Real Heroes

Real Animals

Real People

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

Pat Dyck
Canadian Edition

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

Copyright Notice
Copyright 2003 ESL Resources All rights reserved

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Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

Introduction
Real Heroes, Real Animals, Real People started to take shape as I taught a class of adults
and young adults who had little exposure to English. Once they had mastered reading and
writing simple sentences such as Today is Wednesday. or The book is on the table. I
turned to easy readers that were available - childrens books with simple stories and lots of
pictures. My students were eager to learn and didnt object to these books, but I knew age
appropriate material would be a better idea.
My ESL mentor, Jane Kelly, always used authentic newspaper articles with her high level
students. Of course, newspapers were way above the abilities of my beginners, but I liked
the idea of authenticity. Then, the story of a young university student who had rescued
climbers from an avalanche was in the news. It was current and exciting. I wrote it in short
sentences using basic grammar. In class, as I told my students the story, I filled the board
with line drawings so that they could see what was happening. This enabled the students
to understand the plot and learn the new vocabulary. After this oral/pictorial introduction
they read the story for themselves. Then they practised retelling the story to a partner and,
finally, they wrote a few sentences about the story themselves.
This was just the beginning. If there was an interesting story in the newspaper, Id cut it out
and rewrite it. Then I began to develop exercises to go with the stories. And so, Real Heroes, Real Animals, Real People grew to be the book that it is today. All the stories are
based on real events, but in some cases the details have been changed to protect the privacy
of the individuals in the stories.
Teachers will find the stories, comic strips, exercises, pronunciation tips and permission to
photocopy useful in your teaching. For your students, my hope is that they will enjoy these
age-appropriate stories and will benefit from the practice exercises as they strive for
mastery of the English language.
Onwards and upwards!
Pat Dyck

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

Contents
Luis, Avalanche Hero
A student saves two climbers caught in an avalanche.
1 Comic Strip
2 Text Story
3 Subject, Verb & Object
3 Making Corrections
4 Verbs - Present & Past
4 Nouns - Singular & Plural
5 Present Tense Questions with Is & Are
5 Past Tense Questions with Was & Were
6 Word Meanings
6 Fill in the Blanks
7 Verb Word Find
8 Pronunciation Tips - The Long o

Tony, Highway Hero

A motorcyclist saves a family from a burning van.
9 Comic Strip
10 Text Story
11 Fill in the Blanks
11 Complete the Sentence with an Object
12 Nouns - People, Places & Things
12 Verbs - Past & Present
13 Past Tense Verb Rules
14 Writing Questions with Did
15 Change the Meaning Using Doesnt or Dont
16 Pronunciation Tips - Two Vowel Sounds ai ea oa

Blanket Heroes
Three girls use a blanket to save a boy who falls out of a window.
17 Comic Strip
18 Text Story
19 Fill in the Blanks
19 Circle the Words that are Similar
19 Answer the Questions in Complete Sentences
20 Past Tense Verbs
20 Past Tense Verbs that Sound the Same
21 Write Past Tense Sentences
21 Sequencing
22 Plurals with es Rule
22 Plurals that end in y
23 Changing Singular to Plural Verbs
24 Pronunciation Tips - oi oy
Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com
24 Test Your Spelling

Forest Fire Hero

A helicopter pilot saves a firefighter.
25 Comic Strip
26 Text Story
27 Make a Complete Sentence
27 Yes, it was. No, it wasnt.
28 Verbs - Past & Present Tense
29 Opposites
29 Questions & Negatives
30 Sentence Writing
30 Fill in the Blanks
31 Illustrated Crossword
32 Pronunciation Tips - Final Silent e

Pilot Hero
An airliner with 310 passengers is flying over the Atlantic Ocean when
both engines fail. A cool-headed pilot lands the plane safely.
33 Comic Strip
34 Text Story
35 What am I?
35 Correct the Mistake
36 Adjectives & Adverbs
37 Verbs - to be
37 Negatives - didnt + the main verb
38 Circle Two Words that are Similar
38 Heroes
39 Writing Numbers
40 Pronunciation Tips - th

Dog Saves Woman

A woman falls & is saved by her dog.
41 Comic Strip
42 Text Story
43 True or False
43 Answer the Questions in Complete Sentences
44 Opposites
44 Fill in the Blanks
45 46 Rules to Make Past Tense Verbs
47 Irregular Past Tense Verbs
48 Pronunciation Tips - Past Tense Verbs
Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

Ray Saves the Ducks

A duck persuades a man to rescue her ducklings.
49 Comic Strip
50 Text Story
51 Definitions
51 Answer the Questions in Complete Sentences
52 Negatives & Positives
53 Verbs - Past Tense
54 Making Plurals
55 Emergency & Safety Bingo
56 Pronunciation Tips - er ir ur All Sound Like r

Lee & the Shark

A scuba diving fisherman is pulled out to sea by a shark.
57 Comic Strip
58 Text Story
59 True or False
59 Questions & Short Answers with Can
60 Questions & Negatives with Does & Doesnt
61 Say the Same Thing in Two Different Ways
61 Opposites
62 Verbs - Present & Past Tense
63 Illustrated Crossword - Transportation
64 Pronunciation Tips - ar = r

Cheryl & the Cougar

A woman is stalked by a cougar.
65 Comic Strip
66 Text Story
67 Corrections and Negative Sentences
68 Verbs - Past tense
69 Pronouns & Possessives for Male & Female
70 Animals
70 Wild Animals, Farm Animals or Pets
70 Yes, they are. No, they arent.
71 Opposites Crossword
72 Pronunciation Tips-ch sh wh & ph

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

The Problem
Bob & Tia want to get married, but Bobs pet is a problem.
73 Comic Strip
74 Text Story
75 Cross Out the Wrong Word, Correct the Sentence
75 Sometimes, Always, Usually or Never
76 The Apostrophe
77 Look and Answer Using Apostrophes
78 Personal Pronouns & Past Tense
78 Write the Correct Present Tense Verb
79 Writing with New Vocabulary
79 One Word Doesnt Belong
79 Pets - Yes. I would. No, I wouldnt.
80 Pronunciation Tips - Long a Sounds

The Tourist Hero

A woman jumps into a canal to rescue a drowning man.
81 Comic Strip
82 Text Story
83 Using Negatives
83 Opposites
84 Like & Like To
85 Have To, Must and Had To
86 A & An
87 Illustrated Air Travel Crossword
88 Pronunciation Tips - Short Vowels

A Hard Working Hockey Player

A hockey player recovers from a car crash and plays in the NHL.
89 Comic Strip
90 Text Story
91 Parts of the Body
91 Can & Cant - Could & Couldnt
92 Past Tense Verbs
93 Questions - Write and Answer
94 Sports and Recreation
95 More Sports
96 Pronunciation Tips - Silent Letters

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

A Rich Waitress
Six friends win 14 million dollars in a lottery.
97 Comic Strip
98 Text Story
99 Cross Out the Words that are Wrong
99 Questions
100 The Future Tense
101 The Verb to be, Present & Future
102 Sentence Completion
102 Fill in the Blanks
103 Giving Short Answers
104 Pronunciation Tips - The Many Sounds of o

Ashleys Dream
A fifteen-year-old girl with no hands & feet swims 20 kilometers
across Lake Erie.
105 Comic Strip
106 Text Story
107 Definitions
107 Proud Of
108 Past Tense Negatives & Questions - Did & Didnt
109 Negatives & Questions - the verb to be
110 Medical Bingo
111 What Do You Practise? No, I dont. Yes, I do.
111 Your Dream
112 Pronunciation Tips - y & ea

New Hope
A woman loses her job, her father dies & her house burns down.
Volunteers build her a new house.
113 Comic Strip
114 Text Story
115 Definitions
115 Sequencing
116 Asking Past Tense Questions
117 Volunteer & Donate
118 & 119 Greeting Cards Express Our Feelings
120 Pronunciation Tips - The Final Silent e

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

The Miracle Baby

In the middle of the night a toddler in a T-shirt & diaper wanders
outside in -20 degree weather. Her father finds her hours later
frozen with no heart beat. Miraculously she survives.
121 Comic Strip
122 Text Story
123 Objects - Who & What?
123 Adverbs - Where, When & How Long?
124 Irregular Past Tense
125 Can & Could
126 Present Continuous - to be + main verb + ing
126 Tell the Story in the Present Continuous
126 Miracles
127 Illustrated Weather Crossword
128 Pronunciation Tips - Hard & Soft c & g

Index
129 Bingo Template

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

LUIS,
AVALANCHE
HERO

student

mountains

see

climb

avalanche

TOWN
8 KM.

bury

911

dig

helicopter

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

run

hero
1

Luis, Avalanche Hero

Luis is a university student.
He lives near the Rocky Mountains.
One day he went to the mountains.
There was snow on the mountains.
He saw two men climbing a mountain.
Luis heard a loud noise.
He looked up and saw an avalanche.
The avalanche hit the two men.
The avalanche pushed the men down the mountain.
The avalanche buried the men in snow.
Luis ran up the mountain.
He dug the men out of the snow.
The men could not walk.
Luis ran eight kilometers to get help.
He ran to a small town.
He called 911.
A helicopter rescued the men.
Luis saved the mens lives.
2

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

A. Subject, Verb & Object

Answer in complete sentences. Write a subject, a verb and an object for each sentence.
saw
three men.
Example: Who did Luis see? Luis
Subject Verb Object
1. What did Luis hear? _______________ ____________ __ _____ _______.
Subject

Verb

Object

2. What did Luis see? ______________ _________ _____ _____________.

Subject

Verb

Object

3. Who did the avalanche hit? ___ _____________ ____ __________ _________.
Subject

Verb

Object

4. Who dug the men out of the snow?_____ ______ ______ ______ out of the snow.
Subject

Verb

Object

5. What rescued the men? __ ______________ ____________ ________ __________.

Subject

Verb

Object

B. Making Corrections
Cross out the word that is wrong. Write the correct sentence.
Example: Luis is a high school student. Luis is a university student.
1. John lives near the mountains.
2. One night Luis went to the mountains.
3. The avalanche hit many men.
4. Luis walked up the mountain.
5. He pulled the men out of the snow.
6. Luis ran 15 kilometres to get help.
7. Luis ran to a big town.

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

C. Verbs - Past & Present Nouns - Singular & Plural

Read the story out loud with a partner. Underline every verb.
Luis is a university student. He lives near the Rocky Mountains. One day he went to the
mountains. There was snow on the mountains. He saw two men climbing a mountain.
Luis heard a loud noise. He looked up and saw an avalanche. The avalanche hit the two
men. The avalanche pushed the men down the mountain. The men were buried in snow.
Luis ran up the mountain. He dug the men out of the snow. The men could not walk. Luis
ran eight kilometers to get help. He ran from the mountain to a small town. He called 911. A
helicopter rescued the men.
Luis saved the mens lives.
Find the past tense verbs in the story. Complete the chart.

Present

Past

Present

is

was

dig

go

rescue

hear

save

push

look

run

see

Past

Find the singular and plural nouns in the story. Complete the chart.

Singular

Plural

Singular

mountain

noises
avalanches

life

towns
man

students

Plural

helicopters

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

D. Present Tense Questions with Is & Are

To write a question with is or are, start with the question word, followed by the verb, then
the subject. Rewrite these sentences as a question.
Example: Mother is in the store. Where is mother?
Subject

Subject

1. The students name is Luis. What

Subject

2.The avalanche is on the mountain. Where

Subject

3. The two men are under the snow. Where

Subject

4. The helicopter is here. Where

Subject

5. The hero is a student. Who

Subject

E. Past Tense Questions with Was & Were

To write a question in the past tense with was or were, start with the question word, followed by was or were, then the subject. Rewrite these sentences as a question.
Example: The teacher was late today. When was the teacher late?
Subject

1. One day Luis was in the mountains. Where

Subject

Subject

2. The snow was on the top of the mountain. Where

Subject

3. The men were on the mountain. Where

Subject

4. The men were under the snow. Where

Subject

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

F. Word Meanings
Draw a line to match the words on the right with the words on the left.
1. A student

is a person who saves lives.

2. Rescue

flies in the air.

3. Men

are big hills.

4. An avalanche

is the singular of men.

5. Man

is a person who goes to school.

6. Mountains

is the plural of man.

7. A hero

means save.

8. A helicopter

is a lot of snow falling down a mountain very fast.

G. Fill in the Blanks

Use these new vocabulary words to complete the sentences.

student

rescued

men

avalanche

man

mountains

hero

helicopter

1. I fell in the water. My wife _______________________ me.

2. The man was a _________________. He saved the boy from the fire.
3. I flew in a ___________________ from the town to the mountains.
4. I like to climb _____________________________.
5. The ______________ were climbing the mountain.
6. I dont go to the mountains in the winter. I am afraid of an _______________________.
7. My grandfather is an old ____________________.
8. I am a ___________________ at City College.

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

H. Verb Word Find

Write the verb under the picture, then find it in the word find.

study
play (music)
climb
catch
jump
run
break
talk
kick
blow
look
read
hit
push
reach
Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com

Hi!

I. Pronunciation Tips - The Long o

Sometimes ou/ow = ouch! ou/ow = long o.
Pronounce these words from the story:
loud

out

mountain

ou = ow
Pronounce these illustrated words.

owl

flower

towel

shower

mouse

mouth

down

house

clown

cloud

Usually at the end of a word ow = long o.

Pronounce these illustrated words.

throw

window

elbow

crow

bow

snow

row

blow

tow

low

Real Heroes Real Animals Real People 2003 ww.eslresources.com