2. Headline.
Here is the headline of a newspaper article.
Woman crushed in rush at DVD sale
What do you think the headline means?
3. News article.
Now read the news article and then answer the questions.
Woman crushed in rush at DVD sale
A U.S. store chain has apologised to a woman who was knocked unconscious as shoppers rushed for a sale of DVD players.
Patricia VanLester, 41, was knocked to the ground in the mad dash for a $29 DVD player at a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Orange City, Florida.
She had been first in the queue when the sale opened at 6 a.m. local time on Friday.
Linda Ellzey watched as her sister was trampled by other shoppers.
"She got pushed down, and they walked over her like a herd of elephants," Ellzey said. "I told them, 'Stop stepping on my sister! She's on the ground!'"
Ms Ellzey said some shoppers had tried to help her sister, but most people just continued their rush for bargains.
"All they cared about was a stupid DVD player," she said.
Paramedics who were called to the store found VanLester unconscious on top of a DVD player. She was flown to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach. Hospital officials said they did not have any information on her condition.
"She's all black and blue," Ellzey said. "Patty doesn't remember anything. She still can't believe it all happened."
Ellzey said Wal-Mart officials called to ask about her sister, and the store has apologised and offered to put a DVD player on hold for her.
Wal-Mart Stores spokeswoman Karen Burk said she had never heard of such a thing during a sale.
"We are very disappointed this happened," Burk said. "We want her to come back as a shopper."
Choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
Patty's story has a sequel. Here is a news report that appeared a few weeks later. Click on the highlighted phrases and words and choose the correct meaning.
Patty, the falling woman
Remember Patty VanLester, or the "Trampled Woman" of Orange City? When she was knocked out in a Wal-Mart sales rush, the story quickly went round the world.
But something else has come up regarding poor Patty. An investigation reveals that the 41-year-old has filed at least 15 claims of injuries at Wal-Mart stores and other places where she has shopped or worked. She first filed a claim when she was 17!
For years VanLester has complained of head, back, neck, leg or arm pain caused by slipping and falling, objects falling on her and other accidents, according to medical records.
Here are just a few of her claims:
- In 1978, when Patty was just 17, she said she was struck by a falling object while working as a machine operator.
She was paid $117 in workers' compensation.
- In 1984 she received over $350 in workers' compensation
after she claimed that she had strained her back working at a restaurant in Winter Haven, Florida.
- In 1987 she filed an injury claim against a bowling
alley, after claiming she slipped and fell while bowling
there.
- In 1989, after her car ran off the highway and overturned,
she filed a claim against Big T Tire and Wheel Service,
of Orange City, Florida, claiming the crash was caused
by a tyre blowout.
- In 1995 Patty reported slipping on liquid and falling
while working in the meat department of a supermarket,
resulting in more than $1,200 in workers' compensation.
- In 1997 she claimed to have developed a back injury while working at an Orange City Wal-Mart snack bar.
Either Patty is incredibly accident-prone, or Wal-Mart are being taken for a ride.