Do you like visiting places off the beaten track? Do you choose for your holidays unusual tourist destinations? Would you choose to visit Alcatraz, the famous penitentiary?
Alcatraz, also called The Rock, is an island and probably the most famous or maybe infamous prison in the world. Located in San Francisco, it is separated from the mainland by 2,5 kilometres of freezing water, strong currents, cold winds, and high waves, which made it impossible to escape.
Gangster and mafia boss Al Capone was one of the best-known residents in Alcatraz. As soon as he set foot in prison, he paid the guards to make his life comfortable while in prison. Below, a picture of his cell.
Would you like to know more about Alcatraz? Watch the video and test your comprehension with the exercise below. (video lasts 2:08)
Level: B2
Materials: Handout
Before watching the video, you might want to pre-teach the following words
Inmate /ˈɪnmeɪt/= A person living in an institution such as a prison or hospital
Infamous/ˈɪnfəməs/=Well known for some bad quality or deed
- While most tourists would rather avoid jail, no trip to San Francisco would be complete without ________________________________________________
- Alcatraz is located____________________________________ San Francisco Bay.
- Alcatraz,the Rock, was America’s premier ______________________________and for 29 years the final stop for the nation’s most ___________________________
- Make sure to buy your tickets online and in advance because they _______________
- If you schedule your trip for early in the morning, you’ll have more room to _________________________
- For a spooky trip, book the ___________________
- When you are visiting the prison, you might want to pick up a headset for an ____________________ audio tour.
- You’ll hear stories told by _______________________________________
Find the answers in the handout.