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Listen to News ~ dateline: 26 July 2011

Weekly Audio News for ESL Learners

Norway Attacked By Terrorist

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • rampage: a violent outburst
  • retreat: a place to relax and enjoy some time away from home
  • ferry: a boat that transports people and things between an island and a mainland
  • massacre: mass killing

Norway Attacked by Terrorist
On July 22nd, a bomb
through government buildings in Oslo, Norway, leaving seven dead. Shortly after the explosion, a gunman went on a rampage at a nearby island where Norway’s Labour party was hosting a youth retreat. The gunman was dressed in a police uniform and arrived by ferry. He allegedly asked to talk to the teenagers about the
in Norway’s capital. As the young people gathered around to find out more information, he began shooting them. Many campers ran to the shore and tried to swim away from the gunfire, while others tried to hide in bushes or play dead. Other campers that were holidaying
heard the cries for help and took out their boats to try to save some of the teens. The massacre
for more than an hour before police arrived on the scene. The suspected gunman, a Norwegian man with “anti-Muslim” views, surrendered to police and admitted to both attacks. At least 68 people were killed on the
.

Comprehension Questions

  1. Which attack happened first?
  2. What were the teens doing on the island?
  3. Who helped rescue some of the teens before the police arrived?

Discussion Question: It took police almost an hour to reach the scene. Why might the young people have been afraid of the police when they finally arrived?

show Answers

Written by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub.com
Tara Benwell is a Canadian freelance writer and editor who specializes in materials and articles for the ELT industry.