World War II paratrooper veteran does first sky dive aged 92

A 92-year-old World War II paratrooper veteran has finally earned his jump wings. The great-grandfather did his first skydive 69 years after the war finished in 1945 – before he had the chance to jump.

Ralph Mayville had joined and trained with the elite Canadian and American paratrooper unit, The Black Devils, missing out on the chance to do a parachute jump before Germany and Japan surrendered. While the Canadian had been given jump wings by the American and Canadian military, he has never felt able to wear them on his uniform.

After landing, he had the wings pinned to his jump jacket by a fellow Black Devil veteran. Mr Mayville jumped from 4267m with a skydiving instructor saying of the experience: ‘It was so beautiful.’

source: www.metro.co.uk

paratrooper – ejtőernyős

to earn – kiérdemelni

jump wings – kanadai hadsereg ejtőernyős jelvénye

great-grandfather – dédapa

skydive – ejtőernyős ugrás

the chance to do something – lehetőség valamire

elite unit – elit alakulat

to miss out on – kimaradni valamiből, lemaradni valamiről

to surrender – megadja magát

military – katonaság, hadsereg

to feel able to – képesnek érzi magát

to pin – feltűzni

instructor – oktató

Fill in the gaps with the right words. There is one extra.

1. Have you ever tried ……………….. ?

2. Tom decided to join the ……………….. . His father was a soldier, too.

3. I’d like to go back to Rome. I didn’t have ……………….. visit the Vatican.

4. My driving ……………….. is on holiday. I can’t practice now.

5. I’ll take a taxi. I don’t ……………….. walk so far.

answers: 1-skydiving 2-military 3-the chance to 4-instructor 5-feel able to

Terror at 12,500ft: a skydiver plummets to the ground unconscious after being knocked out by another jumper in freak accident

Experienced skydiver James Lee, 25, was hit from behind by another skydiver and knocked out, just after he jumped at the Skydive ground in Netheravon, Wiltshire. He was saved from certain death by two other skydivers who, having seen what had happened, postponed pulling their own cords and instead dived towards Mr Lee, grabbing hold of him and deploying his parachute. Mr Lee only regained consciousness as he drifted safely down to the ground, where he landed safely and with no memory of what had happened.

 He said: ‘I’ve been skydiving for five years and this was my 1,050th jump.  There were 12 people in this skydive, with others leaving the plane just after we jumped off. One of the skydivers who left the plane through the door came out unstable and went into a spin. They were falling faster than I was and their shin impacted the back of my helmet with a lot of force, knocking me out.’

 It wasn’t until Mr Lee was under the canopy that he began to regain consciousness, and he landed safely on the ground with no memory of the drama that had unfolded seconds earlier. He was taken to hospital where he was treated for an injury to his head, and then given the all-clear and discharged. Now he says the accident, which happened last July, ‘has not put me off at all.’ Mr Lee added: ‘I am very glad that everything unfolded how it did. This is not something you are taught to do or practise for as it is very uncommon. I think my mum and girlfriend are more relieved than I am.’ 

source: www.dailymail.co.uk

skydiver – ejtőernyős
to knock out – kiütni
certain death – biztos halál
to postpone – elhalasztani
to grab hold of – megragadni valakit/valamit
to deploy – bevetni, használni
parachute – ejtőernyő
to regain consciousness – visszanyeri az öntudatát
to go into a spin – pörögni kezdeni
shin – sípcsont
to impact – nekiütközni, becsapódni
canopy – ejtőernyő ernyője
to unfold – kibontakozik, történik
to be given the all-clear – egészségesnek nyilvánították
to discharge a patient – beteget kórházból elbocsátani
to put someone off – elvenni valakinek a kedvét valamitől
uncommon – ritka
to be relieved – megkönnyebbült 

Match the words with their opposites.

 answers: 1-e 2-d 3-a 4-b 5-c

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false

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