Common Accidents
Explore small everyday accidents and learn useful ways to describe what happened.
Preview
Questions with solutions-
1. Scegli la risposta corretta.
What happened to the juice?
Lily knocked over her cup. Now there's juice all over the table.
- She spilled it.
- She drank it.
- She poured it into a glass.
The juice is no longer inside the cup.
Show solution
- She spilled it.
We use “spill” when liquid accidentally comes out of its container.
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2. Scegli la risposta corretta.
How did Ben hurt his finger?
Ben was cutting an apple. The knife slipped, and now his finger is bleeding.
- He burned his finger.
- He cut his finger.
- He twisted his finger.
Think about the sharp edge of a knife.
Show solution
- He cut his finger.
“Cut” can describe both cutting food and an injury from something sharp.
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3. Scegli la risposta corretta.
What happened to Ana's hand?
Ana accidentally touched a very hot pan, and now her hand is red and really hurts.
- She bruised her hand.
- She cut her hand.
- She burned her hand.
The injury came from heat.
Show solution
- She burned her hand.
A hot object or hot liquid can cause a burn.
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4. Scegli la risposta corretta.
What happened to Omar's keys?
The keys fell out of Omar's hand. He can see them on the floor by his feet.
- He dropped them.
- He lost them.
- He threw them.
The keys fell by accident, and Omar knows where they are.
Show solution
- He dropped them.
“Drop” means to let something fall. “Throw” describes sending it through the air on purpose.
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5. Scegli la risposta corretta.
What can Eva say about the plate?
The plate fell onto the kitchen floor. It's now in three separate pieces.
- It's scratched.
- It's broken.
- It's bent.
The plate is no longer in one piece.
Show solution
- It's broken.
“Broken” describes something damaged so that it is no longer whole or working.
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6. Scegli la risposta corretta.
Which part of Jack's body hit the shelf?
Jack stood up under a low shelf and bumped his head.
- His shoulder.
- His back.
- His head.
Think about the highest part of his body as he stood up.
Show solution
- His head.
To “bump” a body part means to hit it against something, usually by accident.
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7. Scegli la risposta corretta.
How did Maya fall?
The bathroom floor was wet. Maya's feet slid across it, and she fell.
- She slipped.
- She tripped over a bag.
- She fell off a chair.
Her feet moved across a wet surface.
Show solution
- She slipped.
You “slip” when your feet slide and you lose your balance.
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8. Scegli la risposta corretta.
What happened to Leo?
Leo's foot caught on a bag in the hallway, and he fell forward.
- He slipped on a wet floor.
- He tripped over the bag.
- He fell down the stairs.
Something stopped his foot as he was walking.
Show solution
- He tripped over the bag.
You can “trip over” something on the ground, such as a bag or a loose cable.
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9. Scegli la risposta corretta.
What is the dark mark on Nina's leg?
Nina hit her leg against a table yesterday. There's a dark purple mark, but the skin isn't cut.
- A burn.
- A cut.
- A bruise.
Hitting something can leave a colored mark without breaking the skin.
Show solution
- A bruise.
A bruise can change color as it gets better.
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10. Scegli la risposta corretta.
How can Tom describe his injury?
Tom fell on a rough sidewalk. His knee rubbed against it, and a little skin came off.
- I scraped my knee.
- I twisted my knee.
- I burned my knee.
The rough surface rubbed away some skin.
Show solution
- I scraped my knee.
A scrape is a surface injury. Scraped knees are common after a fall.
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11. Scegli la risposta corretta.
What can Sam say about the accident?
Sam stepped off the curb. His foot turned sideways, and now his ankle hurts.
- I cut my heel.
- I twisted my ankle.
- I scraped my toes.
His foot turned in an awkward direction.
Show solution
- I twisted my ankle.
“Twisted my ankle” describes the accident without saying exactly how serious the injury is.
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12. Scegli la risposta corretta.
What does Rosa mean?
“I caught my finger in the door when it closed. Ouch!”
- Her finger touched a hot door handle.
- Her finger was cut by a sharp key.
- Her finger was trapped as the door shut.
Her finger was in the way when the door closed.
Show solution
- Her finger was trapped as the door shut.
Here, “caught” means trapped, not catching something that was thrown, like a ball.
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13. Scegli la risposta corretta.
What does “Watch out!” mean here?
A ball is flying toward Dan. His friend shouts, “Watch out!”
- Be careful! Something could hit you.
- You can relax. The danger has passed.
- Stay there. Nothing is coming toward you.
The friend wants to prevent an accident.
Show solution
- Be careful! Something could hit you.
“Watch out!” is a quick warning about danger that is close.
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14. Scegli la risposta corretta.
Did Alex fall down the stairs?
Alex says, “I nearly fell down the stairs, but I grabbed the railing and stayed on my feet.”
- Yes, but he wasn't hurt.
- No, he stopped himself from falling.
- Yes, and he hurt his arm.
Notice “nearly” and “stayed on my feet.”
Show solution
- No, he stopped himself from falling.
“Nearly” means almost. The fall came close to happening, but it did not happen.
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15. Scegli la risposta corretta.
What happened in Chris's fall?
“I fell outside the store. I didn't hurt myself, but my jacket caught on a sharp edge and tore.”
- His arm was cut.
- His phone was broken.
- His jacket was torn.
Chris was not injured, but something he was wearing was damaged.
Show solution
- His jacket was torn.
“Tore” is the past form of “tear.” Torn clothing has a hole or opening in the fabric.