【210-211】All 12 Boys, Soccer Coach Rescued from Flooded Cave...

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*【210】AS IT IS

All 12 Boys, Soccer Coach Rescued from Flooded Cave in Thailand

July 10, 2018

Volunteers celebrate at a makeshift press centre in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province on July 10, 2018, after the 12 boys and their soccer coach were rescued.

Thai officials say all 12 members of a boys’ soccer team and their coach have been rescued from deep inside a flooded cave in northern Thailand.

A Thai Navy SEAL force announced that the remaining four boys and the coach were rescued on Tuesday. Thai and foreign divers safely led the other eight youngsters out of the cave earlier in the week.

“We are not sure if this is a miracle, a science, or what. All 13 Wild Boars are now out of the cave. Everyone is safe," the SEALs wrote on Facebook. The Wild Boars is the team’s name.

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The acting governor of Chiang Rai state, Narongsak Osottanakorn, led the rescue operation. He said the efforts on Tuesday began just after 10 in the morning local time and involved 19 divers.

Chiang Rai province acting Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn, who is leading the ongoing rescue operation of the soccer team and coach trapped in a flooded cave, talks to media during a press conference in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, Tuesday

The 12 boys and the coach got trapped on June 23 when they set out to explore the Tham Luang cave after a soccer workout. British divers found them in a partly flooded passage several kilometers inside the cave on July 2.

Rainy season

Monsoon rains have started falling again in Thailand. The rainfall causes water levels inside the cave to rise.

Experts warned it was extremely risky to dive the youngsters out of the cave. None of the boys had ever dived before. Some of them do not even know how to swim. But a short period of less heavy rainfall this week made the rescue mission possible.

In this handout photo released by Tham Luang Rescue Operation Center, Thai rescue teams walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018.

A team of Thai and international divers guided the boys and their coach out through a nearly four kilometer long passageway. Two divers helped each one make his way through dark, very narrow passages, some of which are filled with dirty water. It took the divers about eight hours to get into the cave, reach the boys, and bring them back out.

One volunteer, former Thai Navy SEAL Saman Gunan, died last Friday while placing air tanks along the escape path. He ran out of air while trying to swim out of the cave.

Condition of the boys

Thai Health Secretary Jedsada Chokdumrongsuk told reporters earlier on Tuesday that two of the first eight rescued boys had lung infections. He added that all of them were generally healthy and in good spirits, thanks to their "high immunity" from playing football.

Jesada said the boys are being kept away from family members to prevent them from getting an infection. He said they would likely be in the hospital for at least a week.

He also told reporters that the first four boys who were rescued are now able to eat normal food. But he added they cannot yet have the spicy treats that many Thais like to eat.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Richard Green reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted his story for Learning English, with additional information from the Associated Press and the Reuters news agency. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Words in This Story

soccer – n. a sport played on a field between two teams of 11 players; a game known in many countries as football

cave – n. a series of holes or underground passageways in the Earth or on the side of a mountain

SEAL – n. a member of a special naval force; short for “Sea, Air and Land”

miracle – n. an unusual thing or event

monsoon – n. the rainy season in southern Asia

immunity – n. the ability to keep oneself from being affected by sickness or a disease

spicy – adj. hot or lively

*【211】AS IT IS

Croatia Playing for Chance to Reach its First World Cup Final

July 10, 2018

Croatia's Domagoj Vida, right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's second goalduring the quarterfinal match between Russia and Croatia at the 2018 soccer World Cup.

People following the 2018 FIFA World Cup have witnessed some very surprising results. Teams thought to have a good chance of winning, like Germany, Portugal and Brazil, have been ousted from the competition.

This year, it is the underdog teams that have made the World Cup exciting to watch. And on Wednesday, one team from a country with just over 4 million people will try to make history.

Croatia will play England in Moscow for a chance to reach its first World Cup final. It will be only the second time Croatia’s football team has competed at this level of play.

The Croatian team played in its first World Cup semi-final match in 1998. It lost to the eventual champion France. Croatia won all three of its group games at this year's World Cup. Its best performance was a 3-0 victory over Argentina. However, the Croatian team did not win as easily in their matches against Denmark and Russia. Both of those games ended with penalty shootouts. The shootout victory over Denmark was Croatia’s first ever.

Croatia has played England seven times. England has four wins, two losses and one tie against Croatia. The teams have not met since qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. In those matches, England won 4-1 in Zagreb and 5-1 at Wembley Stadium in London.

Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic spoke to the Associated Press about the World Cup semi-final game on Wednesday. He said, “It won’t be easy for us. We will look for the best solutions ahead of the match, considering we have a few players with minor issues after the match against Russia.”

The final match of the 2018 World Cup will be played on Sunday, July 15.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Jonathan Evans wrote this story for VOA Learning English. His story was based on reports from the Associated Press, BBC News and Fansided. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in this Story

underdog – n. a person or team that is expected to lose a competition or battle

shootout - n. a competition that is used to decide the winner at the end of a tie game by giving each team a set number of chances to shoot the ball into the goal

semi-final – adj. the next to last event in a competition

qualify – v. to narrow down; to pass a test for a special purpose

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