(CNN) --
A member of the Dutch royal family was severely injured in an avalanche
at an Austrian ski resort Friday, local authorities told CNN.
Prince Johan Friso,
43, a son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, was skiing outside the bounds
of the ski resort with friends at the resort of Lech am Arlberg when he was
hit by an avalanche, a spokesman for the surrounding county of Vorarlberg
said. No one else in the group was affected, the spokesman said.
The prince was under
the snow for a "short period of time," the spokesman said. He was
wearing an electronic beacon that helped rescuers
quickly find him, he said. The prince was airlifted to a hospital in
Innsbruck, where he is in intensive care, authorities said. Doctors described
the prince as stable but not out of danger, according to a statement from
the queen.
Lech am Arlberg is
in Austria's Tyrol state, a popular skiing area in western Austria. The
region's avalanche agency reported there was a considerable to great chance
of avalanches in Lech on Friday. It cited new snowfall on top of a packed
layer of snow that could cause snow slabs to slide off.
The prince gave up
his right to the throne when he married in 2004 without Parliament's
permission. He and his wife live in London with their two daughters.
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VOCABULARY
1.
Dutch
(n) - relating to the Netherlands, its people, or its language
2.
Avalanche
(n) - a large mass of snow, ice, and rocks that falls down the side of a
mountain
3.
Bounds
(n) - the limits
4.
County
(n) - an area of a state or country that has its own government to deal with
local matters
5.
Beacon
(n) - a light that is put somewhere to warn or guide people, ships, vehicles,
or aircraft
6.
Stable
(adj.) - steady and not likely to get worse
7.
Parliament
(n) - the group of people who are elected to make a country's laws and discuss
important national affairs
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
Who is Prince Johan Friso? Why did he give up
his throne?
2.
Would you give up something for love/marriage?
Explain.
3.
What is avalanche? Discuss avalanche accidents
in your country.
4.
What do you think about Royal family?
5.
Talk about winter in your country.
