مکالمه ی فعالانه قسمت الف

MISS UNSINKABLE

ACTIVE SPEAKING - PART A

There’s a saying that bad things come in threes.

Is there a saying that bad things come in fours? No, there isn’t a saying that bad things come in fours. There is a saying that bad things come in threes.

The unsinkable Violet Jessop could vouch for that.

Who could vouch for that? The unsinkable Violet Jessop could vouch for that.

Violet was a stewardess and a nurse on three of the biggest ships of her time, and she had close calls with death on all three.

Did Violet work on ships? Yes, Violet worked on ships. Did she work on big ships or small ships? She worked on three of the biggest ships of her time. What were Violet’s jobs on three of the biggest ships of her time? Violet was a stewardess and a nurse on three of the biggest ships of her time.

Violet was a survivor from a young age.

Was Violet always a survivor? Yes, she was a survivor from a young age.

She grew up in Argentina as the daughter of Irish immigrants.

Who were Violet’s parents? Violet’s parents were Irish immigrants. Where did she grow up? She grew up in Argentina.

At a young age, she had a brush with death when she got tuberculosis.

What kind of brush with death did she have? She had a brush with death when she got tuberculosis.

The doctors said she wouldn’t live more than a few months, but she fought the disease off and regained her health.

Did the doctors think she wouldn’t live long? Yes, the doctors thought she wouldn’t live more than a few months.

When Violet was a young woman, her father died.

What happened when Violet was a young woman? When Violet was a young woman, her father died.

She and her remaining family members returned to Britain, and she went looking for a job as a stewardess.

Where did her family return to? Her family returned to Britain. What kind of job did she look for? She looked for a job as a stewardess.

At this time in England, most stewardesses were middle-aged women.

Were most stewardesses young women? No, most stewardesses weren’t young women. Most stewardesses were middle-aged women.

Violet didn’t look the part, so she was unsuccessful at her interviews.

Why was she unsuccessful at her interviews? She was unsuccessful at her interviews because she didn’t look the part.

Employers of the time strangely thought her youth and good looks would cause problems with the passengers.

What did employers of the time think? Employers of the time strangely thought her youth and good looks would cause problems with the passengers.

Violet didn’t let these rejections stop her.

Did Violet let these rejections stop her? No, Violet didn’t let these rejections stop her.

She did her best to find the plainest, out-of-fashion frumpy clothes she could and stopped wearing make-up to her interviews.

What kind of clothes did she find? She found the plainest, out-of-fashion frumpy clothes.

Her plan succeeded, and she was hired.

What happened next? Next, her plan succeeded, and she was hired.

In 1910, Violet got a job aboard the Olympic.

When did she get a job aboard the Olympic? She got a job aboard the Olympic in 1910.

It was one of three enormous sister ships.

How many enormous sister ships were there? There were three enormous sister ships.

The other two were the ill-fated Titanic and the lesser known, but also doomed, Britannic.

Was she also on the Titanic? Yes, she was also on the Titanic. Was it ill- fated? Yes, it was ill-fated.

All three of these sister ships were giant floating palaces of world-class luxury.

Were they giant floating palaces of world-class luxury? Yes, they were giant floating palaces of world-class luxury.

They could carry thousands of people across the ocean.

How many people could they carry? They could carry thousands of people across the ocean.

They contained upscale restaurants and guestrooms, all furnished with the finest silk cloths and furniture.

What were they furnished with? They were furnished with the finest silk cloths and furniture.

The End.