World News for Students of English

26-06-2020 07:00

An abandoned bus in Alaska, popularized by the book and film ’Into the Wild’, was removed by a helicopter because of public safety concerns.

The bus had become a hazard, attracting hikers to a dangerous area without cellphone service and subject to unpredictable weather and swollen rivers. Earlier this year, five Italians had to be rescued from the bus with one suffering severe frostbite.

The wreck was the last refuge for adventurer Christopher McCandless, who died there in 1992. McCandless traveled across North America, and he hitchhiked to Alaska in April 1992. He entered the Alaskan wilderness with minimal supplies, and he hoped to live off the land. On the eastern bank of the Sushana river, he found an abandoned bus which he used as a shelter. In September 1992, a hunter found his body inside the bus, and his body weighed only 67 pounds.

Difficult words: hazard (a danger), frostbite (injury caused by cold, usually to someone’s face, fingers and toes), refuge (a shelter or protection from danger), hitchhike (to travel by getting free rides in someone else’s vehicle).

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