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GENERAL ENGLISH · INCREDIBLE STORIES · ELEMENTARY (A1-A2)
THE ENDLESS
MYSTERY OF
EVEREST
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1 Warm up
In pairs, complete the Mt. Everest fact sheet.
1953 39-40 40
60 8,850 Sherpa Tenzing Norgay & Sir Edmund Hillary
1
height (m)
2
age (million years)
3
the first year someone got to the top
4
the names of the people who got to the top
first
5
the number of days it takes to get to the top
6
the amount in cm that Everest grows every
century
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ELEMENTARY (A1-A2)
THE ENDLESS MYSTERY OF EVEREST
2 Focus on keywords
Part A: Read the sentences to get a better context then match the words in bold to the definitions
below.
1. I dropped my keys, so I bent down to pick them up.
2. There was a sighting of a UFO in the sky last night.
3. I didn’t feel comfortable in his car, my instinct told me to get out.
4. I was going to depart for Spain on Monday, and I was so excited.
bent down depart instinct sighting
1. (n) a natural feeling that makes you do something
2. (v) leave a place, usually on a trip
3. (n) when somebody sees something for a short time, usually something
unusual
4. (v phr.) moved your knees to get to a lower position
Part B: Match the words to the images below.
a) possessions (n) b) tinned (adj.) c) blizzard (n) d) evidence (n)
1. 2. 3. 4.
Now, fill in the definitions below with the words from above.
blizzard (n) evidence (n) possessions (n) tinned (adj.)
1. : the facts or signs to show something is true
2. : kept fresh in a can
3. : a snowstorm with strong winds
4. : things that you own or have
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ELEMENTARY (A1-A2)
THE ENDLESS MYSTERY OF EVEREST
3 Listen for predictions
Part A: Look at the expressions below and with your partner try to predict their connection between
each term and a trip to climb to the top of Mt. Everest, then listen twice and see if you were correct.
Glossary:
determined (adj.): having made a strong decision to try and do something
Part B: Read the sentences from the audio and think about which words could go in the gaps. Afterwards,
listen one more time and check your predictions.
a) sighting b) evidence c) depart d) bent down
1. ...and if his body was found then the on the film could prove...
2. ...the brave duo would on their final climb to the top ...
3. ...that is believed to be the final of either Mallory or Irvine...
4. ...Once off the path Anker to adjust his boot ...
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ELEMENTARY (A1-A2)
THE ENDLESS MYSTERY OF EVEREST
4 Listen for details
Listen to the audio one more time and try to answer the following questions.
1. What did the two climbers have for breakfast?
a. tinned sardines b. cheese sandwich c. an apple
2. What type of weather was the mountain hit by?
a. a sandstorm b. a blizzard c. a thunderstorm
3. Who did they think was carrying the camera?
a. Conrad Anker b. Noel Odell c. Mallory
4. Who was looking for the two lost climbers in 1999?
a. Conrad Anker b. Noel Odell c. Andrew Irvine
5 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Match the following vocabulary to the images below and then to their definitions.
a) sickness (n) b) zone (n) c) frostbite (n) d) altitude (n)
1. 2. 3. 4.
Now, complete the definitions below.
altitude (n) frostbite (n) sickness (n) zone (n)
1. : height above sea level
2. : a medical problem caused by very cold weather
3. : an area with a particular use
4. : bad health
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ELEMENTARY (A1-A2)
THE ENDLESS MYSTERY OF EVEREST
Part B: Match the following vocabulary to the definitions.
1. decay (n) a. protect somebody or something from danger
2. pass away (phr. v) b. being destroyed by nature
3. shield (v) c. give attention to somebody or something
4. focus (v) d. die
6 Skimming for general understanding
You are going to read an article about people who have passed away on Mt. Everest. Match the
following paragraph titles below to the paragraphs in the article (A-H). Three have been done for
you.
1. Bright shoes
2. Left on the mountain
3. The need for oxygen
4. Ignored by others
5. Argument between climbers
6. Don’t go too high
7. Sad princess
8. Nobody to help
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ELEMENTARY (A1-A2)
THE ENDLESS MYSTERY OF EVEREST
The lost souls of Everest
Hundreds of bodies remain on the mountain
A. 6. Don’t go too high
Mt. Everest has a lot of dangerous areas but if you find yourself above 8,000m then you really need to be careful.
The reason for this is because the last 900m to the top has been given the title of "The Death Zone".
B. 3. The need for Oxygen
The oxygen levels above 8,000m are so low that your body begins to die, and this can lead to a lot of horrific
things like extreme altitude sickness, heart attacks, and finally death.
C.
It is believed that since the 1920s over 300 people have lost their lives, and around 200 bodies are now on the
mountain. Due to the freezing temperatures, most of the bodies show no signs of decay.
D.
One of the most well-known is "green boots". Since 1996 the body of this climber was on the Northeast of the
mountain and because of the bright colour of his footwear, he became a well-known but sad picture. Up until the
body was moved in 2014 every climber who went up the north side of Everest would see this fallen climber.
E.
Francys Arsentiev was an American climber whose body was given the name "Sleeping Beauty". She died because
she didn’t have enough oxygen and her body could be seen from 1998 to 2007. Fellow climbers who saw Arsentiev
just before she passed away said that the frostbite gave her skin a sparkling and clean look which was the reason
for her sad nickname.
F.
One of the most talked about deaths on Mt. Everest has to do with the passing of David Sharp who lost his life
at the age of just 34 in 2006. Sharp died shielding himself in the same cave as Green Boots and what makes this
situation so complicated is that it is believed that many hikers walked past Sharp while he was still alive but for
some reason did not help him.
G.
Sharp’s death brought on an argument about what is right and what is wrong when climbing Everest, as it has been
suggested around 40 climbers paid no attention to Sharp and were only focused on their own goals.
H. 5. Argument between climbers
The famous explorer Sir Edmund Hillary spoke about the personality of modern climbers and said "On my
expedition, there was no way that you would have left a man under a rock to die." However, people have argued
that climbers in "The Death Zone" are so weak that they can only look after themselves and can’t focus on others.
So, while this argument between what is right and what is wrong might continue, people will never disagree about
the dangers of Mt. Everest.
Sources: National Geographic, Business Insider, Big Think, NDTV, Ultimate Kilimanjaro, Alpine Eco, All That’s Interesting,
Eight Summits
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ELEMENTARY (A1-A2)
THE ENDLESS MYSTERY OF EVEREST
7 Discussion
Look at the questions and discuss with your partner.
1. How do you feel about the article? What was the most shocking thing for you?
2. How would you feel if you saw a body on Mt. Everest? What would you do?
8 Optional extension: vocabulary for conversation
Look at the expressions from the listening and the article, and with your partner try to guess the
meaning of each one. Then, to help you remember the language, have a chat with your partner, and
use them to talk about your life.
go in a direction that most people don’t go in
got to the top of a mountain or a hill
ignored
1. ...on the film could prove that they made it to the top...
2. ...decided to use his instinct to walk off the path a little bit...
3. ...it has been suggested around 40 climbers paid no attention to Sharp...
Let’s chat
1. Have you ever made it to the top of a mountain? How did it feel?
2. If you go for a walk in a forest, do you prefer to stay on the path or walk off the path? Why?
3. Have you been in a situation where nobody paid attention to you? How did that make you feel?
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TEACHER MATERIALS · ELEMENTARY (A1-A2)
THE ENDLESS MYSTERY OF EVEREST
Transcripts
3. Listen for predictions
Narrator: The mystery of the camera - A discovery that could change history
Narrator: In 1924, two English climbers named George Mallory and Andrew Irvine joined a British
team to climb Mount Everest. British climbers were determined to be the first individuals
to get to the top, and on June 6th at a height of 23,000 ft. the brave duo would depart on
their climb to the top after a breakfast of tinned sardines.
Narrator: Another climber called Noel Odell, reported seeing two dots move towards the final
pyramid of Everest and that is believed to be the last sighting of either Mallory or Irvine.
Narrator: Unfortunately, neither Mallory nor Irvine survived as not long after Odell saw them the
mountain was hit by a blizzard and the pair never returned to camp. With their sad death,
it then became impossible to tell whether they were successful in their completing their
goal.
Narrator: The question of whether Mallory and Irvine were successful is one that has interested
people for many years especially to do with a missing camera. It was believed that Mallory
was carrying a camera and if his body was found then the evidence on the film could prove
that they made it to the top.
Narrator: In 1999 experienced climber Conrad Anker was on Everest looking for Mallory and Irvine
when he decided to use his instinct to walk off the path a little bit. Once off the path,
Anker bent down to adjust his boot and quite amazingly, realised he was standing right
next to Mallory’s body. Anker gently searched Mallory’s possessions but unfortunately,
there was no camera.
Narrator: The latest theory is that the camera might be with Andrew Irvine, but despite several
searches, Irvine’s body has never been found and this mystery of Everest lives on.
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TEACHER MATERIALS · ELEMENTARY (A1-A2)
THE ENDLESS MYSTERY OF EVEREST
Key
1. Warm up
5 mins.
This gives the teacher an opportunity to set the context and allows the students to share their knowledge of
Everest.
1. 8,850 2. 60 3. 1953 4. Sherpa Tenzing Norgay
& Sir Edmund Hillary
5. 39-40 6. 40
2. Focus on keywords
Part A
5 mins.
Make sure students can correctly pronounce the target vocabulary. Ask them to complete the task by themselves
firstly, and then compare answers with a partner.
Before the listening part, you can point out to your students the meaning of despite:
Despite being small, I still became a great basketball player. - (pp) without being stopped by
1. instinct 2. depart
3. sighting 4. bent down
Part B
5 mins.
Make sure students can correctly pronounce the target vocabulary. Ask them to complete the task by themselves
firstly, and then compare answers with a partner.
1. b) tinned (adj.) 2. c) blizzard (n) 3. d) evidence (n) 4. a) possessions (n)
Answers to definitions:
1. evidence (n) 2. tinned (adj.) 3. blizzard (n) 4. possessions (n)
3. Listen for predictions
Part A
5 min.
Put the students in pairs and ask them to make connections between the terms below and Mt. Everest. They then
listen to the audio to check and then share their answers with the class.
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TEACHER MATERIALS · ELEMENTARY (A1-A2)
THE ENDLESS MYSTERY OF EVEREST
Part B
5 mins.
Ask students to read the sentences from the transcript and discuss with their partner where they think each word
from the vocabulary section goes. Play the audio and ask the students to check their predictions.
1. b) evidence 2. c) depart 3. a) sighting 4. d) bent down
Sources for the audio:
www.watchmojo.com/articles/top-10-creepiest-mount-everest-mysteries
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallory_and_Irvine_Research_Expedition
www.climbing.com/people/george-mallory-first-to-climb-everest/
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/lost/mystery/
thewire.in/history/mallory-irvine-second-step-everest
www.staeudtner.com/allgemein/second-step/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1924_British_Mount_Everest_expedition
jakenorton.com/noel-odells-final-view-of-mallory-irvine-june-8th1924/
english.elpais.com/sports/2023-06-13/the-most-sought-after-camera-in-the-world-that-could-rewrite-the-history-
of-everest.html
www.hamilton.edu/news/story/conrad-anker-discusses-finding-mallory-on-mt-everest
4. Listen for details
5 mins.
Tell students that they are going to listen to the audio again, ask them to answer the questions and then compare
their answers with their partner.
1. a. 2. b. 3. c. 4. a.
5. Focus on vocabulary
Part A
5-10 mins.
Ensure students can correctly pronounce the target vocabulary. Ask them to complete the task by themselves
firstly, and then compare answers with a partner.
Images
1. b) zone (n) 2. d) altitude (n) 3. a) sickness (n) 4. c) frostbite (n)
Definitions
1. altitude (n) 2. frostbite (n) 3. zone (n) 4. sickness (n)
Part B
1. → b. 2. → d. 3. → a. 4. → c.
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TEACHER MATERIALS · ELEMENTARY (A1-A2)
THE ENDLESS MYSTERY OF EVEREST
6. Skimming for general understanding
10 mins.
Students should be encouraged to skim through the article and not to spend too much time reading, perhaps set
a time limit if your group of learners are comfortable with it.
A. 6. Don’t go too high B. 3. The need for Oxygen
C. 2. Left on the mountain D. 1. Bright shoes
E. 7. Sad princess F. 8. Nobody to help
G. 4. Ignored by others H. 5. Argument between climbers
Sources:
education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/mount-everest/
www.businessinsider.com/mount-everest-death-zone-what-happens-to-body-2019-5
bigthink.com/strange-maps/everest-deaths/
www.ndtv.com/world-news/germs-coughed-and-sneezed-out-by-climbers-on-mount-everest-last-for-centuries-
3864306
www.ultimatekilimanjaro.com/green-boots-on-mount-everest-who-was-he-how-did-he-die/
alpineecotrek.com/blog/green-boots-in-mount-everest
allthatsinteresting.com/francys-arsentiev
allthatsinteresting.com/david-sharp
eightsummits.com/bills-articles/the-tragic-death-of-david-sharp/
7. Discussion
5 mins.
Students discuss talking points from the article and share their opinions with each other about the article, they
also link it to their own lives.
8. Optional extension: vocabulary for conversation
5 mins.
Ask students to look through the sentences together and try to guess the meaning, monitor to support and then
allow them to personalise the vocabulary with a quick discussion.
1. got to the top of a mountain or a hill
2. go in a direction that most people don’t go in
3. ignored
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