Cheating Death

April 2017
deepenglish
CHEATING DEATH
INDEX
CHEATING DEATH
03 ACTIVE LISTENING MAIN STORY
10 ACTIVE SPEAKING - PART A ACTIVE

LISTENING
16 ACTIVE SPEAKING - PART B
21 ACTIVE SPEAKING - PART C

ACTIVE
27 ACTIVE SPEAKING - PART D SPEAKING
33 FUTURE
FOUR
37 PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSES
41 PAST CONTINUOUS
45 PRESENT PERPECT CONVERSATION
LESSON
49 CONVERSATION LESSON
74
02 CONVERSATIONAL VOCABULARY
© Deep English, 2010-2017

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ACTIVE LISTENING MAIN STORY
CHEATING DEATH
How far would you go and what would you do to survive?

It’s a question as old as the hills. The instinct for self-
preservation is in our DNA. Throughout history, people
have overcome incredible odds and immense hardships
old as the hills: very old all in the name of survival. In the face of adversity, instinct: natural patterns
of behavior of humans or
incredible odds: very low
people are often surprised by their own inner strength. animals
chances Some sacrifice themselves so others might live. While
some sacrifice others in the name of looking after their fierce: harsh; violent
immense: very big own skin.
descent: act of moving
adversity: an unpleasant Survival is always a matter of life and death. In times of down
situation
great danger, a split-second decision can make all the stumbled: tripped or lost
sacrifice: give up difference. It's called the survivor’s instinct. balance
something valuable
In 1985, Simon Yates’ and his climbing buddy Joe out of the question:
their own skin: their own Simpson’s lives changed forever. impossible
life
remote: far from other
a split second decision: a
Conditions were fierce, and the light was fading when people or cities
decision that happens in Yates and Simpson became the first mountaineers to
less than a second climb the West face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian resigned: accepted
Andes. Exhaustion and frostbite forced the two to make a something unpleasant
03 quick descent. Then, disaster struck. Simpson stumbled

and broke his leg. A rescue party finding them was out of
the question on such a remote mountain. Simpson
© Deep English, 2010-2017 resigned himself to die a lonely death on the mountain.
www.deepenglish.com Yates had different ideas.
Connected by a rope, Yates began to lower his crippled
friend in darkness and appalling conditions. They descended
3,000 feet in this manner. Simpson was accidentally lowered
into a place where he was unable to support his own weight.
Unaware if his friend who was below him was still alive, Yates
held on to the rope, which connected the pair. Seconds
became minutes and minutes became hours, until Yates
found his grip slipping. Inch by inch he was being dragged
crippled: unable to walk ponder: think about
closer to the void, which would kill them both.
carefully
appalling: shocking
On that desolate mountainside, the 22-year-old Yates made resourceful: skilled at
inch by inch: gradually; a decision most of us will never face. If he continued to hold solving problems or
little by little on to the rope, the two friends would be dragged to a certain difficult situations
death. If he cut the rope, he would live, but Joe would
desolate: without people; resentment: feeling of
probably die.
lonely anger over poor treatment
face: confront; deal with With no time to ponder the situation, Yates acted whatsoever: at all
instinctively and chose life. The lifesaver had become the
executioner. Simpson fell 150 ft. to almost certain death.
Simpson survived the fall. He also survived four days without
food or water. The resourceful mountaineer dragged
himself the four miles back to camp where a surprised Yates
was waiting.
Simpson said, “I don’t blame Simon for cutting the

04 rope…After I landed…I did feel angry, but at the
circumstances, not with Simon. I felt no resentment towards
him whatsoever. It would have been illogical for Simon to
© Deep English, 2010-2017 die with me. In fact, because of his decision to cut the rope,
www.deepenglish.com we both lived.”
Both men valued survival over misguided sentimentality.
Yet, the will to survive at any cost can often lead to an
impoverished existence. Take for example the case of the
chicken that lived for 18 months without a head.
One morning in 1945 Lloyd Olsen and his wife Clara were
killing chickens, on their farm in Colorado. They had cut
impoverished: very poor off the heads of about 50 of the birds when they noticed cheated death: escaped
death in a very dangerous
without a care in the
something unusual. One of the headless chickens was still situation
world: to have no worries running around as if it didn’t have a care in the world.
sensation: something very
peculiar: strange Lloyd placed the peculiar chicken in an old apple box and exciting or interesting
left it overnight. Much to his shock, the very next morning
word spread like wildfire: the headless bird remained alive. timely: happening at the
news spread very quickly right time
Word spread like wildfire about the bird that cheated

death. Named ‘Miracle Mike’ he was featured in Time
Magazine. The strange bird became a TV sensation and
toured America.
Miracle Mike died in Phoenix, Arizona in the spring of

1947. Scientists think he stayed alive because a chicken’s
brain is mostly found at the back of the skull. Although
Mike’s face, eyes, beak, and an ear were removed, 80% of
05 his brain survived. A timely blood clot prevented him
from bleeding to death.

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Chicken expert Dr. Tom Smulders explained, “You'd be
amazed how little brain there is in the front of the head of
a chicken. Most of the bird brain as we know it now was
once considered the brain stem.”
Mike had enough of a brain left to control his heart rate,

breathing and digestion. He was fed with liquid food and
water through the esophagus. The miracle chicken was a
quality of life: standard of grim reaper: mythical
health and happiness survivor but was his quality of life worth fighting to live representation of death
for?
wit: intelligence pay the piper: accept the
Mankind has always had a talent for cheating death. consequences
means: way of doing Possessing the wit and means to beat the Grim Reaper is
something shuffle off this mortal
the ultimate test of survival. Yet all that is born must die.
coil: die
Sooner or later we all pay the piper and shuffle off this
mortal coil.
There's a Russian millionaire who believes we can cheat

death and live forever.
Dmitry Itskov believes within the next 30 years it will be

possible to upload a human brain to a computer. He
believes the technology is possible and has put large sums
of his own money into it.
06 Dmitry explained, “The ultimate goal of my plan is to

transfer someone's personality into a completely new
body.”
www.deepenglish.com
Neuroscientist Dr. Randal Koene believes Dmitry’s vision is
plausible. He believes it would be difficult but possible.
How the brain generates our mind remains a mystery. For

leading neuroscientist Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, Dmitry’s vision
is a flawed one.
plausible: possible Dr. Miguel said, “You cannot code intuition; you cannot naysayers: people with
negative opinions about
code aesthetic beauty. You cannot code love or hate.
flawed: having a weakness something
There is no way you will ever see a human brain reduced
intuition: ability to to a digital medium.” envision: imagine
understand something
based on feeling instead of Dmitry is not discouraged by the naysayers. The learned the hard way:
thinking millionaire said, “For the next few centuries I envision learned through
unpleasant experiences
having multiple bodies. One somewhere in space, another
medium: type of
communication such as hologram-like, my consciousness moving from one to threw caution to the
radio or tv another.” wind: took a risk
Many would argue that without death, life would have no

meaning. The Robertson family learned the hard way
that only in the shadow of death are we truly alive.
In 1971, retired merchant navy officer Dougal Robertson

tired of running his dairy farm. He threw caution to the
07 wind, bought a boat, and took his wife and four children
on a great adventure.

www.deepenglish.com
The Robertson family left Cornwall on a 43ft wooden boat named Lucette. They
were off to see the world. Little did they know what dangers were around the
corner.
Dougal’s oldest boy Douglas explained, “Father's planning for this journey was
zero. We didn't even have a practice sail…He was stamping on the floor and
shouting 'Yee-haa.' He was actually living his dream at that time."
little did they know: they After a year-and-a-half of sailing the world’s oceans, disaster hit in the Pacific.
knew nothing about Douglas remembers the calmness of the day shattered by the noise of wood
cracking. The bottom of their boat was struck by a pod of killer whales. The sound
around the corner: very was like a tree trunk snapping.
near; coming soon
Three killer whales continued to follow the sinking boat. Killer whales are not
considered dangerous to humans. Yet the family feared they would be eaten
alive.
Scrambling on board an inflatable life raft, the family of six, plus a student
hitchhiker, left the boat and hoped for the best.
The killer whales soon got bored and left. For the Robertson family, the
nightmare was just beginning. Their limited supplies of dried bread, biscuits,
onions, fruit, and several cans of water only lasted six days. Following that they
used containers to catch rainwater and hunted turtles and fish to eat. Sometimes
when there was no water they drank turtle blood.
08
Worse was to come. After 16 days their inflatable raft became unusable. So the
six of them crowded into an even smaller inflatable boat they had on board.
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For 38 days and 38 nights they drifted on the ocean. Finally help came. A
Japanese fishing boat had spotted their distress flare. Dougal Robertson had
fought in World War 2, and been sunk before by the Japanese in 1942. He vowed
never to forgive them. This changed in 1977 when the Japanese boat saved him
and his family from the ocean and near death.
Living from day to day connects us with something primordial within.

drifted: moved slowly,
carried by the water
As Douglas explained, “I never regretted the trip even in the darkest hours. In a
spotted: saw funny kind of way life had a quality to it, the quality of survival, the reward of
seeing another sunset and another sunrise. We felt like wildlife must feel in the
vowed: promised jungle. To live another day was our only goal.”
living day to day: living in
the present moment
primordial: existing from

the beginning of the world
or the universe
09
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ACTIVE SPEAKING / PART A
CHEATING DEATH
How far would you go and what would you do to survive? It’s a question as old as
the hills.
How old is the question? The question is as old as the hills. What question is
as old as the hills? ‘How far would you go and what would you do to
survive?’ is a question as old as the hills.
The instinct for self-preservation is in our DNA.
Where is the instinct? The instinct is in our DNA. What instinct is in our
DNA? The instinct for self-preservation is in our DNA.
Throughout history, people have overcome incredible odds and immense

hardships all in the name of survival.
Have people overcome incredible odds? Yes, people have overcome

incredible odds. What else have they overcome? They have also overcome
immense hardships.
In the face of adversity, people are often surprised by their own inner strength.
10
Are people often surprised by their physical strength? No, people aren’t
often surprised by their physical strength. People are often surprised by
their own inner strength.
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CHEATING DEATH
Some sacrifice themselves so others might live.
Why do some sacrifice themselves? Some sacrifice themselves so others

might live.
While some sacrifice others in the name of looking after their own skin.
Why do some sacrifice others? Some sacrifice others in the name of looking
after their own skin.
Survival is always a matter of life and death. In times of great danger, a split-
second decision can make all the difference.
What is always a matter of life and death? Survival is always a matter of life
and death. What can make all the difference? A split-second decision can
make all the difference.
It's called the survivor’s instinct.
Is it called the survivor’s price? No, it’s not called the survivor’s price. It's
called the survivor’s instinct.
11 In 1985, Simon Yates’ and his climbing buddy Joe Simpson’s lives changed forever.
© Deep English, 2010-2017 When did this happen? This happened in 1985. What changed forever?
www.deepenglish.com Simon Yates’ and Joe Simpson’s lives changed forever.
CHEATING DEATH
Conditions were fierce, and the light was fading when Yates and Simpson became
the first mountaineers to climb the West face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian
Andes.
Were the conditions pleasant? No, the conditions weren’t pleasant. The
conditions were fierce. What was fading? The light was fading. Were they
climbing a mountain in Brazil? No, they weren’t climbing a mountain in
Brazil. They were climbing a mountain in the Peruvian Andes.
Exhaustion and frostbite forced the two to make a quick descent.
Did they freely choose to make a quick descent? No, they didn’t freely
choose to make a quick descent. They were forced to make a quick descent.
Then, disaster struck. Simpson stumbled and broke his leg.
Did disaster strike? Yes, disaster struck. Who stumbled and broke his leg,
Simpson or Yates? Simpson stumbled and broke his leg.
A rescue party finding them was out of the question on such a remote mountain.
What was out of the question? A rescue party finding them was out of the
12 question.

Simpson resigned himself to die a lonely death on the mountain. Yates had
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different ideas.
CHEATING DEATH
What did Simpson resign himself to? Simpson resigned himself to die a
lonely death on the mountain. Who had different ideas? Yates had different
ideas.
Connected by a rope, Yates began to lower his crippled friend in darkness and
appalling conditions.
Who began to lower his crippled friend? Yates began to lower his crippled
friend. Did he do it darkness and appalling conditions? Yes, he did it in
darkness and appalling conditions.
They descended 3,000 feet in this manner.
How far did they descend? They descended 3,000 feet.
Simpson was accidentally lowered into a place where he was unable to support
his own weight.
Who was unable to support his own weight? Simpson was unable to support
his own weight.
Unaware if his friend who was below him was still alive, Yates held on to the rope,
13 which connected the pair.

What was Yates unaware of? Yates was unaware if his friend was still alive.
www.deepenglish.com
Did he hold on to the rope? Yes, he held on to the rope.
CHEATING DEATH
Seconds became minutes and minutes became hours, until Yates found his grip
slipping.
What was slipping? His grip was slipping. Whose grip was slipping? Yates’
grip was slipping.
Inch by inch he was being dragged closer to the void, which would kill them both.
What was happening inch by inch? Inch by inch he was being dragged closer
to the void, which would kill them both.
On that desolate mountainside, the 22-year-old Yates made a decision most of us

will never face.
What kind of mountainside was it? It was a desolate mountainside. What

kind of decision did Yates make? Yates made a decision that most of us will
never face. Have you ever faced this kind of decision?
If he continued to hold on to the rope, the two friends would be dragged to a

certain death.
14 What would happen if he continued to hold on to the rope? If he continued

to hold on to the rope, the two friends would be dragged to a certain death.

If he cut the rope, he would live, but Joe would probably die.
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CHEATING DEATH
What would happen if he cut the rope? If he cut the rope, he would live, but
Joe would probably die.
With no time to ponder the situation, Yates acted instinctively and chose life. The
lifesaver had become the executioner.
Who didn’t have time to ponder the situation? Yates didn’t have time to
ponder the situation. How did he act? He acted instinctively and chose life.
Had the lifesaver become the executioner? Yes, the lifesaver had become
the executioner.
15
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ACTIVE SPEAKING / PART B
CHEATING DEATH
Simpson fell 150 ft. to almost certain death.
How far did he fall? He fell 150 ft. Did he fall to almost certain death? Yes, he
fell to almost certain death.
Simpson survived the fall. He also survived four days without food or water.
Did he survive the fall? Yes, he survived the fall. Who survived the fall?
Simpson survived the fall. What else did he survive? He also survived four
days without food or water.
The resourceful mountaineer dragged himself the four miles back to camp where
a surprised Yates was waiting.
Was Yates expecting to see Simpson? No, Yates wasn’t expecting to see
Simpson. He was surprised to see Simpson.
Simpson said, “I don’t blame Simon for cutting the rope…After I landed…I did feel
angry, but at the circumstances, not with Simon.”
Was he angry at Simon? No, he wasn’t angry at Simon. He was angry at the
16 circumstances.
© Deep English, 2010-2017 “I felt no resentment towards him whatsoever. It would have been illogical for
www.deepenglish.com Simon to die with me.”
CHEATING DEATH
Who did he feel no resentment towards? He felt no resentment towards

Simon. What did he say would have been illogical? He said “it would have
been illogical for Simon to die with me.”
“In fact, because of his decision to cut the rope, we both lived.”
Why did they both live? They both lived because of his decision to cut the
rope.
Both men valued survival over misguided sentimentality.
What kind of sentimentality? Misguided sentimentality. What did they value

over misguided sentimentality? They valued survival over misguided
sentimentality.
Yet, the will to survive at any cost can often lead to an impoverished existence.
What kind of existence can it lead to? It can lead to an impoverished

existence.
Take for example the case of the chicken that lived for 18 months without a head.
17
How long did it live for? It lived for 18 months. What did it live without? It
© Deep English, 2010-2017 lived without a head. What lived for 18 months without a head? A chicken
www.deepenglish.com lived for 18 months without a head.
CHEATING DEATH
One morning in 1945 Lloyd Olsen and his wife Clara were killing chickens, on their
farm in Colorado.
What were they doing? They were killing chickens on their farm in Colorado.
When were they killing chickens on their farm in Colorado? They were killing
chickens on their farm in Colorado one morning in 1945.
They had cut off the heads of about 50 of the birds when they noticed something
unusual.
What did they notice? They noticed something unusual.
One of the headless chickens was still running around as if it didn’t have a care in
the world.
What was running around as if it didn’t have a care in the world? One of the
headless chickens was running around as if it didn’t have a care in the
world.
Lloyd placed the peculiar chicken in an old apple box and left it overnight.
18 What kind of chicken was it? It was a peculiar chicken. Did he put it in an old
apple box? Yes, he put it in an old apple box.
www.deepenglish.com Much to his shock, the very next morning the headless bird remained alive.
CHEATING DEATH
What happened the next morning? The next morning the headless bird
remained alive.
Word spread like wildfire about the bird that cheated death.
Did word spread quickly? Yes, word spread like wildfire. What did the bird
cheat? The bird cheated death.
Named ‘Miracle Mike’ he was featured in Time Magazine. The strange bird became
a TV sensation and toured America.
What was the bird named? The bird was named ‘Miracle Mike.’ What
magazine was he featured in? He was featured in Time Magazine. Did he
become a radio sensation? No, he didn’t become a radio sensation. He
became a TV sensation.
Miracle Mike died in Phoenix, Arizona in the spring of 1947.
Who died in Phoenix, Arizona? Miracle Mike died in Phoenix, Arizona. When
did he die? He died in the spring of 1947.
Scientists think he stayed alive because a chicken’s brain is mostly found at the
19 back of the skull.

Where is a chicken’s brain mostly found? A chicken’s brain is mostly found at
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the back of the skull.
CHEATING DEATH
Although Mike’s face, eyes, beak, and an ear were removed, 80% of his brain
survived.
What percent of his brain survived? Eighty percent of his brain survived.
A timely blood clot prevented him from bleeding to death.
What prevented him from bleeding to death? A timely blood clot prevented
him from bleeding to death.
Chicken expert Dr. Tom Smulders explained, “You'd be amazed how little brain
there is in the front of the head of a chicken. Most of the bird brain as we know it
now was once considered the brain stem.”
Who said this? Chicken expert Dr. Tom Smulders said this. Did he say, “You’d
be amazed how little brain there is in the front of the head of a chicken”?
Yes, he said, “You’d be amazed how little brain there is in the front of the
head of a chicken.”
20
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ACTIVE SPEAKING / PART C
CHEATING DEATH
Mike had enough of a brain left to control his heart rate, breathing and digestion.
Did he have enough of a brain left to control his heart rate and breathing?
Yes, he had enough of a brain left to control his heart rate and breathing.
What else could he control? He could also control his digestion.
He was fed with liquid food and water through the esophagus.
How was he fed? He was fed with liquid food and water through the
esophagus.
The miracle chicken was a survivor but was his quality of life worth fighting to live
for? What do you think?
Mankind has always had a talent for cheating death.
What has mankind always had a talent for cheating? Mankind has always
had a talent for cheating death.
Possessing the wit and means to beat the Grim Reaper is the ultimate test of
21 survival.
Is possessing the wit and means to beat the Grim Reaper the ultimate test
© Deep English, 2010-2017 of survival? Yes, possessing the wit and means to beat the Grim Reaper is
www.deepenglish.com the ultimate test of survival.
CHEATING DEATH
Yet all that is born must die. Sooner or later we all pay the piper and shuffle off
this mortal coil.
Who must we all pay? We must all pay the piper. Will we all shuffle off this
mortal coil? Yes, we will all shuffle off this mortal coil.
There's a Russian millionaire who believes we can cheat death and live forever.
What country is he from? He’s from Russia. What does he believe? He

believes we can cheat death and live forever.
Dmitry Itskov believes within the next 30 years it will be possible to upload a
human brain to a computer.
Does he believe it will be possible to upload a human brain to a toaster? No,

he doesn’t believe it will be possible to upload a human brain to a toaster.
He believes it will be possible to upload a human brain to a computer. When
does he think this will happen? he thinks this will happen in the next 30
years.
He believes the technology is possible and has put large sums of his own money
22 into it.

What has he put into it? He has put large sums of money into it. Do you
www.deepenglish.com believe this is possible?
CHEATING DEATH
Dmitry explained, “The ultimate goal of my plan is to transfer someone's

personality into a completely new body.”
Who said this? Dmitry said this.
Neuroscientist Dr. Randal Koene believes Dmitry’s vision is plausible.
What kind of doctor is Dr. Randal Koene? Dr. Randal Koene is a

neuroscientist. What does he believe is plausible? He believes Dmitry’s
vision is plausible.
He believes it would be difficult but possible.
Does he think it would be easy? No, he doesn’t think it would be easy. He

thinks it would be difficult but possible.
How the brain generates our mind remains a mystery.
What is a mystery? How the brain generates our mind remains a mystery.
23 For leading neuroscientist Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, Dmitry’s vision is a flawed one.
Is his vision a perfect one? No, his vision isn’t a perfect one. His vision is a
flawed one.
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CHEATING DEATH
Dr. Miguel said, “You cannot code intuition; you cannot code aesthetic beauty. You
cannot code love or hate.”
Can you code intuition? No, you can’t code intuition. Can you code aesthetic
beauty? No, you can’t code aesthetic beauty. What about love or hate? Can
you code them? No, you cannot code love or hate.
“There is no way you will ever see a human brain reduced to a digital medium.”
Did he say the brain can’t be reduced to a digital medium? Yes, he said the
brain can’t be reduced to a digital medium.
Dmitry is not discouraged by the naysayers.
Is Dmitry discouraged by the naysayers? No, Dmitry is not discouraged by

the naysayers.
The millionaire said, “For the next few centuries I envision having multiple bodies.
Who said, “I envision having multiple bodies”? The millionaire said, “I

24 envision having multiple bodies.”
“One somewhere in space, another hologram-like, my consciousness moving from

one to another.”
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CHEATING DEATH
Does he want to have a body in space? Yes, he wants to have a body in

space. Does he want another body that is hologram-like? Yes, he wants
another body that is hologram-like.
Many would argue that without death, life would have no meaning.
What would many argue? Many would argue that without death, life would
have no meaning.
The Robertson family learned the hard way that only in the shadow of death are
we truly alive.
Who learned the hard way? The Robertson family learned the hard way. Did
they learn that only in the shadow of death are we truly alive? Yes, they
learned that only in the shadow of death are we truly alive.
In 1971, retired merchant navy officer Dougal Robertson tired of running his dairy
farm.
25 Did he tire of running his boat? No, he didn’t tire of running his boat. He
tired of running his dairy farm.
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CHEATING DEATH
He threw caution to the wind, bought a boat, and took his wife and four children
on a great adventure.
What did he throw to the wind? He threw caution to the wind. What did he
buy? He bought a boat. Did he take his dairy farm on a great adventure? No,
he didn’t take his dairy farm on a great adventure. He took his wife and four
children on a great adventure.
26
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ACTIVE SPEAKING / PART D
CHEATING DEATH
The Robertson family left Cornwall on a 43ft wooden boat named Lucette.
What was the boat named? The boat was named Lucette. What kind of boat
was it? It was a 43 ft wooden boat.
They were off to see the world. Little did they know what dangers were around
the corner.
Were they off to see the world? Yes, they were off to see the world. Who was
off to see the world? The Robertson family was off to see the world. Did they
know what dangers were around the corner? No, they didn’t know what
dangers were around the corner.
Dougal’s oldest boy Douglas explained, “Father's planning for this journey was
zero.“
What was Dougal’s oldest boy named? Dougal’s oldest boy was named
Douglas. Did his father do a lot of planning? No, his father didn’t do a lot of
planning. His planning was zero.
“We didn't have a practice sail…He was stamping on the floor and shouting 'Yee-
27 haa.' He was actually living his dream at that time."
What was his father shouting? His father was shouting 'Yee-haa.' Who was
living his dream? His father was living his dream.
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CHEATING DEATH
After a year and a half of sailing the world’s oceans, disaster hit in the Pacific.
Where did disaster hit? Disaster hit in the Pacific. How long had they been
sailing the world’s oceans? They had been sailing the world’s oceans for a
year and a half.
Douglas remembers the calmness of the day shattered by the noise of wood
cracking.
What shattered the calmness of the day? The noise of wood cracking
shattered the calmness of the day.
The bottom of their boat was struck by a pod of killer whales.
Was the top of their boat struck? No, the top of the boat wasn’t struck. The
bottom of the boat was struck. What was it struck by? It was struck by a pod
of killer whales.
The sound was like a tree trunk snapping.
28 Was the sound like a pencil breaking? No, the sound wasn’t like a pencil
breaking. The sound was like a tree trunk snapping.
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Three killer whales continued to follow the sinking boat.
CHEATING DEATH
What continued to follow the sinking boat? Three killer whales continued to
follow the sinking boat.
Killer whales are not considered dangerous to humans. Yet the family feared they
would be eaten alive.
What isn’t considered dangerous to humans? Killer whales are not

considered dangerous to humans. What did the family fear would happen?
The family feared they would be eaten alive.
Scrambling on board an inflatable life raft, the family of six, plus a student
hitchhiker, left the boat and hoped for the best.
Did they leave the car? No, they didn’t leave the car. They left the boat.
What did they hope for? They hoped for the best.
The killer whales soon got bored and left. For the Robertson family, the nightmare
was just beginning.
What did the killer whales do? The killer whales got bored and left. What
was just beginning for the Robertson family? For the Robertson family, the
29 nightmare was just beginning.
Their limited supplies of dried bread, biscuits, onions, fruit, and several cans of
water only lasted six days.
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CHEATING DEATH
Did they have lots of supplies? No, they didn’t have lots of supplies. They
had limited supplies. Did they have dried bread, biscuits, onions and fruit?
Yes, they had dried bread, biscuits, onions and fruit. What else did they
have? They also had several cans of water. Would the supplies only last for
six days? Yes, the supplies would only last for six days.
Following that they used containers to catch rainwater and hunted turtles and
fish to eat.
What did they hunt? They hunted turtles and fish. What did they use to
catch rainwater? They used containers to catch rainwater.
Sometimes when there was no water, they drank turtle blood.
What did they sometimes drink? They sometimes drank turtle blood.
Worse was to come. After 16 days their inflatable raft became unusable.
What happened after 16 days? After 16 days, their inflatable raft became
unusable.
So the six of them crowded into an even smaller inflatable boat they had on
30 board.

What did they crowd into? They crowded into an even smaller inflatable
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boat.
CHEATING DEATH
For 38 days and 38 nights, they drifted on the ocean.
How long did they drift on the ocean? They drifted on the ocean for 38 days
and 38 nights.
Finally, help came. A Japanese fishing boat had spotted their distress flare.
Who spotted their distress flare? A Japanese fishing boat had spotted their
distress flare.
Dougal Robertson had fought in World War 2 and been sunk by the Japanese in
1942.
Who fought in World War 2? Dougal Robertson fought in World War 2. When
was he sunk by the Japanese? He was sunk by the Japanese in 1942.
He vowed never to forgive them. This changed in 1977 when the Japanese boat
saved him and his family from the ocean and near death.
What did he vow never to do? He vowed never to forgive them. Did this
change in 1943? No, this didn’t change in 1943. This changed in 1977.
31 Living from day to day connects us with something primordial within.
© Deep English, 2010-2017 What does living day to day do? Living day to day connects us with
www.deepenglish.com something primordial within.
CHEATING DEATH
As Douglas explained, “I never regretted the trip even in the darkest hours.”
What did he never regret even in the darkest hour? He never regretted the
trip even in the darkest hours.
In a funny kind of way, life had a quality to it, the quality of survival, the reward of
seeing another sunset and another sunrise.
Was there a quality of survival? Yes, there was a quality of survival. Was
there the reward of seeing another sunset and another sunrise? Yes, there
was the reward of seeing another sunset and another sunrise.
“We felt like wildlife must feel in the jungle.”
What did they feel like? They felt like wildlife must feel in the jungle.
“To live another day was our only goal.”
What was their only goal? To live another day was their only goal.
32
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FUTURE
CHEATING DEATH
Mankind will always have a talent for cheating death.
What will mankind always have a talent for? Mankind will always have a
talent for cheating death.
Possessing the wit and means to beat the Grim Reaper is going to be the ultimate
test of survival.
Is it going to be the ultimate test of intelligence? No, it’s not going to be the
ultimate test of intelligence. It’s going to be the ultimate test of survival.
Yet all that is born will die.
Will all that is born be everlasting? No, all that is born won’t be everlasting.
All that is born will die.
Sooner or later we all are going to pay the piper, and we all are going to shuffle
off this mortal coil.
What are we all going to pay? We are all going to pay the piper. What are we
33 all going to shuffle off of? We are all going to shuffle off this mortal coil.
There's a Russian millionaire who will say we can cheat death and live forever.
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FUTURE
CHEATING DEATH
Will the Russian be rich? Yes, the Russian will be rich. He will be a
millionaire. Will he say we can peacefully accept death? No, he won’t say we
can peacefully accept death. He will say we can cheat death and live
forever.
Dmitry Itskov will say it will soon be possible to upload a human brain to a
computer.
Will he say it will be possible to download a human brain to a computer?

No, he won’t say it will be possible to download a human brain to a
computer. He will say it will be possible to upload a human brain to a
computer.
He is going to believe the technology is possible. He is going to put large sums of

his own money into it.
What is he going to believe is possible? He is going to believe the technology

is possible. What is he going to put his money into? He is going to put his
money into the technology.
Dmitry will explain, “The ultimate goal of my plan is to transfer someone's

34 personality into a completely new body.”
What will be the ultimate goal of his plan? The ultimate goal of his plan will
be to transfer someone's personality into a completely new body.
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FUTURE
CHEATING DEATH
Neuroscientist Dr. Randal Koene is going to say Dmitry’s vision is plausible.
What will Dr. Randal Koene say? Dr. Randal Koene is going to say Dmitry’s
vision is plausible.
He will believe it is going to be difficult but possible.
Is he going to believe it is going to be easy? No, he isn’t going to believe it is

going to be easy. He is going to believe it is going to be difficult.
How the brain generates our mind will remain a mystery.
What will remain a mystery? How the brain generates our mind will remain
a mystery.
For leading neuroscientist Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, Dmitry’s vision is going to be a

flawed one.
Who will say Dmitry’s vision is flawed? Dr. Miguel Nicolelis will say Dmitry’s
vision is flawed.
35
Dr. Miguel will say, “You can’t code intuition; you cannot code aesthetic beauty.
You cannot code love or hate.”
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FUTURE
CHEATING DEATH
Will he say you can code intuition? No, he will say you can’t code intuition.
Will he say you can code aesthetic beauty? No, he will say you can’t code
aesthetic beauty. Will he say you can code love or hate? No, he will say you
cannot code love or hate.
He is going to say, “There is no way you will ever see a human brain reduced to a
digital medium.”
Will he say the brain cannot be reduced to a digital medium? Yes, he is

going to say the brain cannot be reduced to a digital medium.
Dmitry won’t be discouraged by the naysayers.
What won’t discourage Dmitry? The naysayers won’t discourage Dmitry.
The millionaire will say, “For the next few centuries I envision having multiple
bodies. One somewhere in space, another hologram-like, my consciousness
moving from one to another.”
Who will say this? The millionaire will say this. Will he say he envisions
having one body? No, he won’t say he envisions having one body. He will say
36 he envisions having multiple bodies. Where will these bodies be? One of
these bodies will be somewhere in space. Another will be hologram-like.
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PRESENT CONTINUOUS
CHEATING DEATH
Simon Yates and his climbing buddy Joe Simpson are going on a life-changing
trip.
What kind of trip are they going on? They are going on a life-changing trip.
Who is going on a life-changing trip? Simon Yates and his climbing buddy Joe
Simpson are going on a life-changing trip.
They are facing fierce conditions.
Are they facing peaceful conditions? No, they aren’t facing peaceful
conditions. They are facing fierce conditions.
The light is fading as Yates and Simpson climb the West face of Siula Grande in
the Peruvian Andes.
What is fading? The light is fading. Is the light fading as they walk on the
beach? No, the light isn’t fading as they walk on the beach. The light is
fading as they climb the mountain.
Exhaustion and frostbite are forcing the two to make a quick descent.
37 What is forcing them to make a quick descent? Exhaustion and frostbite are
forcing them to make a quick descent.
Simpson is stumbling and breaking his leg.
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PRESENT CONTINUOUS
CHEATING DEATH
Who is stumbling? Simpson is stumbling. Is he also breaking his arm? No, he

isn’t also breaking his arm. He is also breaking his leg.
They are thinking that a rescue party finding them was out of the question on
such a remote mountain.
What are they thinking is out of the question? They are thinking that a
rescue party finding them was out of the question on such a remote
mountain.
Simpson is resigning himself to die a lonely death on the mountain. Yates is

thinking of a different solution.
Who is resigning himself to a lonely death on the mountain? Simpson is

resigning himself to a lonely death on the mountain. What is Yates
thinking? Yates is thinking of a different solution.
Connected by a rope, Yates is beginning to lower his crippled friend.
What is he beginning to do? He is beginning to lower his crippled friend.

38 Who is beginning to lower his crippled friend? Yates is beginning to lower
his crippled friend.
© Deep English, 2010-2017 They are facing darkness and appalling conditions.
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PRESENT CONTINUOUS
CHEATING DEATH
What are they facing? They are facing darkness and appalling conditions.
They are descending 3,000 feet in this manner.
How far are they descending? They are descending 3,000 feet.
Yates is accidentally lowering Simpson into a place where he is unable to support

his own weight.
Is Yates accidentally lowering Simpson into a place where he is unable to

support his own weight? Yes, Yates is accidentally lowering Simpson into a
place where he is unable to support his own weight.
Yates is looking down into darkness. He is wondering whether his friend who was
below him is still alive.
Where is Yates looking? Yates is looking down into darkness. What is he

wondering? He is wondering whether his friend who was below him is still
alive.
39 Yates is holding on to the rope, which connects the pair.
What is he holding on to? He is holding on to the rope.

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PRESENT CONTINUOUS
CHEATING DEATH
Seconds are becoming minutes and minutes are becoming hours, until Yates’ grip
is slipping. Inch by inch he is being dragged closer to the void, which will kill them
both.
Whose grip is slipping? Yates’ grip is slipping. Where is he being dragged? He

is being dragged closer to the void.
On that desolate mountainside, the 22-year-old Yates is making a decision most

of us will never face.
Is he making a decision most of us will never face? Yes, he is making a

decision most of us will never face. Is he making this decision on a boat? No,
he isn’t making this decision on a boat. He is making this decision on a
mountainside.
The two friends are being dragged to a certain death. He is cutting the rope and
saying goodbye to his friend who will probably die.
Are they being dragged to a certain death or a possible death? They are
being dragged to a certain death. What is he cutting? He is cutting the rope.
Who is he saying goodbye to? He is saying goodbye to his friend.
40
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PAST CONTINUOUS
CHEATING DEATH
With no time to ponder the situation, Yates was acting instinctively.
How was he acting? He was acting instinctively. Who was acting

instinctively? Yates was acting instinctively.
He was choosing life. The lifesaver was becoming the executioner.
Was he choosing life? Yes, he was choosing life. What was the lifesaver
becoming? The lifesaver was becoming the executioner.
Simpson was falling 150 ft. to almost certain death.
How far was he falling? He was falling 150 feet. Who was falling 150 feet?
Simpson was falling 150 feet.
Simpson was fighting death despite the fall. He was surviving for four days
without food or water.
Who was fighting death despite the fall? Simpson was fighting death
despite the fall. How long was he surviving for without food or water? He
41 was surviving for four days without food or water.
The resourceful mountaineer was dragging himself the four miles back to camp
© Deep English, 2010-2017 where a surprised Yates was waiting.
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PAST CONTINUOUS
CHEATING DEATH
Was he dragging himself back to camp? Yes, he was dragging himself back
to camp. How far was he dragging himself? He was dragging himself four
miles.
Simpson wasn’t blaming Simon for cutting the rope.
Was Simpson blaming Simon for cutting the rope? No, Simpson wasn’t
blaming Simon for cutting the rope.
He was feeling angry, but at the circumstances, not with Simon.
Who was feeling angry? Simpson was feeling angry. What was he feeling
angry about? He was feeling angry at the circumstances.
He wasn’t feeling resentment towards him whatsoever.
What wasn’t he feeling? He wasn’t feeling resentment.
He wasn’t thinking Simon should have chosen to die together with him.
What wasn’t he thinking? He wasn’t thinking Simon should have chosen to

42 die together with him.
He was feeling grateful that Simon cut the rope. And he was feeling thankful they
both lived.
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PAST CONTINUOUS
CHEATING DEATH
What was he feeling grateful about? He was feeling grateful that Simon cut
the rope. What was he feeling thankful about? He was feeling thankful they
both lived.
One animal that maybe wasn’t feeling thankful was Mike the chicken.
Who wasn’t feeling thankful? Mike the Chicken wasn’t feeling thankful.
One morning in 1945 Lloyd Olsen and his wife Clara were killing chickens, on their
farm in Colorado.
When were they doing this? They were doing this one morning in 1945. Were
they killing pigs on their farm? No, they weren’t killing pigs on their farm.
They were killing chickens on their farm.
They were cutting off the heads of about 50 of the birds when they noticed
something unusual.
What were they doing to 50 of the birds? They were cutting off the heads of
about 50 of the birds.
43
One of the headless chickens was still running around as if it didn’t have a care in
the world.
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PAST CONTINUOUS
CHEATING DEATH
Who was still running around? One of the headless chickens was still
running around. Was he running around like he didn’t have a care in the
world? Yes, he was running around like he didn’t have a care in the world.
Lloyd was putting the peculiar chicken in an old apple box and leaving it
overnight.
Was he putting a chicken in an old apple box? Yes, he was putting a chicken
in an old apple box. What kind of chicken was he putting in an old apple
box? He was putting a peculiar chicken in an old apple box.
Much to his shock, the very next morning the headless bird was still moving.
What was the headless bird still doing? The headless bird was still moving.
When was this happening? This was happening the very next morning.
44
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PRESENT PERFECT
CHEATING DEATH
Word has spread like wildfire about the bird that cheated death.
What has spread like wildfire? Word has spread like wildfire about the bird
that cheated death.
Named ‘Miracle Mike’ he has been featured in Time Magazine.
Where has he been featured? He has been featured in Time Magazine. Who
has been featured in Time Magazine? ‘Miracle Mike’ has been featured in
Time Magazine.
The strange bird has become a TV sensation and toured America.
Who has become a TV sensation? The strange bird has become a TV

sensation. Where has he toured? He has toured America.
Scientists think he has stayed alive because a chicken’s brain is mostly found at
the back of the skull.
Why do scientists think he has stayed alive? Scientists think he has stayed
alive because a chicken’s brain is mostly found at the back of the skull.
45
Although Mike’s face, eyes, beak, and an ear have been removed, 80% of his brain
© Deep English, 2010-2017 has survived.
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PRESENT PERFECT
CHEATING DEATH
Has Mike’s face, eyes, beak and an ear been removed? Yes, Mike’s face, eyes,
beak and an ear have been removed. What has survived? Eighty percent of
his brain has survived.
A timely blood clot has prevented him from bleeding to death.
What has prevented him from bleeding to death? A timely blood clot has
prevented him from bleeding to death.
Chicken expert Dr. Tom Smulders has explained that most of the brain is not in
the front of the head of a chicken.
Has he explained that most of the brain is not in the back of the head of a
chicken? No, he hasn’t explained that most of the brain is not in the back of
the head of a chicken. He has explained that most of the brain is not in the
front of the head of a chicken.
Mike has had enough of a brain left to control his heart rate, breathing and
digestion.
Has he had enough of a brain left to control his heart rate, breathing and
46 digestion? Yes, he has had enough of a brain left to control his heart rate,
breathing and digestion.
He has been fed with liquid food and water through the esophagus.
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PRESENT PERFECT
CHEATING DEATH
What has he been fed with? He has been fed with liquid food and water.
How has he been fed? He has been fed through the esophagus.
The miracle chicken has been a survivor but has his quality of life been worth
fighting to live for?
Who has been a survivor? The miracle chicken has been a survivor. What do
you think? Has his quality of life been worth fighting for?
The instinct for self-preservation has been part of our DNA.
What has been part of our DNA? The instinct for self-preservation has been
part of our DNA.
Throughout history, people have overcome incredible odds and immense

hardships all in the name of survival.
What have people overcome? People have overcome incredible odds and
immense hardships all in the name of survival.
In the face of adversity, people have often been surprised by their own inner
47 strength.
What have people often been surprised by? People have often been
surprised by their own inner strength.
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PRESENT PERFECT
CHEATING DEATH
Some have sacrificed themselves so others might live. While some have sacrificed
others in the name of looking after their own skin.
What have some sacrificed themselves for? Some have sacrificed

themselves so others might live. Why have some sacrificed others? Some
have sacrificed others in the name of looking after their own skin.
Survival has always been a matter of life and death. In times of great danger, a
split-second decision has sometimes made all the difference.
What has always been a matter of life and death? Survival has always been
a matter of life and death. What has sometimes made all the difference? A
split-second decision has sometimes made all the difference.
48
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CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Dan: Okie dokie. Aaron Campbell. How you doing?
Aaron: Daniel D Douglas III.
Dan: How'd you know I was the third?
Aaron: You're the third. You're always the third.
Dan: Okay. Cheating death. We're talking about cheating death.
Aaron: Yeah. Cheating death. Cheating the grim reaper.
Dan: You know a lot about cheating.
Aaron: No. I know nothing about cheating.
Dan: You dirty cheater.
Aaron: No. I am not a cheater. I think you're the cheater.
Dan: But cheating death, on the other hand.
Aaron: That's not such a bad thing. Cheating death.

49
Dan: Cheating the grim reaper.
www.deepenglish.com Aaron: Yeah. I mean, if you cheat death, maybe you get a new lease on life.
CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Dan: Okay. What do you got?
Aaron: What do I got?
Dan: You got some story about cheating death? I've heard that before.
Aaron: Not really. I've never-
Dan: You told me that story-
Aaron: No. I've never cheated death. I've never cheated it.
Dan: Oh, come on.
Aaron: I mean, I've been in situations where I thought I might die but does that
qualify as cheating death? I don't know. Maybe.
Dan: I don't know. It's interesting idea, cheating death. It's as if you know, you
owe it to die.
Aaron: Oh.
50
Dan: That's what you're supposed to do.
Aaron: Okay. No. I've never cheated death then.
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CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Dan: Okay.
Aaron: Yeah. I've been in some hairy situations.
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Yeah.
Dan: Like what?
Aaron: Well, I've been at sea a few times in big storms where I thought the boat
might capsize and I was pretty scared about that. I was once in a situation where
some violence occurred but I left before it happened. Well, then it could be
cheated death. I don't know.
Dan: With your tail tucked between your legs?
Aaron: My tail tucked between my legs, quivering and shaking in fear. Something
like that.
Dan: Smart man. Better safe than sorry.
51 Aaron: Better safe than sorry. How ‘bout you? Have you ever cheated death?
Dan: Have I ever cheated death? Well, I've almost drowned but I've told you that
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story so many times.
CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Aaron: That's right. We've heard that before. Yeah. Yeah.
Dan: Then, I'm not going to tell that again.
Aaron: I think we've heard my cheated death stories before too.
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Yeah.
Dan: Well, actually I've almost drowned three times.
Aaron: Oh really.
Dan: I haven't told you about the other two times.
Aaron: I see. Okay.
Dan: They've both involved drinking and swimming in large bodies of water-
Aaron: That's not a good combination.
52 Dan: -at young ages. Yeah. I wouldn't recommend it.
© Deep English, 2010-2017 Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. As a youngster, I've done many risky things that could've led
www.deepenglish.com to more serious consequences.
CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: I consider myself lucky.
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Yeah. I guess a lot of young people do risky things-
Dan: Right.
Aaron: -without thinking about what the consequences are.
Dan: Right.
Aaron: Anyway, one of the most intriguing aspects of the story this month that I
thought was the first story about the mountain climbers.
Dan: Right. Simpson and Yates.
Aaron: Yeah because you know, sometimes either for entertainment or for just
53 intellectual curiosity, we give ourselves these hypothetical situations. What would
you do in this kind of situation?

Dan: Right.
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CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Aaron: This is an actual, real situation that would otherwise be a hypothetical

situation. What would you do if you were being dragged to your death because
your friend were pulling you down, you know, the weight of your friend were
pulling you to death, would you cut the rope?
Dan: Or if you're just really hungry and you wanted to get up to the top to eat?
Aaron: Well, that's a different question. I didn't really have that one in mind.
Dan: That's pretty much the same situation.
Aaron: That's not exactly the same situation, Dan.
Dan: Oh, okay. How's it different?
Aaron: Well, I mean, you want to live. The other choice is death. It's not about
food.
Dan: You got to eat. A man's got to eat.
Aaron: No. It's not about food but here's what I think is interesting about it.
54 Dan: Okay.
Aaron: It's one thing to ask yourself the question, "Would you cut the rope and
© Deep English, 2010-2017 let your friend go in order to save your own life," and for some people that's a
www.deepenglish.com difficult decision but I think logically-
CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Dan: Oh, come on. Who's had a difficult decision before?
Aaron: Well, people who love their friends. They don't want to let their friend go.
It might be difficult to do and maybe so difficult that the person postpones the
decision until it's too late and they both fall to their deaths.
Dan: I wouldn't have that problem. Don't worry.
Aaron: Especially if it were me, right? You would just let me go right away very
quickly.
Dan: Don't worry. I would know what you wanted. You wanted me to get up to
the top and get my grub on.
Aaron: Okay. Want to get your grub on. I get it. I get it but what if that were your
... I was think about this a lot. What if it-
Dan: What if that was my hamster? Or your hamster?
Aaron: No. No. Not the hamster. I'm talking about someone who had their whole
life in front of them.
55 Dan: Oh, yeah. Like a kid.
© Deep English, 2010-2017 Aaron: Who depended on you for their own life, like a child or a young teenager
www.deepenglish.com and it was your daughter or your son.
CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Dan: Right.
Aaron: Would you still as easily cut that rope and I feel like I don't know how to
answer that question. Would you be able to live with yourself if you knew that
you cut the rope that led to your daughter’s death? I would almost prefer death
in a way.
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Yeah.
Dan: Because who knows. Maybe you can hang on.
Aaron: Yeah. Maybe. Maybe a miracle will happen. Maybe something will change.
Dan: Well, you know, apparently what little I know of this story, apparently the
Yates got a lot of flack-
Aaron: Really?
Dan: -for this and that's the reason that Simpson wrote a book to kind of defend
him.
56 Aaron: I see.

Dan: To tell the story that was what he claims was the main impetus for telling
www.deepenglish.com the story, the tale.
CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Aaron: That's pretty cool of Simpson to do.
Dan: Yeah but it's like, okay. Why was he ... I'm sure Yates told the story as it
happened but yet he was still, you know, people were calling him out or maybe
they were saying, "Well, maybe he could've hung on."
Aaron: Right.
Dan: Yeah. I mean, there is always that chance, though, I guess you know. If
you're slipping, you're slipping.
Aaron: Yeah but it reminds me of that website where they give you a test of what
you would do in various situations. If a driverless car were coming down the road,
because they have to program in these type of decisions for driverless cars
because driverless cars maybe in certain situations where the car needs to
choose between killing the occupants of the car or killing people who are outside
the car that are going to be hit.
Dan: Right.
Aaron: The option is you either hit those people who are walking across the
street or you hit a large truck or a bus or a wall and kill the occupants inside. How
57 do you choose? They give you various situations of what to do and what not to
do.
www.deepenglish.com Dan: You mean how the computer is programed to choose.
CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Aaron: Should act in that situation. Yeah.
Dan: Yeah, okay.
Aaron: This is like their research onto what people think how the computer
should make those decisions.
Dan: Right. Right. Well, yeah. People want the car to defend them at all costs,
right?
Aaron: I most cases but it's also making decisions between if a fat person were
walking across the road and an athlete were walking across the road and you
only could choose between one or the other, which one would you choose and it
forces you to make those types of decisions. Even though you may think, "Well,
they're both equal in my mind," you still have to make a choice because that's the
situation you're given. The car has to make a choice between them. It calls into
question your values and it's quite interesting. Have you seen this website
before?
Dan: No.
Aaron: We'll put a link in the PDF or on the website.

58
Dan: Right.
www.deepenglish.com Aaron: Yeah. It's really interesting.
CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Dan: What is the car programed to do?
Aaron: Well, the car isn't programed to do anything at this point. These are
researchers trying to figure out how to program the car and what they're doing is
they're basically crowdsourcing people all over the world to make these kind of
decisions so that they can get a better idea of what the best thing to do is when
they program that computer, based on people’s responses to this quiz. Yeah. It's
quite interesting. Anyway, this story reminded me of that.
Dan: Did you find anything interesting about yourself when you took these tests?
Aaron: Not really. I mean, it did force me to make some decisions that I was quite
uncomfortable with-
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: -that didn't make any sense to me. I mean, in my eyes there is no
qualitative difference between, on the inside in terms of human value, between
an athlete and someone who's not in shape. To me, they're both equally valuable
human beings.
Dan: I mean, that just doesn't even seem like a question that a computer would
59 be assessing. It's like a computer's assessing-
Aaron: No. Well, no, they would. I mean, if they have the ability to sense what
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data is out there. Yeah.
CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Dan: Well, actually maybe they could say, "Oh. This person is more likely to take a
hit and survive."
Aaron: Possibly and they do it with different ages, with different genders. They
look at many, many different ... different occupations, like the difference between
a doctor and let's say, a factory worker or something like that. It forces you to
make all these judgements even though ... because in a split second, what would
you do if you were the driver of that car? You'd have to make a split second
decision and you don't have time to think about it.
Dan: Well, I mean, yeah-
Aaron: The computer will need to do the same thing. Yeah.
Dan: I think people just hit the brake and hope for the best.
Aaron: Perhaps. I don't know. Maybe that's the end result of this. I don't know.
Dan: Miracle Mike, you ever hear about him?
Aaron: Oh, the chicken.
Dan: Yeah.
60
Aaron: No. I've never heard about him until I heard this story. No.
www.deepenglish.com Dan: That poor chicken.
CONVERSATION LESSON
CHEATING DEATH
Aaron: I know. What bothers me about the story is, not so much that they were
cutting chickens heads off, because that's often how chickens are killed for food
but the fact that they kept the chicken alive. I mean, what kind of life is it when
you need to be force feed through your neck and you have no eyes, no nose, no
mouth. You cannot really live a decent life.
Dan: It sounds horrible.
Aaron: Yeah.
Dan: I mean, you know, whose anybody to say that this life isn't worth living
because it looks horrible to us.
Aaron: Yeah.
Dan: What do you call those legal contracts that you can fill out to say at what
point you want to not be resuscitated or what point, if you're in a serious medical
condition and your body is not able to carry on by itself and maybe you got
something to fill your lungs with or to make your heart beat or to feed you.
Aaron: There is a name for those documents but it's not coming to the tip of my
tongue right now but it is a legal document. It's like a living will or something like
61 that.
Dan: Yes.
www.deepenglish.com Aaron: Is that what it is?
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Dan: A living will. There you go.
Aaron: Is that what it is?
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Okay.
Dan: My mother wanted to fill one of those out with me and we're filling it out
and I said, "Okay. What about if you are," and I was reading through this list. I
said, "What about if your brain dead?" She said, "Pull the plug," and I said, "What
about if you cannot breathe on your own?" "Pull the plug."
Aaron: Pull the plug.
Dan: I said, "What if your heart needs some-" "Pull the plug."
Aaron: She just kept saying, "Pull the plug."
Dan: Then, she started making up her own. She was like, "If I cannot walk really
good, pull the plug." I was like, "That's not an option."
62 Aaron: "If I cannot get out of bed in the morning, pull the plug." There is no plug.
You haven't even been on life support yet.
www.deepenglish.com Dan: If I got some wrinkles under my eyes, pull the plug.
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Aaron: Pull that plug, so she's ready. She's ready.
Dan: My mother's got really low tolerance for I guess, a low quality of life.
Aaron: Low quality of life, right?
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Yeah.
Dan: Have you thought about whether you would want to be kept living if you're
brain dead?
Aaron: No. If I were brain dead, there'd be no point. I mean, I'm not that attached
to life.
Dan: But you might not be. It might just look like you're brain dead.
Aaron: Yeah, but even then, like it's not a big deal to me. It's not. Just pull the
plug. It's not a big deal. I mean, don't get me wrong. I enjoy life a lot.
Dan: Life's pretty good.

63
Aaron: As it is now, yeah.
www.deepenglish.com Dan: Life's pretty good my friend.
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Aaron: Yes. Yes, it is.
Dan: Let's not forget that.
Aaron: It is pretty good, but we're lucky to say that. It's not so good for
everybody.
Dan: Yes.
Aaron: I feel very fortunate and if I were in a situation where I couldn't use my
brain, I mean, would I even know that I exist? I don't know.
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: I mean, it doesn't matter to me at that point.
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Yeah. Just pull the plug.
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Life goes on. Yeah.

64
Dan: Yeah. Miracle Mike, you know, they're taking him from TV show to TV show
and making him run.
www.deepenglish.com Aaron: Poor chicken.
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Dan: I mean, we got an expression to run around with your head-
Aaron: Yeah. Run around like a chicken with your head cut off. Right.
Dan: Like a chicken with your head cut off. Right, so I guess that's a normal thing
for a short amount of time. Maybe a minute.
Aaron: Yeah. Usually 20 seconds, maybe 30 seconds at most.
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Yeah.
Dan: Yeah, but not five years or whatever crazy amount that was.
Aaron: Yeah. That was too much. Yeah, but how about this other guy, Dimitri, this
millionaire Russian who wants to create the technology to transfer human
consciousness to a computer or to some sort of digital existence.
Dan: Right. You know, he's a Russian guy. I don't know where he's based. If he's
based in Russia or the US but I know in California, there's quite a few super rich
65 dudes-
Aaron: We've actually done a Listening Fluency on this guy before. We'll link to it
so you can get an idea of it but-
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Dan: Oh, okay. Okay. It's been a while.
Aaron: Yeah. It's been a while.
Dan: I forgot about this one.
Aaron: I bet a lot of people haven't seen it but yeah. It's fascinating, the idea that
... again, this presents a hypothetical question. If you could extend your life
indefinitely, would you do it? Of course, you wouldn't have the same body you
have now. You'd have digital bodies. You'd have different experiences. Would you
keep on going?
For me, I would like to try that. I think it would be ... I just love learning and it
would be a chance to learn more and experience more and experience
something different. Maybe I'd reach a point where I wouldn't want to live
anymore, but I'm not ready to go. I love this life. I enjoy it. I would extend it if I
could.
Dan: Life is good. I'm with you there.
Aaron: Yeah.
66 Dan: But, you know, I think we probably talked about this before. I don't know if
that's going to leave room for the youth.
www.deepenglish.com Aaron: What do you mean?
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Dan: You got all these old people living forever.
Aaron: Yeah.
Dan: You know, the Earth can only support so many people.
Aaron: No, but your body would die. Your consciousness would be transferred to
a digital body that would exist, like online or in a chip or whatever and your body
would, just like all bodies, they pass away. They disintegrate. They go back to the
Earth and the air.
Dan: Oh, right, right, right, right, right, right. Right. Yeah, but without the physical
vehicle, seems like you could be imprisoned by some computer dude.
Aaron: I don't know. I wonder about that. I mean, what if it gave you unlimited
possibilities to explore different existences and different situations but then
what, you know. What's the end point? There is no end.
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: It's just eventually maybe it has no meaning, so maybe death is better.
67 Dan: Yeah, and that was the conclusion of, well, not the conclusion but one of the
aspects of Dougal Robertson, his family that he ... They almost died and he
© Deep English, 2010-2017 doesn't regret that experience at all. Being on the edge of life and death made
www.deepenglish.com him appreciate the moment that much more.
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Though, it sounds a little bit crazy to say ... He says, "In my darkest moment in my
darkest hour." There were 38 days on the ocean with six days worth of supplies.
Aaron: Yeah.
Dan: You know, drinking turtles blood and he said, "Not once did he regret." It's
like really?
Aaron: Really.
Dan: You’re seeing your kids starving, getting sunburnt and you're just enjoying
the sunsets and the seagulls?
Aaron: Maybe he was just so happy to be rescued by the former enemy, that he
realized that ... maybe in retrospect he felt that way but maybe at the time-
Dan: That was a nice little twist that he got.
Aaron: Yeah. I like that.
Dan: He was able to forgive his enemies.
68 Aaron: His former enemies.
© Deep English, 2010-2017 Dan: His former enemies. Right.

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Aaron: I thought it was quite unique the way that their ship sank.
Dan: Yeah. Hit by whales.
Aaron: Can you imagine the fear that would cause?
Dan: Killer whales. Yeah.
Aaron: How unexpected that would be?
Dan: I actually think we did another story about a ship going down, being hit by
whales.
Aaron: Did we? I don't remember that one.
Dan: Yeah. There was a-
Aaron: But it wasn't killer whales.
Dan: Yeah, I don't know. I cannot remember.
Aaron: There's something kind of a bit scarier about killer whales.

69
Dan: Yeah. Yeah. Who did they kill, killer whales?
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Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: They love to eat seals.
Dan: Seals. Okay.
Aaron: Seals and sea lions. That's their favorite food.
Dan: Right.
Aaron: Yeah. They love those.
Dan: Right.
Aaron: If you're a seal or sea lion, beware.
Dan: Apparently not humans but they take out a ship.
Aaron: No. They don't go after humans. In fact, they might even help humans, if
humans are in the water. They might not eat them. They could even help them
like dolphins do. They're related to dolphins in many ways.
70 Dan: Yeah.
© Deep English, 2010-2017 Aaron: Yeah. It's just they're larger and a bit bigger.
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Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Bigger teeth.
Dan: Well, they had something against that boat.
Aaron: I guess so. They didn't like that boat. Yeah.
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: They didn't attack the people. They took off.
Dan: No. That's true.
Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. Maybe the boat was intruding upon their home. Yeah. Yeah.
Dan: Yeah. Yeah. The Robertson family ... I don't really feel the appeal of being
out on the ocean, traveling on a small boat. Could you see yourself doing that?
Aaron: I suppose I could see myself doing that but I'm just not much of a water
person. I get seasick. I wouldn’t choose that method if I wanted to travel with my
family.
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Dan: Yeah.
www.deepenglish.com Aaron: I would do something over land or perhaps on a river.
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Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: I don't know if I would travel on open sea. That just doesn't appeal. I've
done it and it's just not for me. Yeah.
Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Yeah but I do think what's interesting about that story is a parent’s
decision to bring their children up, you know, take them out of a "normal" life of
going to school every day and maybe getting a part-time job when you're a
teenager and just taking them and traveling around the world. That's pretty
brave.
Dan: Yeah. It's an adventure.
Aaron: Yeah. It's an adventure.
Dan: Not my idea of a good time.
Aaron: To each his own, I suppose.
72 Dan: They got a good story out of it. Well, on that note, stay safe. Keep your eye
out for the grim reaper.
© Deep English, 2010-2017 Aaron: Yes and let's cheat death at any chance we have.
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Dan: Yeah.
Aaron: Okay.
Dan: All right.
Aaron: All right, we'll see you next month.
Dan: See you.
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Hello, everyone. Aaron here. I'm now going to talk about some of the words and
phrases that Dan and I use in our conversation.
1. okie dokie
The first is "okie dokie." This is what Dan says at the very beginning of the
conversation. He says, "Okie dokie. Aaron Campbell. How you doing?" Like this.
Of course, "How you doing?" is very colloquial way of saying hello or how are you,
and "okie dokie" is also a colloquial way of saying okay. So, he starts the
conversation by saying, "Okay. Okie dokie." Now this, as I've said, has a colloquial,
very casual feel to it and you should only use it sparingly. Don't use it all the time.
You'll drive people crazy. Okie dokie?
2. come on
The next is "come on." Dan says this after I tell him the I've never cheated death
and he says, "Oh, come on." Because he thinks that I do have a story about
cheating death. He's sure of it. When I tell him I don't, he says, "Oh, come on."
And, basically, what that means is start telling the truth. Stop lying. Don't tease
me. Don't joke with me. Stop joking. Come on. Or, "come off it" is another way he
might say it. Come off it. Come on. So, for example, if a friend tells you that she
hasn't eaten food for an entire week and she's really hungry, you might say, "Oh,
74 come on. Surely you've had some food in the last week." Like this.

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Now, you can also use this same phrase if you're dealing with something that's
really difficult, and you want it to change, but it's not changing, and it makes you
frustrated. For example, if you're trying to visit a website and you really need the
information on that website, but it doesn't load in the browser. Maybe you have a
slow internet connection, so you might say, "Oh, this is loading too slowly. Come
on. Come on." It's kind of a sign of frustration. Or, maybe if you're with a child
and the child is walking really slowly but you're in a hurry, you might say to the
child, "Would you please walk faster? Come on. Come on. Stop doing that. Do the
opposite. Instead of go slow, go fast. Come on." Like this. So, it can also be a sign
of frustration.
3. hairy
Okay. The next one is hairy. We're talking about risky situations and I say, "Yeah,
I've actually been in some hairy situations." So, in this case, hairy means risky or
even scary. In some cases, it can mean exciting and this comes from the
physiological reaction that some people get when they get scared and their hair
stands up on its end, the hair on your arms or the hair on the back of your neck,
it stands up when you're really scared so that's where hairy comes from. You
might say, "Oh, be careful driving on that mountain road. It has some really hairy
turns. You have to be really careful." And, that means very dangerous, scary turns
and if you're not careful, you might drive your car right over the cliff.
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Or, maybe you're in an airplane and it has a hairy landing. It's very bumpy. You
feel like you're going to crash and it scares everyone on the airplane. "Ooh, that
was a hairy landing." Or, you might talk about it in exciting terms. "I rode a roller
coaster last month and it had some really hairy drops." Like this. Or, maybe you
have a series of exams in your class for a course that you're taking, and they end
up being a series of very difficult exams right in a row. You could say, "Wow, that
was a really hairy series of exams." It just means really dreadful, difficult, a little
bit scary. It gives you anxiety. It's hairy. Like this. Okay.
4. tail tucked between your legs

All right. Let's move on to the next one. Tail tucked between your legs. And, I tell
Dan, "Well, there was a few times where I was stuck at sea and another time
where I think I cheated death." And, he says, "Oh, so you ran home with your tail
tucked between your legs, huh?" And, I say, "Yeah, my tail tucked between my
legs, quivering and shaking in fear." So, this comes from actually what happens
when dogs are very, very scared. If you've ever seen a dog that's really nervous or
scared, it will run away with its tail tucked between its legs and sometimes its
ears will come down. Perhaps you've seen a dog do this when it's either scared,
or frightened, or embarrassed, or ashamed about something. I mean, dogs do
this all the time.
For example, if you come home and your dog has pooped on the floor. Your dog
76 knows that he's not supposed to do that. And as soon as he sees you, he'll put his
tail between his legs and run away, and you know he's done something wrong.
Or, maybe your dog ate something from the kitchen table, and he knows he's not
© Deep English, 2010-2017 supposed to eat it. But, as soon as you see him, you get angry at him, and he
www.deepenglish.com runs away with his tail between his legs.
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Of course, we can apply this to non-canines, non-dogs by saying, "Yeah, the team,
the football team thought they were going to win the game, but they actually
ended up losing to a much weaker team, and they left the field with their tail
between their legs." Like this. Or, maybe you are certain you're going to get the
contract, and your proposal got rejected in favor of another company's proposal
who you thought was much inferior to your company, and you leave with your
tail between your legs. You go back to your office with your tail between your
legs. You're just embarrassed. You're ashamed. Like this. And so that's what it
means. You think of dogs.
5. get my grub on
Okay. A little bit later in the conversation, Dan says, "Don't worry. I would know
what you wanted. You wanted me to get up to the top and get my grub on. Of
course, Dan is talking about the situation where he would be attached to a rope
hanging over a cliff and his friend is attached to the same rope below him. In this
case, he would cut the rope, send his friend, in this case me, to his death in order
to get up to the top and get his grub on. And, what that means is get food. Of
course, Dan is joking. But, when you use this phrase "get your something on," it
means to do that thing. So, in this case, grub is food. So, to get his grub on would
mean to eat very enthusiastically.
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This is a new way of speaking in the last 10 years or so. A lot of young people may
speak this way. It reminds me of a song Get Ur Freak On by the rap artist Missy
Elliott. Get Ur Freak On. You could say, "I could get my groove on," when you go
out to the dance floor. You'd get your groove on. Or, if you're going out drinking
with friends, you might say, "We're going to go get our drink on." Or, if you want
to dress up really nicely and drive around in a cool car, you might get your swag
on. So, this is a really contemporary way of talking about food, or drink, or style.
Yeah. Just be aware of it. If you hear it, that's what it means. Okay.
6. got a lot of flak

All right. The next one is "got a lot of flak." We're talking about this guy, this
climber named Yates who cut the rope and sent his friend to his death. And, even
though his friend didn't die, Yates got a lot of flak for it. What do you think that
means? Well, flak is actually anti-aircraft fire. So, in World War II when let's say
American pilots were on a bombing raid whether they were bombing let's say
Germany or Japan, anti-aircraft fire would come up and shoot those planes down.
Of course, the pilots were very frightened of this and they called it flak. So, if
those pilots got a lot of flak, it means that they were shot at and put in great
danger.
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We still use this term. Today, "to get a lot of flak" means to get a lot of criticism,
attacks by someone else. And, that's usually due to your actions. If you get a lot
of flak from someone, it's because you've done something and they're not happy
about it. For example, right now, President Donald Trump in the United States,
he's getting a lot of flak in the media for his outrageous statements. And, his
spokesperson, Sean Spicer, takes a lot of flak directly from reporters everyday.
They've taken lots of flak and perhaps deservedly so. Have you ever taken flak for
something you've done? Perhaps we all have at some point in our lives. We do
things. We make mistakes and we get flak for it. When was the last time someone
gave you flak and did you deserve it?
7. pretty cool
Okay. The next one is "pretty cool." That's pretty cool. We're, again, talking about
the story of the two climbers, and the actual climber Simpson who fell to his
supposed death and actually survived was actually quite supportive of his friend
who cut the rope and said that he would have done the same thing. It was a
logical thing to do. And, I say, "That's pretty cool of him." That's pretty cool of
Simpson to do. "Pretty cool of" means very positive of, admirable of, nice of, good
of.
For example, I know a guy named George and he's a pretty cool guy. He's a pretty
79 cool guy. He's nice to everybody. He's down to earth. He's very humble. He's a
pretty cool guy. It means he's a good guy. He's pretty cool. I have a new boss and
she's pretty cool. She's very fair. She's a good listener. She's a great leader. I like
© Deep English, 2010-2017 her. She's pretty cool. I feel comfortable around her. So that what it means.
www.deepenglish.com "Pretty cool" means really good, really positive, really nice, really admirable.
CHEATING DEATH
Here's another example. A guy I know named John, his wife got really, really sick.
She got to go to the hospital and she was in the hospital for a whole month but
he had to work and he's got kids but he had to work, and so his kids were kind of
on their own, but the neighbors really helped out. They watched the kids. They
cooked meals for John and the kids. They took care of taking care of his yard.
That was pretty cool of them, don't you think? That was pretty cool what they did.
It's something positive. Use that phrase. It's a very casual, colloquial phrase but
it's really useful.
8. crowdsourcing
All right. Moving on. The next is "crowdsourcing." We're talking about this website
that asks ... It gives a survey to people and asking them to choose who should die
in these hypothetical situations where a driverless car must make a choice
between killing one group of people and another group of people or one person
and another person. And, what they're doing is they're sending this survey out all
over the world, and they're getting different people's opinions from all different
walks of life, and this is something called crowdsourcing. They're actually going to
use the answers in their research to develop these semi-intelligent automated
cars that drive themselves. "Crowd," of course, means many people and
"sourcing" comes from the word "outsourcing." That means looking outside of
your group for work, looking outside of your immediate company for people to
80 do work to help you out. In this case, we're looking at many, many people to
either give money or do work.
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Wikipedia, everybody knows Wikipedia. That is the result of great crowdsourcing.

Lots and lots of people all over the world contribute to it and it makes it great.
Kickstarter is a website that does crowdfunding which is a type of crowdsourcing
and they basically ... Like, for example, if you have a good idea of something you
want to develop and you need money for it, then you can put it on Kickstarter,
tell people what it is and people will donate small amounts. But, those small
amounts, they really add up if thousands and thousands of people donate to
your project because they like your idea. Most people can afford $10 or $20 who
use the internet regularly. And, it may not seem like a lot of money, but when
thousands of people do it, wow, that can really add up so crowdsourcing. That's
what it means.
9. on the tip of my tongue

Okay. Just a few more to go here. On the tip of my tongue. Dan was asking me
about the name of those documents that you use when people express their
wishes to either be removed from life support if their quality of life is very low
and I said, "Yeah, I think there's a name for those documents but it's not coming
to the tip of my tongue right now." I eventually said, "It's a living will," which I
believe that's what it is. When you can't think of a word or a phrase but you know
that you know it because you've said it before and sometimes our brains just
don't produce what we know that we know, we say, "It's on the tip of my tongue.
81 It's on the tip of his tongue. It's on the tip of her tongue."

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This often happens with names. You meet a person at a party or at an event and
they're really nice. And then, later, you see them maybe 10 minutes or 15
minutes later and you've forgotten their name but it's on the tip of your tongue.
Was it John, or Jason, or George? I can't remember. It's on the tip of my tongue. I'll
remember it later. Same with words and phrases or names of restaurants, names
of places. We often forget. Sometimes they're on the tip of our tongue. We know
we're about to say them but we just can't think of it.
10. there you go

Okay. The next is "there you go." There you go. This is what Dan says. I eventually
come out and say, "Oh, it's a living will." And, Dan says, "Yes, a living will. There
you go." "There you go" is an emphatic statement that you can make that means
you did it. That's right. Well done. Good job. That's it. You got it. Like that. There
you go.
We often say this when there's some kind of result that appears suddenly that
we've been waiting for. For example, your friend is trying to solve a difficult
puzzle, and she's working on it for a long, long time, and she's getting frustrated,
but then eventually something clicks. She figures it out and she solves it. She's
really happy and then you say, "There you go. You did it. Good job. There you go."
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A child learning to ride a bicycle keeps falling over and scraping her knees and
elbows and getting frustrated but she keeps trying. She keeps getting back up
and eventually she can ride down the street without falling over. She's very happy
and then you can say to her, "There you go. You did a great job. That's the way to
do it. There you go." Like this.
Here's another common way to use this. Instead of saying, "There you go," you
can say, "There we go. There we go." Like this. For example, let's say you are
sitting in a car on a cold winter morning with a friend, and you're trying to start
the car engine, but it won't start, and you keep trying and trying. It won't start
and you pump the gas a few times and both of you are nervous that the car is
not going to start, and you're going to be stuck there in the cold freezing
driveway. And, finally, it starts up and both of you are very relieved and you say,
"Ah, there we go. There we go. Now, we're in business. Now, we're ready to go to
work or now we're ready to go to the amusement park," or wherever you're
going. There we go.
Or, if you're trying to solve a computer problem. I'm sure if you're like me you've
got computer problems all the time and it's a little bit frustrating. But, if you
solved it, you could say, "There we go. We got it." You don't always have to say
"you." If you want to include yourself in it, you say "we." You don't say, "There I
83 go." You say, "There we go. There we go. I got it. There we go. I did it." Like this.

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11. pull the plug

Okay. Last one. Pull the plug. Pull the plug. We're talking about life support, and
Dan is talking about how his mother kept saying to pull the plug and all these
different conditions if she had it. This means to end something is to pull the plug.
Of course, we're talking about ending someone's life here in this example
because when you pull the plug ... A plug is that thing that you stick into the wall
that gets the electricity, that taps into an electric wire to allow you to run a
machine, some kind of electronic machine. And so, when people are in the
hospital and sometimes they're attached to a machine that pumps their heart, or
pumps their blood, or pumps oxygen into their lungs, it keeps them alive.
Without that machine, they would die. If you pull the plug, it cuts the electricity to
that machine and that is in effect killing that person because without that
machine, they will die. And so, when you pull the plug, that means to allow
another person to die naturally, to end their life. That comes from being on life
support.
But, we will use this phrase to simply mean to end something outside of life
support, all kinds of things in life. For example, let's say you're doing a business
deal, and you're setting it up, and everything is going well, but suddenly you get a
bad feeling, and you don't like the way that it's going. You can pull the plug on
that deal and just back out and say, "Sorry, I'm not going to go through with this.
84 Please find someone else. I've changed my mind. I've pulled the plug on this
deal."
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Or, maybe there's a concert that's going to happen and you hear ... It's an
outdoor concert of live music, but you hear that there could be a lightning storm
on the way. The event promoter might pull the plug on the event in order to
avoid the potential of people being struck by lightning, so he'll pull the plug on
the event. It could make some people upset but he's pulled the plug because he
thinks that's the right thing to do. If you're in a bad relationship, pull the plug,
perhaps. I mean, if it's a very bad, destructive relationship, you might pull the
plug on that relationship. End it. Move on. Like this.
Okay. I am going to pull the plug right now on this lesson. I'm going to end it. I'm
going to pull the plug. I hope that you have learned a few new words and phrases
that you can now use in conversation and, of course, recognize it when you hear
it. I hope you find them useful. Okay. Until next time. See you later.
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PHOTO CREDITS AND ARTICLE SOURCES
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Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35786771
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34198390
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-18877090
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/8824399/Joe-Simpson-interview-Im-not-an-easy-person-to-be-with.html
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Cheating Death

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April 2017

03 ACTIVE LISTENING MAIN STORY

10 ACTIVE SPEAKING - PART A ACTIVE

21 ACTIVE SPEAKING - PART C

© Deep English, 2010-2017

How far would you go and what would you do to survive?

03 quick descent. Then, disaster struck. Simpson stumbled

Simpson said, “I don’t blame Simon for cutting the

Word spread like wildfire about the bird that cheated

Miracle Mike died in Phoenix, Arizona in the spring of

© Deep English, 2010-2017

Mike had enough of a brain left to control his heart rate,

There's a Russian millionaire who believes we can cheat

Dmitry Itskov believes within the next 30 years it will be

06 Dmitry explained, “The ultimate goal of my plan is to

How the brain generates our mind remains a mystery. For

Many would argue that without death, life would have no

In 1971, retired merchant navy officer Dougal Robertson

© Deep English, 2010-2017

Living from day to day connects us with something primordial within.

primordial: existing from

The instinct for self-preservation is in our DNA.

Throughout history, people have overcome incredible odds and immense

Have people overcome incredible odds? Yes, people have overcome

Some sacrifice themselves so others might live.

Why do some sacrifice themselves? Some sacrifice themselves so others

It's called the survivor’s instinct.

Exhaustion and frostbite forced the two to make a quick descent.

Then, disaster struck. Simpson stumbled and broke his leg.

© Deep English, 2010-2017

They descended 3,000 feet in this manner.

How far did they descend? They descended 3,000 feet.

© Deep English, 2010-2017

On that desolate mountainside, the 22-year-old Yates made a decision most of us

What kind of mountainside was it? It was a desolate mountainside. What

If he continued to hold on to the rope, the two friends would be dragged to a

14 What would happen if he continued to hold on to the rope? If he continued

© Deep English, 2010-2017

Simpson fell 150 ft. to almost certain death.

Who did he feel no resentment towards? He felt no resentment towards

Both men valued survival over misguided sentimentality.

What kind of sentimentality? Misguided sentimentality. What did they value

What kind of existence can it lead to? It can lead to an impoverished

What did they notice? They noticed something unusual.

Miracle Mike died in Phoenix, Arizona in the spring of 1947.

© Deep English, 2010-2017

A timely blood clot prevented him from bleeding to death.

Mankind has always had a talent for cheating death.

What country is he from? He’s from Russia. What does he believe? He

Does he believe it will be possible to upload a human brain to a toaster? No,

© Deep English, 2010-2017

Dmitry explained, “The ultimate goal of my plan is to transfer someone's

Who said this? Dmitry said this.

Neuroscientist Dr. Randal Koene believes Dmitry’s vision is plausible.

What kind of doctor is Dr. Randal Koene? Dr. Randal Koene is a

He believes it would be difficult but possible.

Does he think it would be easy? No, he doesn’t think it would be easy. He

How the brain generates our mind remains a mystery.

Dmitry is not discouraged by the naysayers.