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: 24 July 2012
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN ๐
Gunman Terrorizes Moviegoers At Batman Film
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- terrorize: to fill with fear
- screening: the showing of a film for an audience
- canister: a metal container, often used for holding chemicals
- booby trap:ย to set up an explosive device, an unsuspecting person may set it off
- evacuate: to remove people from a dangerous area
Comprehension Questions
- Where did the shooting take place?
- What did the alleged killer look like when he was captured?
- What did police find at James Holmes’ apartment?
Discussion Question: The Paris premiere and other screenings of “The Dark Knight” were cancelled after this shooting. What reasons would cinemas have for cancelling these screenings? Would you want to see this film after hearing this story?
show Answershide Answers
Gunman Terrorizes Moviegoers at Batman Film
12 people are dead and 58 injured after a shooting at a Colorado cinema. The shooting took place at a midnight opening screening of the latest Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises”. The gunman, whose hair was dyed bright red, wore a gas mask and bulletproof clothing. He set off gas canisters and shot directly at the moviegoers using a number of different guns until police officers arrived on the scene. James Holmes, a 24-year-old graduate student, identified himself as “the Joker” when he was captured in the parking lot. The alleged killer’s apartment had been booby trapped with explosives and a trip wire. Police evacuated the surrounding buildings and disabled the explosives.
- The shooting took place at a cinema in Colorado.
- The alleged killer had bright red hair and was wearing a gas mask and bulletproof clothing when he was captured. He identified himself as “the Joker”.
- Police found a trip wire and explosives at James Holmes’ apartment.
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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