Listen to News with Tara Benwell - Instructions:
1. Preview the vocabulary and read the gapfill text.
2. Play the news report and try to fill in the blanks.
3. Answer the comprehension questions by writing full sentences.
4. Use the discussion question to write an essay or discuss the story with other students.
5. Click "show Answers" to see the full text.
6. Pretend to be a news anchor by reading each story out loud.
dateline: 10 January 2012
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN 🔈
Bungee Jumper Survives New Year’s Accident
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- plunge: to go down very quickly
- bungee jump: a jump that requires you to leap head first from a platform; the jumper is attached to a cord which bounces up just before the jumper hits the surface
- disoriented: confused about one’s direction and surroundings
- rapids: fast moving river water
- white water rafting: a water sport that requires you to work your way over river rapids in a special boat
- miraculously: as if by a miracle; with help from God or an external source
- incident: event or occasion (often involving trouble)
Comprehension Questions
- Where was the tourist visiting from?
- Why was it so difficult for the jumper to swim after the accident?
- How did the tourism company react to the accident?
Discussion Question: Does a news story like this make you less likely to try an extreme sport such as bungee jumping?
show Answershide Answers
Bungee Jumper Survives New Year’s Accident
An Australian tourist plunged into an African river during a bungee jump accident between Zambia and Zimbabwe on New Year’s Eve. The video footage shows that 22-year-old Erin Langworthy was about halfway through a jump off the Victoria Falls bridge when her cord snapped. The tourist was disoriented and heading into dangerous rapids when she came up to the surface. Her feet were still tied together and the rope got caught on some rocks. Using safety tips she had learned through white water rafting the day before, Langworthy managed to free herself and swim to the Zimbabwe side of the river. The Australian suffered cuts and bruises, but is recovering miraculously in South Africa. The bungee company claims it has been in operation for 10 years without an incident.
- The tourist was visiting from Australia.
- It was difficult for the jumper to swim after the accident because her feet were tied together and the rope was getting caught on rocks.
- The company claimed it had never had an accident in 10 years of operation.
Written and recorded by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub
Tara Benwell is a Canadian freelance writer and editor who specializes in materials and articles for the ELT industry.
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