On the Line: Duty and Dangerous Professions

Nobody Asks Me Why 

It's 2 a.m. when my phone buzzes. Two hikers, lost in fog on the north ridge, one with a suspected broken ankle. Within twenty minutes I'm at the base station with eleven other volunteers, all of us pulled from our beds, our day jobs, our families. None of us is paid.

People often ask why I do it. I run a small bakery; I could be sleeping. The truth is that I don't feel brave when the phone rings. What I feel is something closer to obligation: the knowledge that if I don't go, someone else will have to, and that someone might not be as experienced.

Of course, there are risks. Last winter, an avalanche swept past us within metres of the team. Nobody was hurt, but we spent the following week quietly asking ourselves whether the job was worth it. We concluded that it was, though not everyone agreed straight away. One colleague stepped back for a season.

What surprises people is that the worst moments aren't the dangerous ones. They are the quiet ones afterwards, when a family thanks you and you realise how close it was. We train constantly so luck plays as small a part as possible. But I'd be lying if I said it plays no part at all.

Would I advise my daughter to join? That's harder to answer. I'd want her to know the risks exactly as they are, and then I'd support whatever she chose.

1A. Gist. Which statement best describes the writer's attitude? Circle a, b or c.

•        a) She is proud to be seen as a hero.

•        b) She acts from a sense of obligation but is honest about the risks.

•        c) She regrets joining the team.

1B. True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG)? Write the evidence from the text.

1.       The writer is paid by the rescue team. ____

2.       She says she feels brave when her phone rings. ____

3.       Nobody was injured in the avalanche. ____

4.       Everyone on the team immediately agreed to continue after the avalanche. ____

5.       The writer's daughter has already asked to join the team. ____

1C. Vocabulary in context. Choose the best meaning.

1.       pulled from our beds means: a) forced to leave while asleep / b) removed by physical force / c) pushed out of the house

2.       stepped back for a season means: a) moved away from the mountain / b) paused involvement for a period / c) lost a job

3.       plays a part means: a) is acted out / b) has some influence / c) is controlled

1D. Discuss in pairs.

•        Why do you think the writer says the "quiet moments" are the hardest?

•        Would you do what she does? Why or why not?

Exercise 2: Speaking: The Courage Award

Your town council will give one Courage Award this year. You are the selection panel. Read about the four finalists.

A. Dr. Lena Weiss, emergency doctor. Worked 36-hour shifts for several weeks during a serious epidemic. Was infected herself and returned to work as soon as she recovered.

B. Karim Aziz, lifeboat volunteer. Has served on the local lifeboat crew for twenty years and has helped rescue more than forty people from the sea, often in dangerous weather.

C. Tomás Ruiz, war correspondent. Reported from a conflict zone and exposed a serious crime. His reporting helped bring the people responsible to justice, but his local team also faced threats as a result.

D. Officer Priya Nair, police officer. While off duty, she stopped an armed robbery in a shop. She was seriously injured, and several customers were unharmed because of her actions.

Your task:

1.     Think alone for one minute. What matters most: the level of danger, the number of people helped, the length of service, or the motivation?

3.     Decide on one winner. Prepare one strong reason to present to the class.

My winner is: ______________________ because: ___________________......

Exercise 6: Extension Questions (fast finishers or homework)

• 1.       Is courage the same as a sense of duty? Can someone be brave without feeling obliged, or the other way around?
• 2.       Should people in dangerous jobs be paid more? Should volunteers receive anything in return?
• 3.      Is it fair to call people "heroes"? Could that label create unfair pressure or hide problems such as poor equipment or understaffing?

Exit Ticket

Write one sentence using a new phrase from today's lesson about someone you know or admire.