INDEX

Life or Death

03 ACTIVE LISTENING ACTIVE

LISTENING
06 ACTIVE SPEAKING

13 FUTURE
ACTIVE
15 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
SPEAKING
17 PAST CONTINUOUS

19 PRESENT PERFECT
FOUR
21 FLUENCY BOOSTER – PART A TENSES

24 FLUENCY BOOSTER – PART B

28 FLUENCY BOOSTER – PART C FLUENCY

BOOSTERS

02
© Deep English, 2010-2017
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give up: sacrifice; surrender
depend on: rely on for help,
support, or existence
canyon: a deep valley or
gorge, usually with a river
running through it
cut off: completely separate;
disconnect
avalanche: a very large
amount of snow quickly
sliding down the side of a
mountain.
fall into: drop down inside of
something
land on: to come down from
above and rest on another
surface
equipment: tools necessary
for a specific purpose
LIFE OR DEATH
ACTIVE LISTENING
What would you do in a life or death situation? What would you give up to save your
life? Could you give up your house or your car? Could you give up all the money in your
bank account? How much could you give up? Could you give up your own arm? What if
your life depended on it? Could you cut your own arm off? In 2003, Aron Ralston was in
that kind of life or death situation. He was hiking in a desert canyon when something
terrible happened. He fell, and his arm became trapped under a big rock. There was no
one to help him. He had only two choices. He could die or he could cut his arm off to
escape.
Aron was an experienced adventure athlete. In 2002, he quit his job as an engineer and
set a world record for climbing. He became the first person to climb all of Colorado's
largest mountains alone in winter. He was not afraid of danger. In 2003, he was almost
killed by an avalanche while skiing. Later that same year he almost lost his life while
hiking. He didn't expect it to be dangerous, so he made a very big mistake. He didn't tell
anyone where he was going.
On the first day he hiked about 20 miles into the desert when he fell into a hole. As he
fell, he moved a large rock that weighed 360 kilos. The rock landed on his arm. He was
trapped. He was alone in the desert, and no one knew where he was.
Aron knew that help was not coming. He immediately thought of cutting off his arm. Of
course, he didn't want to do this, so he tried not to think about it. After a short time, he
lost feeling in the trapped arm. He tried many different ways to escape. He tried to push
the rock, but he couldn't. He tried to break the rock, but he couldn't. He tried to use his
climbing equipment to pull the rock, but he couldn't. He knew that there was almost
no chance of anyone finding him. He had very little water and he knew he could not
survive for long.
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possibility: chance; potential
take out: remove from a bag,
pocket, or container
bring into: generate; create
gravestone: a stone with a
name and date carved into it,
marking the death of a
person
pass out: lose consciousness;
faint
defeated: overcome by a
difficult situation; beaten; lost
vision: an image of the future
in your mind
LIFE OR DEATH
ACTIVE LISTENING
Aron knew that death was a very real possibility. He took out his video camera and
began to record himself. "My name is Aron Ralston. My parents are Donna and Larry
Ralston of Englewood, Colorado. Whoever finds this, please make an attempt to get it to
them.”
Aron said goodbye to his family. "So again love to everyone. Bring love and peace and
happiness and beautiful lives into the world in my honor. Thank you. Love you."
He stopped recording. He then used his knife to write his name on the rock. Under his
name he wrote October 1975. This was the month and year he was born. Under that he
wrote April 2003. This was the current month and year. This was his gravestone. He
prayed to God and was ready to die.
He knew that cutting off his arm was his only chance to escape. He had a knife, but it
was a very cheap one. As he cut off his arm, he felt a strange mixture of terrible pain
and joy. He called it a beautiful pain. Cutting his arm was the worst pain of his life, but
the idea of freedom made him very excited. He had to be careful not to pass out from
the pain and excitement. He cut the skin. He cut the muscles. He cut the nerves. But he
couldn't cut the bone. His knife was not strong enough. He didn't know what to do.
After five days, Aron gave up. He was defeated. He knew he would die. Then, he had a
vision. He saw himself in the future with only one arm playing with a small boy. The boy
had blond hair and a red shirt. Aron had no children, but he knew this was his future
son. He also knew that he could not give up. He could not die. He had a son in the
future that he needed to meet.
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climb down: go from a
higher place to a lower place
using your arms and legs
LIFE OR DEATH
ACTIVE LISTENING
His knife was too weak to cut his bone, but he had an idea. He wouldn't cut the bone.
He would break it. After breaking his bone, he was free! He had been alone for five days
without food and with little water, but he was still alive. He took a picture of the rock
and his hand before leaving.
The place where he was trapped for five days was twenty meters from the ground. Aron
was an experienced climber, but now he had only one hand. Very carefully, he used his
ropes to climb down to the ground. He was still twenty miles from anyone in the middle
of the desert. He didn't have a cell phone, so he began to hike back. After some time,
Aron met a family of hikers. They gave Aron food and water and called for help. Soon,
Aron was on an emergency helicopter that took him to the hospital.
Aron lost his arm that day, but he learned a lot about himself. He also learned that the
most important thing in life is relationships. When he almost died, thinking about his
family and future son helped him not give up. He still climbs mountains and does other
adventure sports. Aron also travels the world and talks about his experience to schools
and businesses. In 2010, Aron and his wife had a baby boy named Leo. Aron believes
that Leo saved his life back in 2003.
05 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
 LIFE OR DEATH
ACTIVE SPEAKING
What would you do in a life or death situation? What
would you give up to save your life? Could you give
up your house or your car? Could you give up all the
money in your bank account? How much could you
give up? Could you give up your own arm? What if
your life depended on it? Could you cut off your own
arm? In 2003, Aron Ralston was in that kind of life or
death situation.
What kind of situation was it? It was a life or
death situation.
He was hiking in a desert canyon when something
terrible happened.
Did something wonderful happen? No, something
wonderful didn't happen. Something terrible
happened.
06 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
He fell and his arm became trapped under a big rock.
There was no one to help him. He had only two
choices. He could die or he could cut his own arm off
to escape.
What choices did Aron have? He could die or he
could cut his arm off.
Aron was an experienced adventure athlete. In 2002,
he quit his job as an engineer and set a world record
for climbing.
Did Aron set a record for climbing? Yes, he set a
world record for climbing.
He became the first person to climb all of Colorado's
largest mountains alone in winter. He was not afraid
of danger.
Was he afraid? No, he was not afraid.
 LIFE OR DEATH
ACTIVE SPEAKING

In 2003, he was almost killed by an avalanche while As he fell, he moved a large rock that weighed 360
skiing. kilos. The rock landed on his arm.

What happened in 2003? In 2003 he was almost What landed on his arm? The rock landed on his
killed by an avalanche while skiing. arm.

Later that same year he almost lost his life while He was trapped. He was alone in the desert, and no
hiking. He didn't expect it to be dangerous, so he one knew where he was.
made a very big mistake. He didn't tell anyone where
he was going. Aron knew that help was not coming.

What mistake did Aron make? He didn't tell Did he think that help was coming? No, he knew
anyone where he was going. that help was not coming.

On the first day he hiked about twenty miles into the
desert when he fell into a hole.
How far did he hike? He hiked about twenty
miles.
He immediately thought of cutting off his arm. Of
course, he didn't want to do this, so he tried not to
think about it.
After a short time, he lost feeling in the trapped arm.
He tried many different ways to escape.

07 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com

 LIFE OR DEATH
ACTIVE SPEAKING
Did he try to escape? Yes, he tried many ways to
escape.
He tried to push the rock, but he couldn't. He tried to
break the rock, but he couldn't. He tried to use his
climbing equipment to pull the rock, but he
couldn't.
Did he try to push the rock? Yes, he tried to push
the rock. Did he try to break the rock? Yes, he
tried to break the rock. Did he try to roll the rock?
No, he didn't try to roll the rock. He tried to pull
the rock.
He knew that there was almost no chance of anyone
finding him. He had little water and he knew he could
not survive for long.
Did he have a lot of water? No, he didn't have a
lot of water. He had little water.
08 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
Aron knew that death was a very real possibility. He
took out his video camera and began to record
himself.
Who did Aron record? He recorded himself.
"My name is Aron Ralston. My parents are Donna and
Larry Ralston of Englewood, Co. Whoever finds this,
please make an attempt to get it to them.”
Aron said goodbye to his family.
"So again love to everyone. Bring love and peace and
happiness and beautiful lives into the world in my
honor. Thank you. Love you."
Why did Aron record himself? He wanted to say
goodbye to his family. He wanted to tell his
family he loved them.
 LIFE OR DEATH
ACTIVE SPEAKING
He stopped recording. He then used his knife to
write his name on the rock.
Under his name he wrote 'October 1975'. This was
the month and year he was born. Under that he
wrote 'April 2003'.
Why did he write 'October 1975'? This was the
month and year he was born. Why did he write
'April 2003'? This was the current month and
year.
This was his gravestone. He prayed to God and was
ready to die.
He knew that cutting off his arm was his only chance
to escape. He had a knife, but it was a very cheap
one.
09 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
Did Aron have an expensive knife? No, his knife
wasn't expensive. It was a cheap knife.
As he cut off his arm, he felt a strange mixture of
terrible pain and joy. He called it a beautiful pain.
Cutting his arm was the worst pain of his life, but the
idea of freedom made him very excited.
Why did he feel excited? He felt excited because
he was almost free.
He had to be very careful not to pass out from the
pain and excitement. He cut the skin. He cut the
muscles. He cut the nerves.
What did he cut? He cut the skin, the muscles and
the nerves.
But he couldn't cut the bone. His knife was not
strong enough. He didn't know what to do.
 LIFE OR DEATH
ACTIVE SPEAKING
Could he cut the bone? No, he couldn't cut the
bone. Why couldn't he cut the bone? His knife
was not strong enough.
After five days, Aron gave up. He was defeated. He
knew he would die.
What happened after five days? After five days,
Aron gave up. He knew he would die.
Then, he had a vision. He saw himself in the future
with only one arm playing with a small boy.
What did he see in his vision? He saw himself in
the future with only one arm playing with a small
boy.
The boy had blond hair and a red shirt. Aron had no
children but he knew this was his future son.
10 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
What did the boy look like? The boy had blond
hair and a red shirt. Who was the boy? The boy
was Aron's future son.
He also knew that he could not give up. He could not
die. He had a son in the future that he needed to
meet.
His knife was too weak to cut his bone, but he had an
idea. He wouldn't cut the bone. He would break it.
After breaking his bone, he was free!
Did Aron cut his bone? No, he didn't cut his bone.
He broke his bone.
He had been alone for five days without food and
with little water, but he was still alive. He took a
picture of the rock and his hand before leaving.
 LIFE OR DEATH
ACTIVE SPEAKING
What did he do before leaving? He took a picture
of the rock and his hand before leaving.
The place where he was trapped for five days was
twenty meters from the ground.
Aron was an experienced climber, but now he had
only one hand. Very carefully, he used his ropes to
climb down to the ground. He was still twenty miles
from anyone in the middle of the desert.
How far was Aron from anyone? He was twenty
miles from anyone.
He didn't have a cell phone, so he began to hike
back. After some time, Aron met a family of hikers.
They gave Aron food and water and called for help.
Who gave Aron food and water? A family of
hikers gave Aron food and water.
11 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
Soon, Aron was on an emergency helicopter that
took him to the hospital.
Where did the emergency helicopter take Aron?
The emergency helicopter took Aron to the
hospital.
Aron lost his arm that day, but he learned a lot about
himself. He also learned that the most important
thing in life is relationships. When he almost died,
thinking about his family and future son helped him
not give up.
What did Aron learn about the most important
thing in life? The most important thing in life is
relationships. Thinking about his family helped
him not give up.
He still climbs mountains and does other adventure
sports.
 LIFE OR DEATH
ACTIVE SPEAKING

Has Aron quit climbing? No, Aron hasn't quit

climbing mountains. He still climbs mountains
and does other adventure sports.

Aron also travels the world and talks about his

experience to schools and businesses. In 2010, Aron
and his wife had a baby boy named Leo. Aron
believes that Leo saved his life back in 2003.

Who saved Aron's life in 2003? His son, Leo, saved

his life.

12 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com

 LIFE OR DEATH
FUTURE
Aron will be an experienced adventure athlete. Aron
is going to quit his job as an engineer and set a world
record for climbing.
Is Aron going to become an engineer? No, he's not
going to become an engineer. He's going to quit
his engineer job.
He will become the first person to climb all of
Colorado's largest mountains alone in winter. He is
not going to be afraid of danger.
Will Aron become the first man to climb Everest?
No, he won't become the first man to climb
Everest. He will become the first person to climb
all of Colorado's largest mountains alone in
winter. Is he going to be afraid? No, he's not going
to be afraid of danger.
13 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
In the future, he will almost be killed by an avalanche
while skiing.
What will happen in the future? In the future, he
will almost be killed by an avalanche while skiing.
Later that same year he will almost lose his life while
hiking. He won't expect it to be dangerous, so he will
make a very big mistake. He isn't going to tell anyone
where he is going.
What mistake will he make? He won't tell anyone
where he is going. Why won't he tell anyone
where he is going? He won't expect it to be
dangerous.
On the first day he will hike about twenty miles into
the desert when he will fall into a hole.
 LIFE OR DEATH
FUTURE

How far will he hike into the desert? He will hike

twenty miles into the desert.

As he falls, he is going to move a large rock that

weighs 360 kilos. The rock is going to land on his
arm.

Where will the rock land? The rock will land on

his arm.

He is going to be trapped. He will be alone in the

desert, and no one will know where he is.

Who will help Aron? No one will help Aron. He will

be alone. No one will know where he is.

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 LIFE OR DEATH
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Aron is thinking of cutting off his arm.
What is Aron thinking about? Aron is thinking
about cutting off his arm.
Of course, he doesn't want to do this, so he is trying
not to think about it. After a short time, he is losing
feeling in the trapped arm.
Is Aron feeling pain in the trapped arm? No, Aron
isn't feeling pain in his trapped arm. He is losing
feeling in his trapped arm.
He is trying many different ways to escape.
What is he trying to do? He is trying many
different ways to escape.
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He is trying to push the rock, but he can't. He is trying
to break the rock, but he can't. He is trying to use his
climbing equipment to pull the rock, but he can't.
Is he trying to push the rock? Yes, he's trying to
push the rock. Is he trying to break the rock? Yes,
he's trying to break the rock. Is he trying to pull
the rock? Yes, he's trying to pull the rock.
He is thinking that there is almost no chance of
anyone finding him. He is worrying about his water.
What is he thinking? He's thinking there is no
chance of anyone finding him. He is worrying
about his water.
Aron is thinking that death is a very real possibility.
 LIFE OR DEATH
PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Is Aron feeling positive? No, he's not feeling
positive. He is thinking that death is a real
possibility.
He takes out his video camera and is recording
himself.
What is he doing? He is recording himself.
Aron is saying goodbye to his family.
Under his name he is writing 'October 1975'. This
was the month and year he was born. Under that he
is writing 'April 2003'. This is the current month and
year. This is his gravestone.
Why is he writing this? He is making a
gravestone.
He is praying to God and is ready to die.

What is Aron saying to his family? Aron is saying

goodbye to his family.

He stops recording. He is using his knife to write his

name on the rock.

What is he writing? He is writing his name. What

is he using to write? He is using his knife to write.

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 LIFE OR DEATH
PAST CONTINUOUS
Aron was thinking that cutting off his arm was his
only chance to escape.
Why was he thinking about cutting off his arm?
He was thinking of cutting off his arm because it
was his only chance to escape.
He was thinking about using his knife, but it was a
very cheap one. As he was cutting off his arm he felt
a strange mixture of terrible pain and joy.
What was he feeling? He was feeling a strange
mixture of terrible pain and joy.
He called it a beautiful pain. He was feeling the worst
pain of his life, but the idea of freedom was making
him very excited.
17 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
How was the idea of freedom making him feel?
The idea of freedom was making him feel very
excited.
He was being very careful not to pass out from the
pain and excitement. He was cutting the skin. He was
cutting the muscles. He was cutting the nerves.
What was he cutting? He was cutting the skin, the
muscles, and the nerves.
But he couldn't cut the bone. His knife was not strong
enough. He didn't know what to do. He was thinking
about giving up.
Was he thinking about freedom? No, he wasn't
thinking about freedom. He was thinking about
giving up.
 LIFE OR DEATH
PAST CONTINUOUS

Then, he had a vision. He was watching himself in the
future with only one arm playing with a small boy.
What was he watching? He was watching himself
in the future with only one arm playing with a
small boy.
He was thinking that this was his future son.
What was he thinking? He was thinking that this
was his future son.
He had a son in the future that he needed to meet.
Then he was thinking about a new way to escape. He
would break his arm. When he was breaking his arm,
he was in a lot of pain.
How did he feel when he was breaking his arm? He
was in a lot of pain when he was breaking his arm.
Then he was free.

He was also feeling that he could not give up. He was

thinking that he could not die.

Was he thinking about giving up? No, he wasn't

thinking about giving up. He was thinking that he
could not die.

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 LIFE OR DEATH
PRESENT PERFECT
Aron Ralston is an amazing person. He has done
many things in his life. He has had many adventures.
What has Aron done? Aron has done many things
in his life. What has Aron had? Aron has had
many adventures.
He has seen beautiful places.
Has he seen ugly places? No, he hasn't seen ugly
places. He has seen beautiful places.
He has been in dangerous situations.
What kind of situations has he been in? He has
been in dangerous situations.
He has climbed many mountains. He has skied down
many slopes. In fact, he has set a world record for
climbing.
19 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
What kind of record has he set? He has set a world
record for climbing.
He has experienced an avalanche. He has even cut his
own arm off. As you can see, he has escaped death
several times.
Since then, he has traveled the world. He has been to
many countries.
Has he been to other countries? Yes, he has been
to many countries. Since then, he has talked
about his experiences with businesses and
schools.
He has shared his story with many people.
Has his story been a secret? No, his story hasn't
been a secret. He has shared his story with many
people.
 LIFE OR DEATH
PRESENT PERFECT

Since then, he has continued to climb mountains. He
has continued to have adventures. He has even
become a father.
Over the years, he has learned many things about
himself and about life. He has learned that his will to
live is very strong.
What has he taught us? He has taught us that
humans can do amazing things.
He has shown us that we can overcome life and death
situations if our desire to live and to love is strong
enough.

What has he learned? He has learned that his will

to live is very strong.

Also, he has learned that the most important thing in

life is relationships.

What else has he learned? He has also learned

that the most important thing in life is
relationships.

He has taught us that humans can do amazing

things.

20 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com

 LIFE OR DEATH
FLUENCY BOOSTER PART A
What would you do in a life or death situation? What
would you give up to save your life? Could you give
up your house or your car? Could you give up all the
money in your bank account? How much could you
give up? Could you give up your own arm? What if
your life depended on it? Could you cut your own
arm off? In 2003, Aron Ralston was in that kind of life
or death situation.
What kind of situation was it? It was a life or
death situation. When did it happen? It happened
in 2003.
Aron was hiking in a desert canyon when something
terrible happened.
Did something wonderful happen? No, something
wonderful didn't happen. Something terrible
happened. Where was he hiking? He was hiking in
a desert canyon.
21 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
He fell and his arm became trapped under a big rock.
Did he fall? Yes, he fell. Did his arm become
trapped under a house? No, his arm didn't become
trapped under a house. His arm became trapped
under a big rock.
There was no one to help him. He had only two
choices. He could die or he could cut his arm off to
escape.
How many choices did he have? He had only two
choices. What choices did Aron have? He could die
or he could cut his arm off.
Aron was an experienced adventure athlete.
Was Aron an experienced athlete? Yes, he was an
experienced adventure athlete.
 LIFE OR DEATH
FLUENCY BOOSTER PART A
In 2002, he quit his job as an engineer and set a
world record for climbing.
When did he quit his job? He quit his job in 2002.
Did Aron set a record for climbing? Yes, he set a
world record for climbing.
He became the first person to climb all of Colorado's
largest mountains alone in winter.
Who was the first person to climb all of
Colorado's largest mountains alone in winter?
Aron was the first person to climb all of
Colorado's largest mountains alone in winter.
He was not afraid of danger.
Was he afraid? No, he was not afraid.
22 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
In 2003, he was almost killed by an avalanche while
skiing.
What happened in 2003? In 2003 he was almost
killed by an avalanche while skiing.
Later that same year he almost lost his life while
hiking.
What happened later that year? Later that year he
almost lost his life while hiking.
He didn't expect it to be dangerous, so he made a
very big mistake. He didn't tell anyone where he was
going.
What mistake did Aron make? He didn't tell
anyone where he was going. Did he expect it to be
dangerous? No, he didn't expect it to be
dangerous.
 LIFE OR DEATH
FLUENCY BOOSTER PART A

On the first day he hiked about twenty miles into the Aron knew that help was not coming.
desert when he fell into a hole.
Did he think that help was coming? No, he knew
How far did he hike? He hiked about twenty that help was not coming.
miles. Did he fall into a lake? No, he didn't fall
into a lake. He fell into a hole.

As he fell, he moved a large rock that weighed 360

kilos. The rock landed on his arm.

What landed on his arm? A large rock landed on

his arm. How much did the rock weigh? The rock
weighed 360 kilos.

He was trapped. He was alone in the desert, and no

one knew where he was.

Was Aron with his friends in the desert? No, he

wasn't with his friends in the desert. He was all
alone in the desert.

23 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com

 LIFE OR DEATH
FLUENCY BOOSTER PART B
He immediately thought of cutting off his arm. Of
course, he didn't want to do this, so he tried not to
think about it.
Did he want to cut off his arm? No, of course he
didn't want to do this. Did he think a lot about
cutting off his arm? No, he tried not to think
about it.
After a short time, he lost feeling in the trapped arm.
He tried many different ways to escape.
Did he try to escape? Yes, he tried many ways to
escape.
He tried to push the rock, but he couldn't. He tried to
break the rock, but he couldn't. He tried to use his
climbing equipment to pull the rock, but he
couldn't.
24 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
Did he try to push the rock? Yes, he tried to push
the rock. Did he try to break the rock? Yes, he
tried to break the rock. Did he try to roll the rock
with his equipment? No, he didn't try to roll the
rock with his equipment. He tried to pull the rock
with his equipment.
He knew that there was almost no chance of anyone
finding him.
Did he have a good chance of anyone finding him?
No, there was almost no chance of anyone finding
him.
He had little water and he knew he could not survive
for long.
Did he have a lot of water? No, he didn't have a lot
of water. He had little water.
 LIFE OR DEATH
FLUENCY BOOSTER PART B

Aron knew that death was a very real possibility.
Did Aron know that death was a real possibility?
Yes, Aron knew that death was a very real
possibility.
He took out his video camera and began to record
himself.
Who did Aron record? He recorded himself.
"My name is Aron Ralston. My parents are Donna and
Larry Ralston of Englewood, Colorado. Whoever finds
this, please make an attempt to get it to them.”
Who did Aron want to contact with the
recording? He wanted to contact his parents.
Aron said goodbye to his family.
Did Aron say goodbye to the rock? No, Aron didn't
say goodbye to the rock. He said goodbye to his
family.
"So again love to everyone. Bring love and peace and
happiness and beautiful lives into the world in my honor.
Thank you. Love you.”
What did Aron want? Aron wanted everyone to
bring love and peace and happiness and beautiful
lives into the world.
He stopped recording.
Did he continue recording? No, he didn't continue
recording. He stopped recording.
He then used his knife to write his name on the rock.

25 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com

 LIFE OR DEATH
FLUENCY BOOSTER PART B
What did he use to write his name on the rock?
He used his knife to write his name on the rock.
Under his name he wrote 'October 1975'. This was
the month and year he was born. Under that he
wrote 'April 2003'. This was the current month and
year.
Why did he write 'October 1975'? This was the
month and year he was born. Why did he write
'April 2003'? This was the current month and
year.
This was his gravestone. He prayed to God and was
ready to die.
Was Aron ready to die? Yes, Aron was ready to
die.
26 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
He knew that cutting off his arm was his only chance to
escape. He had a knife, but it was a very cheap one.
Did Aron have an expensive knife? No, his knife
wasn't expensive. It was a cheap knife.
As he cut off his arm, he felt a strange mixture of
terrible pain and joy.
What kind of pain did he feel? He felt a strange
mixture of terrible pain and joy.
He called it a beautiful pain. Cutting his arm was the
worst pain of his life, but the idea of freedom made him
very excited.
Why did he feel excited? He felt excited because he
was almost free.
 LIFE OR DEATH
FLUENCY BOOSTER PART B

He had to be very careful not to pass out from the

pain and excitement. He cut the skin. He cut the
muscles. He cut the nerves.

What did he cut? He cut the skin, the muscles and

the nerves.

But he couldn't cut the bone. His knife was not

strong enough.

Could he cut the bone? No, he couldn't cut the

bone. Why couldn't he cut the bone? His knife
was not strong enough.

27 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com

 LIFE OR DEATH
FLUENCY BOOSTER PART C

He didn't know what to do. After five days, Aron gave

up. He was defeated. He knew he would die.

What happened after five days? After five days,

Aron gave up. He knew he would die.

Then, he had a vision. He saw himself in the future

with only one arm playing with a small boy.

What did he see in his vision? He saw himself in

the future with only one arm playing with a small
boy.

The boy had blond hair and a red shirt. Aron had no
children, but he knew this was his future son.
What color was the boy's hair? The boy's hair was
blond. What color was the boy's shirt? The boy's
shirt was red. Did Aron have children? No, Aron
didn't have children. Who was the boy? The boy
was Aron's future son.
He also knew that he could not give up. He could
not die. He had a son in the future that he needed
to meet.
Who did he need to meet? He had a son in the
future that he needed to meet.

28 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com

 LIFE OR DEATH
FLUENCY BOOSTER PART C
His knife was too weak to cut his bone, but he had an
idea. He wouldn't cut the bone. He would break it.
What was he going to do to the bone? He was
going to break the bone.
After breaking his bone, he was free!
What happened after breaking his bone? After
breaking his bone, he was free.
He had been alone for five days. He took a picture of
the rock and his hand before leaving.
What did he do before leaving? He took a picture
of the rock and his hand before leaving.
The place where he was trapped for five days was
twenty meters from the ground.
29 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
How long was he trapped? He was trapped for five
days. How high was he? He was twenty meters from
the ground.
Aron was an experienced climber, but now he had only
one hand. Very carefully, he used his ropes to climb
down to the ground.
What did he use to climb down to the ground? He
used his ropes to climb down to the ground.
He was still twenty miles from anyone in the middle of
the desert.
How far was Aron from anyone? He was twenty
miles from anyone.
He didn't have a cell phone, so he began to hike back.
 LIFE OR DEATH
FLUENCY BOOSTER PART C
Did he have a cell phone? No, he didn't have a cell
phone.
After some time, Aron met a family of hikers. They
gave Aron food and water and called for help.
Who gave Aron food and water? A family of hikers
gave Aron food and water.
Soon, Aron was on an emergency helicopter that
took him to the hospital.
Where did the emergency helicopter take Aron?
The emergency helicopter took Aron to the
hospital.
Aron lost his arm that day, but he learned a lot about
himself.
30 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com
What did Aron learn about? He learned about
himself.
He also learned that the most important thing in life is
relationships.
What did Aron learn about the most important
thing in life? Aron learned that the most important
thing in life is relationships.
When he almost died, thinking about his family and
future son helped him not give up.
What helped him not give up? Thinking about his
family helped him not give up.
He still climbs mountains and does other adventure
sports.
 LIFE OR DEATH
FLUENCY BOOSTER PART C

Has Aron quit climbing? No, Aron hasn't quit

climbing mountains. He still climbs mountains
and does other adventure sports.

Aron also travels the world and talks about his

experience to schools and businesses.

Who does Aron talk to about his experiences?

Aron talks to schools and businesses about his
experiences.

In 2010, Aron and his wife had a baby boy named

Leo.

What is their baby's name? Their baby's name is

Leo.

Aron believes that Leo saved his life back in 2003.

Who saved Aron's life in 2003? His son, Leo, saved

his life.

31 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com

 LIFE OR DEATH
PHOTO CREDITS

Photo Cover, by werner22brigitte, http://pixabay.com/en/upper-antelope-slot-canyon-page-62249/

Photo Page 12, by GabboT, https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyshek/5412185013/

Photo Page 29, by Colin Davis, https://www.flickr.com/photos/roughgroove/3554305017/

32 | © Deep English, 2010-2017 | www.deepenglish.com