomit, which dehydrates you even faster. There is also a popular idea that you should swim parallel to the shore if you are caught in a riptide. This one is actually true — you must not try to swim directly back to the beach, or you will exhaust yourself. And if you are lost in the wilderness, many people think you should keep walking to find help. Experts say you should usually stay where you are, because search teams can find you more easily if you do not move.
Survival Essentials — Emergency Vocabulary: Swipe Battle
Swipe Battle
Shelter
A place that protects you from weather, danger, or cold
First aid
Immediate medical help given before a doctor arrives
Dehydration
The dangerous loss of water from your body
Riptide
A gentle wave that slowly pushes you towards the beach
Evacuation
The organised movement of people away from a dangerous area
Signal fire
A fire made to attract the attention of rescuers
Hypothermia
A dangerous drop in body temperature caused by cold
Wilderness
A wild natural area far from towns or cities
Supplies
A comfortable luxury hotel with room service
Rescue team
A group of trained people who search for and save those in danger
Frostbite
Damage to skin and body parts caused by extreme cold
Shelter
A natural feeling that tells you how to act without thinking
Emergency kit
A bag of items prepared in advance for dangerous situations
Run, Sail, or Hide — Escaping Pompeii: Content Block
Content Block
Discussion questions
- Which sibling made the best decision — the one who ran, sailed, or hid? Why?
- What would you have done in their situation?
- What information did they need but didn't have to make a good decision?
- All three siblings chose the same escape plan when the volcano erupted.False
- The volcanic eruption of Vesuvius happened without any warning signs.False
- Some people in Pompeii survived by escaping to the sea.True
- The biggest danger during the eruption was only the hot lava flowing through the streets.False
- The people of Pompeii had never experienced earthquakes or volcanic activity before.False
Modal Verbs — Rules, Advice, Possibility
Lesson Board
The Right Decision — Choose the Modal: Word Choice
Word Choice
- You mustn'tshould drink water from a river without boiling it first. It could make you very sick.
- If you are lost in the mountains, you mustn'tshould try to stay in one place and wait for help.
- Don't worry about food right now — you mustn'tdon't have to eat immediately, but you need water.
- Be careful with that plant — it mightmust be poisonous. We're not sure.
- There's a storm coming. We mustmight find shelter before it gets dark.
- You shouldn'tdon't have to panic in an emergency. It makes everything worse.
- If you see a bear, you mustn'tdon't have to run. Running makes bears chase you.
- We mustn'tshould build a fire tonight — the temperature could drop below zero.
- I think I hear a helicopter. They mustcould be looking for us.
- You mustn'tshould always carry a first aid kit when you go hiking. It's the most basic rule.
Four Ways to Die — Four Ways to Survive: Jigsaw Reading
Jigsaw Reading
Lost in the Desert
In 1994, an Italian marathon runner got lost during a sandstorm in the Sahara Desert. He couldn't see anything and walked in the wrong direction for nine days. He had no water and had to drink his own urine to survive. He found a small abandoned building and ate bats to stay alive. He lost 18 kilograms before a group of nomads found him. Doctors said he shouldn't have survived. He said the most important thing was that he never gave up hope.
Alone in the Mountains
A climber fell into a deep crack in a glacier in the Peruvian Andes. His partner thought he was dead and left. The climber had a broken leg but managed to crawl for three days across ice and rock. He couldn't stand up, so he had to drag himself using only his arms. He said he knew he mustn't fall asleep, because he might never wake up. He reached the base camp just hours before his partner was going to leave.
Stranded at Sea
Two fishermen from Mexico were lost in the Pacific Ocean for nine months after their engine broke down. They had to catch fish and birds with their hands and collect rainwater to drink. They couldn't signal for help because they had no radio. They should have carried emergency equipment, but they thought the trip would be short. A fishing boat finally spotted them thousands of kilometres from home.
Trapped After an Earthquake
After a massive earthquake destroyed her apartment building, a young woman was trapped under concrete for five days. She could hear rescuers above but couldn't shout loud enough. She had to tap on a metal pipe to make noise. She knew she must save her energy, so she didn't move or cry. When rescuers finally pulled her out, she said the hardest part was not knowing if anyone could hear her.
Comprehension questions
- Which survival situation sounds the most frightening to you? Why?
- What mistakes did the people make, and what did they do right?
- Which person's survival depended most on luck, and which depended most on skill?
Explain to Survive — Survival Taboo: Taboo
Taboo
Shelter
- house
- building
- roof
- tent
- home
First aid
- doctor
- hospital
- medicine
- nurse
- bandage
Compass
- north
- south
- direction
- map
- navigate
Rescue
- save
- help
- find
- helicopter
- team
Dehydration
- water
- drink
- thirsty
- dry
- liquid
Earthquake
- shake
- ground
- building
- destroy
- Richter
Frostbite
- cold
- ice
- freeze
- snow
- winter
Wildfire
- fire
- burn
- forest
- flame
- smoke
Evacuation
- leave
- escape
- run
- exit
- building
Survival kit
- bag
- emergency
- prepare
- supplies
- pack
Would You? Could You? Should You?: Debate Roulette
Debate Roulette
Useful phrases
- I think you should...
- In my opinion, you must...
- That might be true, but...
- You could also...
- I'm not sure that's right because...
- It depends on the situation...
- In a survival situation, you should always try to save other people, even if it puts your own life in danger.
- Schools should teach basic survival skills to all children.
- Most people could survive in the wilderness for a week if they stayed calm.
- You should never go hiking alone, no matter how experienced you are.
- Modern humans have lost the survival instincts that our ancestors had.
- Governments must do more to prepare people for natural disasters.
- If you are lost with a group, one person should make all the decisions.
- People who take dangerous risks in nature and need rescuing should pay for the rescue themselves.