ABANDON SHIP !!!

I. READING

All hands! All hands! This is the master speaking! Prepare to abandon ship on the starboard
side! Put on your like-jackets and rush to the muster station for starboard-side life-boats and life-rafts.

Be Prepared to Abandon Ship

When going out on the water, the last thing you want to think about is what you'd do if you had to
abandon your vessel. But it is a fact that things can happen out there. A fire or a storm could break out. You
could hit submerged debris and take on water. In any case, it is important to be prepared.

There's not much time

If the ship sinks out from under you, chances are, you'll have a limited amount of time to react.
Having the right emergency equipment on board and knowing how to use it is crucial to your survival. An
abandon-ship kit, prepared in advance and stocked with emergency gear, just might be the key to staying
alive and signaling for rescue if you have to leave your ship behind.
There are several types of abandon-ship kits that you could use. There are pre-assembled kits that
already contain most of the items you'd need. Most pre-assembled kits (abandon-ship bags or ditch bags)
are brightly colored, waterproof and buoyant. If you create your own kit, it should be brightly colored and
labeled "ABANDON SHIP." The kit should be kept in a convenient location where it is easily accessible, and
every passenger on board should be made aware of its location.
Make sure that the items in your kit are only for use if you have to abandon your boat. They
shouldn't be for general use. Chances are, if people are taking things out of the kit, they will forget to put
them back or the batteries will be run down when you actually need to use them.

Abandon-ship kit contents

- 406 MHz EPIRB - Canned food

- Handheld VHF radio - First aid kit
- Handheld GPS - Sunscreen
- Extra batteries - Lip balm
- Flares - Life jackets
- Dye markers - Swiss army knife
- Signal mirror - Fishing gear
- Strobe light - Extra clothing
- Whistle - Space blankets
- Compass - Duct tape
- Waterproof flashlight - Gloves
- Chemical light sticks - Zip-lock bags
- Water jugs

EPIRB = emergency position indicating radio beacon

SART = Search and Rescue Transmitter
VHF = very high frequency

Act Like a Captain

Being a good captain involves a certain amount of acting. In emergency situations, the crew of a vessel looks
to their leader in an almost unconscious way to determine their own level of anxiety. If the captain projects a
calm and confident attitude, the crew will be reassured and since an anxious crew means poor judgment and
performance, a captain should do all he can to keep the crew calm. The idea here is not to lie to your crew,
and certainly not to fake a fearless, macho manner, going down with the ship is a pretty dumb plan. The idea
is that, by maintaining a calm, deliberate attitude in the face of a distress situation, you can help your crew
remain effective and perhaps help save lives. If you need to fake that attitude to some degree, so be it.
II. Distress Signals
Match each distress signal to the right picture:

1. Red Star Shells 10. Flames on A Vessel

2. "Mayday" by Radio 11.Orange Background Black Ball & Square
3. Dye Marker (any color) 12. Gun Fired at Intervals of One Minute
4. Fog Horn Continuous Soundings 13. SOS
5. Parachute Red Flare 14. Code Flags November Charlie
6. Square Flag and Ball 15. Wave Arms
7. Radio-Telegraph Alarm 16. Radio-Telephone Alarm
8. Epirb 17. Smoke
9. A high intensity white light flashing at regular intervals from 50 to 70 times per minute

A B C D E F

G H I J K L

M N O P R

III. Match each of the following commands on board the ship with the right translation:

1. Dead slow ahead a. Aprindeti luminile de ancoraj.

2. You now have the watch.
3. Put shackles on deck.
4. Switch on anchor lights.
5. Use the towing lines of the vessel.
6. Keep the propeller clear.
7. Medical assistance required.
8. Check the fixed foam extinguishing system and
report.
9. Fire in the engine room.
10. Shut down main engine.
IV. Which of the following ships or boats would have funnels, guns, masts, oars, passengers?
b. Folositi paramele de remorcaj ale navei.
c. Se solicita asistenta medicala.
d. Foarte incet inainte
e. Verificati stingatoarele fixe cu spuma si raportati.
f. Lasati chei de lant pe punte.
g. Acum preiei serviciul de cart.
h. Foc in sala masinilor.
i. Scoateti din functiune motorul principal.
j. Tineti elicea libera.
Put a tick in the right column.

funnels guns masts oars passengers

a barge
a cargo boat
a ferry boat
a liner
a rowing boat
a submarine
an oil tanker
a yacht

V. Choose the correct answer

1. The river is so .............here that you cannot use even a little boat.
a-flat b-narrow c-shallow d-straight

2. In spite of the storm, the captain...........the ship safely into port.

a-directed b-drove c-managed d-steered

3.There was a toy boat floating on the...........of the water.

a-bottom b-flat c surface d upper

4.He stood on the ............ of the river, looking down into the water.
a-bank b-shore c-border d-coast

5.Hold on .......... to your lifebelt, otherwise you'll sink.

a-firm b-steady c-strong d-tight

6. There was a terrible storm at sea last night and one of the boats.....
a-dived b-drowned c-floated d-sank

7. The route into the harbour was marked by a line of .....

a-buoys b-compasses c-lightships d-sign posts

8.There were a number of fishing boats.......in the harbour.

a-attached b-fixed c-moored d-roped

9.We're going to ..........a cruise on the river next weekend.

a-go b-sail c-take d-travel

10.The crew.......... the sinking ship as fast as they could.

a-abandoned b-escaped c-quit d-surrendered

11.Keep........!Don't panic! You will soon be rescued!

a-brave b-calm c-firm d-happy

12.We have been unable to make ............with the ship by radio for last two days.
a-communication b-connection c-contact d-link
 LESSON PLAN

Teacher: IRINA APETREI School: Colegiul Tehnic De Marina Al. I.

Date: 13.11.2006 Cuza, Constanta
Class: XI C A. C. Time: 50 mins
No. of Ss: Level: Intermediate
Lesson type: Reading and vocabulary Textbook: auxiliary technical materials
Lesson: Abandon Ship

Lesson aims:
to introduce the topic of the lesson: drills in abandoning the ship
to practise speaking skills
to practise vocabulary related to the topic and to the specialty they study
to practice reading skills

Materials: - handouts

ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: a warm-up activity

Aims: - to introduce the topic of the lesson: abandoning the ship

- to practise speaking skills
Procedure:
1. T elicits from Ss through questions the topic of the lesson abandoning the ship
2. Ss express their ideas freely
3. T writes the title of the lesson on the Bb

Interaction: T-S; S-T Time: 5 mins

Activity 2: pair work

Aims: to practise vocabulary related to the topic of the lesson

Procedure:
1. T elicits from the Ss, through questions, the term abandon-ship kit
2. T asks the Ss to work in pairs to come up with a list of the most important items that the
abandon-ship kit contains
3. Ss perform the task
4. T elicits from the Ss their ideas and writes them on the Bb
5. T gives Ss a handout with the list of items found in the abandon-ship kit and compares it
with their findings
6. Ss add other items to their lists and T translates and explains terms, if necessary

Interaction: S-S; S-T; T-S Time: 10 mins

Activity 3

Aims: - to practise reading skills

- to further practise vocabulary related to the topic
Procedure:
1. T asks a few Ss to read the text aloud and corrects pronunciation, if necessary
2. T asks reading comprehension questions
3. Ss answer

Interaction: S-S; S-T Time: 10 mins

Activity 4: - a matching activity

- pair work
Aims: to practise and improve specialised vocabulary
Procedure:
1. T asks the Ss to work in pairs and do activity II from the handout - Distress signals
2. Ss perform the task
3. T monitors the activity
4. Ss deliver their answers
5. T corrects mistakes and explains terms, if necessary

Interaction: T-S; S-T Time: 5 min

Activity 5: - matching translations

- individual work
Aims: to practise vocabulary and translation skills
Procedure:
1. T asks Ss to do activity III from handout
2. Ss perform the task
3. T monitors the activity
4. T checks the answers

Interaction: T-S; S-T Time: 10 mins

Activity 6: - filling in a chart

- pair-work
Aims: to practise specialised vocabulary
Procedure:
1. T asks Ss to work in pairs and do activity IV from handout 2
2. Ss perform the activity and use the dictionary, if necessary
3. T monitors the activity
4. T checks answers with the whole class

Interaction: S-S; S-T Time: 10 mins

Homework: activity V from handout 2