"I Thought It Couldn't Happen to Me"
A story about a teenager who was hurt riding an electric bike without a helmet, and a leaflet with safety rules for riders.
Tap any word to hear it · dotted words have a definition in the glossary
Text 1
🎧 Listen
My Brother's Accident
1Last spring, my brother Sam, who was fifteen at the time, an electric bike from a friend. He did not have a , but he said that he was only going to the supermarket, three minutes from our house. On the way back, he rode on the to avoid the traffic. Suddenly a woman came out of a building with her baby's , and Sam turned sharply to avoid her. He hit a lamppost and fell onto the road.
2Luckily, the woman and the baby were not hurt. Sam broke his arm and needed eight in his head. The doctor told us that he was lucky, because without a the could have been much worse.
3For weeks after the accident, Sam didn't want to talk about it. Then, one evening, he surprised us. He asked our parents if he could speak to the students at his school about what happened. Last month he stood in front of three hundred students and told them his story. "I thought it couldn't happen to me," he said. "I was wrong."
4After the talk, many students came to speak to him. One boy told him that he had bought a that same day.
Text 2
🎧 Listen
E-Bike Safety: Know the Rules
1Electric bikes are a fast, cheap and green way to get around the city. But they are also heavier and faster than regular bikes, and every year many riders are seriously hurt. Before you get on an e-bike, make sure that you know the rules.
2Age: In Israel, you must be at least 16 years old to ride an electric bike.
3: Every rider must wear a on every ride, even a short one. Head injuries are among the most serious injuries in e-bike accidents.
4Where to ride: Use bike paths whenever you can. If there is no bike path, ride on the right side of the road. Riding on the is not allowed, because it puts people who are walking in danger.
5Speed: The motor of a e-bike stops helping you at 25 kilometers per hour. Bikes that have been changed to go faster are against the law.
6One rider only: An electric bike is built for one person. Never take a friend on the back.
7At night: Turn on your front and back lights so that drivers can see you.
8Remember: these rules are not there to your fun. They are there to bring you home safely.
📘 Glossary
- borrowed - took something for a short time, planning to give it back
- helmet - a hard hat that protects your head
- sidewalk - the path at the side of a road for people walking
- stroller - a small chair on wheels for pushing a baby
- stitches - small threads a doctor uses to close a cut
- injury - physical harm to the body
- legal - allowed by the law
- spoil - to ruin
Questions
Finding details · Text 1
1. Why didn't Sam think he needed a helmet?Finding details · Text 1
2. Why did Sam ride on the sidewalk?Finding details · Text 1
3. Why did Sam turn sharply?Finding details · Text 1
4. How was Sam hurt? Give TWO details.Making inferences · Text 1
5. What did the doctor mean?Reference words · Text 1
6. In paragraph 3, the word "them" in "told them his story" refers to…Making inferences · Text 1
7. "I thought it couldn't happen to me." What does Sam mean?Making inferences · Text 1
8. What shows that Sam's talk influenced the students? Give ONE example.Purpose and structure · Text 2
9. The main purpose of Text B is to…Finding details · Text 2
10. How old must you be to ride an electric bike in Israel?Finding details · Text 2
11. Why is riding on the sidewalk not allowed?Finding details · Text 2
12. What happens when a legal e-bike reaches 25 kilometers per hour?Word meaning · Text 2
13. Copy the word from the last paragraph of Text B that means "ruin".Comparing texts
14. Name TWO rules from Text B that Sam broke in Text A.
Answer every question to get a score (0/14)