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: 07 February 2012
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN 🔈
Cold Snap Hits Europe
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- cold snap: a sudden occurrence of extreme winter weather
- disrupt: to cause disorder or to prevent the regular operation of something
- avalanche: a rush of snow down a mountain or hillside
- cut off: to no longer provide service
- fatality: death
Comprehension Questions
- Why are Europeans finding it hard to go to work and school?
- Why did Bosnia declare a state of emergency?
- What was significant about the precipitation in Rome?
Discussion Question: In Poland, homeless shelters are banned from admitting people who are drunk. This ban was waived during the cold snap. Do you think drunk people should be banned from homeless shelters? Why or why not.
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Cold Snap Hits Europe
Severe winter conditions that hit Europe last week are expected to continue for a few more days. Hundreds of homeless people have died, and transportation has been disrupted in both Eastern and Western Europe. In Bosnia, officials declared a state of emergency as power was cut off from thousands of residents, and cars became trapped in avalanches. Helicopters were sent in to rescue people from remote villages. Rome received the highest snowfall in 25 years, making it almost impossible for people to attend school or work. In Ukraine, where the highest number of fatalities was recorded, night temperatures dipped as low as -33 degrees Celsius. Despite minimal snowfall in London, approximately half of Monday’s flights were cancelled at Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport.
- Europeans are finding it hard to go to work and school because of severe winter conditions.
- Bosnia declared a state of emergency because the power was cut off to so many people.
- Rome received the highest amount of snowfall in 25 years.
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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