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: 06 November 2012
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN π
Blindfolded Boy Chooses Next Egyptian Pope
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- pope: the head patriarch of some churches
- altar boy: a boy who assists a minister or priest during a service
- draft: a method of selecting someone from a group of people
- chalice: a large cuplike bowl; often used to hold wine in a church
- papal candidate: a person who could become the pope
- discrimination: unfair treatment due to race, religion, gender, etc.
Comprehension Questions
- Who is the boy in the report?
- What was in the balls?
- What do Coptic Christians in Egypt hope the new Pope will be able to do?
Discussion Question: Christians in Egypt fear that the country’s new leadership is going to allow Islamic law to play a greater role in new legislation. How do religion and politics mix in your country?
show Answershide Answers
Blindfolded Boy Chooses Next Egyptian Pope
At a televised ceremony in a cathedral in Cairo, a young altar boy chose the new Coptic pope for Egypt’s biggest Christian community. The boy, who was selected in a draft, was blindfolded before choosing one of three balls in a crystal chalice. Each ball held the name of a papal candidate who had been voted in by leading members of the church. The ritual has been passed down from ancient times in a church that is highly traditional. Coptic Christians believe that this ritual allows for the hand of God to be present in the final selection process. Many Christians in Egypt hope that the new pope, Tawadros II, will be able to reduce religious discrimination in Egypt.
- The boy was an altar boy from the Cairo congregation. He was chosen to blindly select the next Pope.
- Each ball contained a name of a papal candidate. The candidates had been voted in by leading members of the church.
- Coptic Christians in Egypt hope the new Pope will be able to reduce racial discrimination in Egypt.
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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