A close shave

3. Read the story below about three encounters two National Geographic reporters had with
rhinos on the same day. What did the rhinos do in each case and how did the people react?

1) A rhino charging at them! There was no time to leap back in the car. Instinctively, the
guard fired a shot into the ground just in front of the rhino. The crack of the rifle and the
dirt that the bullet kicked up was enough to distract their attacker and it veered off into
the grass seconds before reaching them
2) As they were entering the forest area, three young rhinos entered the road in front of
them. The jeep stopped hurriedly, but this time the animals seemed uninterested and
disappeared into the forest
3) The female rhino slammed into the side of the jeep and started to wrestle it off the road.
Female’s teeth were gouging deep into the side of the jeep. With the engine screaming, at
last the vehicle skidded free. Even then the rhino came after them and it was only 500 feet
later that she gave up the chase

4. Look at the eight highlighted verbs in the article and guess their meaning from the context.
Check your answers in a dictionary

Stretch: to become longer or wider, or to pull something so that

it becomes longer or wider.
Sprint: to run very fast for a short distance.
Leap: to suddenly move somewhere.
Veer: to suddenly change direction.
Slam: to close with great force, or to make something close with great
force.
Wrestle: to fight with someone by holding them and trying to push
them to the ground
Gouge: to make a hole in something in a rough or violent way
Skid: If a vehicle skids, it slides along a surface and you cannot control
it.
Chase: persecusión.

5. What effect does the use of these verbs have on the story?

Verbs are related with reactions of dangerous animals, that means aggressiveness, force, and
violence.