Focus: Second & Third Conditional
Instructions: Match each word with its definition. Select the correct definition for each word.
Last summer, the Italian town of Monteverde faced its longest night. A wildfire broke out on the hillside after a dry week, when strong winds carried embers from a campsite grill into brittle grass. Within hours, smoke filled the valley, and volunteers rushed to warn neighbors while the mayor’s office coordinated an evacuation.
“If we hadn’t closed the mountain road immediately, rescue trucks would have been delayed,” said Mayor Rossi. “And if the wind had shifted overnight, our containment line near the river might have failed.”
Firefighters and residents worked side by side, clearing brush and soaking fences. Many agreed that if the old watchtower had been maintained, spotters would have seen the first smoke earlier. Others argued that if the town had invested more in prevention—year-round training, equipment, and public drills—fewer homes would have been lost.
By dawn, the main front slowed, but sparks still threatened the school. Teachers decided to close immediately; they knew that if classes had continued, children would have been at risk. After forty-eight exhausting hours, the fire was contained. Dozens of houses were damaged, and a patch of forest will take years to rebuild.
Today, Monteverde is planning for the next summer. “If another fire started next year,” Rossi concluded, “we would coordinate faster, and our equipment would be ready.”
Instructions: Answer these questions using second or third conditional.