Unit6
Active reading (1)
Last man down: the fireman’s story
Language points
1 Last man down: the fireman’s story (Title)
The expression last man down, similar to last man standing, refers to the survivor or winner. The last
man down from the tower before it collapsed would be one of the bravest.
2 There were about two dozen of us by the bank of elevators ... (Para 2)
A bank of elevators means a set of lifts.
3 Some had their turnout coats off, or tied around their waists. (Para 2) Turnout coats are the uniform firefighters wear when they turn out for a fire.
4 Others were raring to go. (Para 2)
The expression raring to go is an old form of rearing up, and means being eager to go like a horse.
5 All of us were taking a beat to catch our breaths, and our bearings, figure out what the hell was
going on. (Para 2)
To take a beat means to rest for a moment.
A bearing is an exact compass reading measured in degrees. To take your bearings is to find where you
are. Here it means both physically and mentally.
6 We’d been at this thing, hard, for almost an hour, some a little bit less, and we were nowhere close
to done. (Para 2)
To be at this thing is a slang expression which means to work on this mission. The expression nowhere close to done means someone is far from completing their work.
7 Of course, we had no idea what there was left to do, but we hadn’t made a dent. (Para 2)
A dent is a mark on a piece of metal as when you bump your car. To make a dent in something is to have
an effect on it (imagine beating a piece of hard steel and not making any mark on it). To make a dent here
means to achieve something. The firefighters had hardly begun their work.
8 As if we could see clear through the ceiling tiles for an easy answer. (Para 3)
Looking up for the source of the noise was only useful if you could see through the floors above, but it
still remained an instinctive reaction.
9 The building was shaking like in an earthquake, like an amusement park thrill ride gone berserk …
(Para 3)
The word berserk was originally about ancient Viking warriors who worshipped a bear god (ber). They
would go into a terrible rage or madness when fighting. It now means utterly and dangerously crazy.
10 The way it coursed right through me. (Para 3)
To course means to run or flow somewhere quickly. The noise and vibration have a strong physical effect
on the writer.
11 I thought about my wife and my kids, but only fleetingly and not in any kind of life-flashing-beforemy-
eyes sort of way. (Para 4)
Life flashing before my eyes is a claim made by someone who has near-death experiences, as in an
accident, of seeing a slow motion version of the most important events in their lives. Researchers say it
may be the reaction of the brain to trauma.
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12 Or, “We’ll all meet at the big one.” (Para 4)
After any fire, the fighters use the expression the big one to minimize that fire and suggest there will
always be a bigger one coming. It is a brave act of understatement.
13 I never knew how it started, or when I’d picked up on it myself, but it was part of our shorthand. (Para 4)
To pick up on it means to learn it and start using it. It is a slang expression. Shorthand is a system of writing used for taking down fast speech. It uses symbols for common words
3tilesand can only be understood by people who learn it. Firemen have their own spoken shorthand (as do most
professions). To an outsider, the big one would not mean much, but as the writer explains it was rich in
meaning to him and his colleagues.
14 I fumbled for some fix on the situation, thinking maybe if I understood what was happening I could
steel myself against it. (Para 5)
Some fix is a slang term which means a way of understanding.
To steel oneself against something means to prepare oneself to do something unpleasant.
15 A battalion commander for the New York Fire Department, he was on the scene
of the disaster … (Para 6)
The Fire Department is divided up into battalions of up to 200 consisting of a number of companies of
about 30 firefighters.
Reading and understanding
3 Choose the best summary of the extract.
2 In this dramatic personal account, firefighter Richard Picciotto recalls what he was doing and thinking,
just before the north tower of the World Trade Center collapsed on 11 September 2001.
4 Answer the questions.
1 Where was Richard Picciotto at 9:59 am on 11 September 2001?
He was on the 35th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center.
2 Who was with him?
About two dozen firefighters.
3 What was everybody trying to do?
They were resting and trying to work out what was going on.
4 How long had they been in the building?
Nearly an hour.
5 What did they do when the noise started?
They stood still.
6 What was happening to the building?
It was falling down.
7 What did Picciotto start thinking about when he heard the noise?
He started thinking about his family, job and the bagels in the kitchen.
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8 Did Picciotto have the impression things were happening quickly or slowly? To him, it seems things w
ere happening slowly while in truth they weren’t.
9 How did Picciotto get out of the tower?
He climbed through the rubble and led his men to safety.
10 How many firefighters lost their lives?
Altogether 343 firefighters.
11 Why did Picciotto write Last Man Down?
He wrote it as a tribute to his colleagues.
Dealing with unfamiliar words
5 Match the words in the box with their definitions.
1 to make a fire stop burning (extinguish)
2 the total number of people who have been killed or hurt (toll)
3 an extremely difficult or frightening situation (nightmare)
4 a very sad event that causes people to suffer or die (tragedy)
5 as much as possible (utmost)
6 impressive actions that prove someone is very brave (heroism)
7 happening in a confused way and without any order or organization (chaotic)
6 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 5.
For a firefighter arriving on the scene of a fire the first few minutes are usually the most (1) chaotic.
He has to (2) extinguish the fire, he also needs to find out if human lives are in danger. When people are
trapped inside a building he must act swiftly to prevent (3) tragedy, or, –in the (4) nightmare scenario – to
keep the death (5) toll to a minimum. Actions like these require the (6) utmost degree of (7) heroism.
7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box.
1 He’s a very honest, fair and well-behaved sort of person. (decent)
2 I’d like to express my thanks for everything you’ve done for me. (gratitude)
3 There was a group of cows standing in the corner of the field. (herd)
4 There have been very big increases in food prices over the last few months. (massive)
5 All the people should leave the building immediately when the alarm sounds. (evacuate)
6 She has displayed all the qualities needed for being a leader in her job. (leadership)
8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.
1 If you are raring to go, are you eager to (a) leave, or (b) start an activity?
2 If you get your bearings, do you (a) lose your way, or (b) find out where you are?
3 If you are nowhere close to done, do you (a) still have a lot more work to do to finish the job, or (b) still
feel strong and ready to work?
4 If you haven’t made a dent in something, have you (a) made good progress, or (b) hardly begun the job?
5 Is a racket (a) a loud and unpleasant noise, or (b) a low musical sound?
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6 If something goes berserk, is it (a) quiet and well-behaved, or (b) out of control?
7 Does whatever the hell it was suggest that the writer (a) knew exactly what
the noise was, or (b) didn’t
know what the noise was?
8 If something is part of the shorthand, can you (a) easily understand it, or
(b) not understand it?
9 If you are fumbling for a fix, are you (a) trying to understand something, or (b) trying to stay where you are?
Active reading (2)
Language points
1 “Suddenly,” she wrote in her syndicated column, “I saw on the sidewalk
a figure of a man.” (Para 1)
A syndicated column is a regular newspaper article sold to newspapers all around the country.
2 “I felt certain that somewhere along the line she would stub her toe,” said Perkins, thinking of
Washington’s fishbowl atmosphere. (Para 3)
To stub her toe means to do damage to herself or get hurt.
In a fishbowl atmosphere, everyone can see what is happening in the fishbowl. The sentence means Perkins was sure sooner or later she would get into trouble and be criticized.
3 I don’t know how she did it. What to lay it to? (Para 3)
The expression what to lay it to means “how can one explain it?”.
4 … “that a crippled man, victim of a cruel affliction, was able for more than ten years to ride the
storms of peace and war at the summit of the US …” (Para 3)
A man in a wheelchair with a terrible disease could lead his country well both during the Great Depression
and World War.
5 “Most people who have played second violin all their lives never have an opportunity to play first
violin,” remarked Perkins. (Para 4)
People who play second violin are those who do not lead or give solos and who are always of lesser
importance. To play first violin means to be the leader and take the initiative.
6 “Now, if you want to know what I think about Mrs Roosevelt, she is
tuh-riffic! …” (Para 5)
The word tuh-riffic means terrific. It is pronounced with a strong regional accent.
7 On a trip to India ... introduced to the Indian Parliament by Pandit Nehru as “a representative of
resurgent humanity”. (Para 6)
The expression resurgent humanity refers to recovering from the horrors of the

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