تمرین مکالمه

Idiom: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

When the rugby team from Uruguay boarded the plane, they never imagined that weeks later they’d be eating their teammates to survive.

Where was the rugby team from? The rugby team was from Uruguay. Did they ever imagine that they’d be eating their teammates to survive? No, they didn’t. They never imagined that they’d be eating their teammates to survive.

Flying over the Andes Mountains, the pilot’s voice came over the intercom. “Fasten your seatbelts, we are going to enter some turbulence.”

Flying over the Andes Mountains, whose voice came over the intercom? Flying over the Andes Mountains, the pilot’s voice came over the intercom. What did the pilot say? The pilot said, “Fasten your seatbelts, we are going to enter some turbulence.”

The rugby team was in good spirits, so they didn’t take the pilot seriously.

Why didn’t the rugby team take the pilot seriously? The rugby team was in good spirits, so they didn’t take the pilot seriously.

They began to throw a rugby ball around and sang, “Conga, conga, conga, the plane is dancing conga!”

What did they begin to throw around? They began to throw a rugby ball around.

But then, one of the players looked out the window and yelled, “Aren’t we flying too close to the mountains?!”

When one of the players looked out the window, what did he yell? When one of the players looked out the window, he yelled, “Aren’t we flying too close to the mountains?”

The pilot began descending way too early and crashed into the side of the mountain.

What happened when the pilot began descending way too early? When the pilot began descending way too early, he crashed into the side of the mountain.

There were 45 people on the plane, but only 16 survived.

How many people were on the plane and how many actually survived? There were 45 people on the plane, but only 16 survived.

They were stranded in freezing temperatures on a barren mountain without warm clothing, food or anything for heat.

Were they stranded in freezing temperatures on a barren mountain without warm clothing, food or anything for heat? Yes, they were stranded in freezing temperatures on a barren mountain without warm clothing, food or anything for heat.

Many of the survivors had broken limbs or other injuries.

Who had broken limbs or other injuries? Many of the survivors had broken limbs or other injuries. Rescue parties from three different countries searched for the plane but had no luck.

Rescue parties from how many different countries searched for the plane? Rescue parties from three different countries searched for the plane but had no luck.

After eight days the search parties gave up.

What happened after eight days? After eight days the search parties gave up.

The survivors were truly desperate.

Were the survivors truly relaxed? No, they weren’t. The survivors were truly desperate.

They had just a few chocolate bars and several bottles of wine.

What was the only food they had with them? They had just a few chocolate bars and several bottles of wine.

They divided the meager amount of food between themselves until it was gone.

What did they do with the meager amount of food? They divided the meager amount of food between themselves until it was gone.

When the food ran out, they realized that they had only two options.

When the food ran out, what did they realize? When the food ran out, they realized they had only two options.

Starve or eat the dead bodies of their friends and teammates.

What were their options? Their options were starve or eat the dead bodies of their friends and teammates.

They were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

What were they stuck between? They were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

They chose survival.

Did they choose death? No, they didn’t. They chose survival. Would you have chosen survival?

It was 1972 and at the time, survivor Roberto Canesso was a 19-year-old medical student.

Who was a 19-year-old medical student at the time? At the time, survivor Roberto Canesso was a 19-year-old medical student.

Since he knew the most about the human body, it was his responsibility to cut away the flesh that could be eaten.

Why was it his responsibility to cut away flesh that could be eaten? Since he knew the most about the human body, it was his responsibility to cut away flesh that could be eaten.

For Roberto, it was a logical decision.

For Roberto, was it an emotional decision? No, it wasn’t. For Roberto it was a logical decision.

The flesh had much-needed protein and fat, and he tried to think of it like cow’s meat.

What did the flesh have? The flesh had much-needed protein and fat. What kind of meat did he try to think of it like? He tried to think of it like cow’s meat. What kind of meat would you have thought of it like?

But he says even though it made sense logically, it was very difficult to eat the bodies of his friends.

Was it very easy or very difficult to eat the bodies of his friends? It was very difficult to eat the bodies of his friends.

He felt like he was disrespecting his friends.

Who did he feel like he was disrespecting? He felt like he was disrespecting his friends.

But then he realized that if he died, he would have been happy and proud that his friends were able to survive using his body.

What did he realize? He realized that if he died, he would have been happy and proud that his friends were able to survive using his body. Would you have been happy that your friends would be able to survive by using your body?

After two months of being stranded on the mountain, three of the men decided to try and hike out.

After how many months of being stranded on the mountain did three of the men decide to try and hike out? After two months of being stranded on the mountain, three of the men decided to try and hike out.

Luck was on their side and after hiking for more than a week in terrible conditions, they found help.

What was on their side? Luck was on their side. After hiking for more than a week in terrible conditions what did they find? After hiking for more than a week in terrible conditions, they found help.

The remaining survivors were rescued just a few days later.

When were the remaining survivors rescued? The remaining survivors were rescued just a few days later.