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: 01 October 2013
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN 🔈
Saudi Women Seek Right To Drive
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- ban: something that is disallowed
- obtain: to get
- fine: to charge money as punishment for breaking the law
- demonstration: an organized protest
- cleric: a religious leader
- guardian: a person who is in charge of defending and protecting someone
- deny: to disallow
Comprehension Questions
- What is happening in Saudi Arabia on 26 October?
- What warning did the Saudi cleric give?
- What happened last time Saudi women tried to stage a similar demonstration?
Discussion Question: Describe some gender inequalities that still exist in your native country.
show Answershide Answers
Saudi Women Seek Right To Drive
On 26 October, thousands of Saudi women plan to get behind the wheel of a car in protest of an unofficial ban against female drivers. Currently Saudi women are unable to obtain a legal driver’s license in Saudi Arabia. In the past, Saudi females who have tried to drive without a license have been fined or sent to court. When news of the demonstration broke out, a Saudi cleric told a news agency that driving could damage females’ ovaries and pelvises. He warned women not to participate in the demonstration. Activists say his comments have helped increase interest in the demonstration. Many Saudi women hope that gaining the right to drive will lead to other rights that they are currently denied, such as opening a bank account without a male guardian. A similar campaign to achieve the right to drive was launched in Saudi Arabia twenty years ago. Many women lost their jobs because of it.
- There is going to be a demonstration for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia on 26 October.
- The Saudi cleric warned that driving could damage females’ ovaries and pelvises.
- Last time Saudi women tried to stage a similar demonstration many women lost their jobs.
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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