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: 20 November 2012
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN π
Israel-Gaza Conflict Escalates
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- escalate: to increase greatly in a short amount of time
- Hamas: a Palestinian military group focused on resistance to Israel
- aerial: in or from the air
- sift: to separate parts in order to find something good or needed
- bunker: a protective area, usually used for weapons or people
- rampant: unrestrained; spreading quickly
- broker: to help two sides come up with a plan or deal
- cease-fire: a promise not to use weapons
Comprehension Questions
- Which Middle Eastern conflict is this report mainly about?
- How did the prime minister of Israel justify the aerial attacks on Gaza?
- Why does the report mention Egypt?
Discussion Question: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) tweeted live updates of the attack on Gaza this week. In response, many people tweeted graphic photos of casualties. Should Twitter censor these types of updates?
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Israel-Gaza Conflict Escalates
Conflict escalated between Israel and Hamas this week as Israel launched a series of aerial strikes in Gaza. Israel’s airstrikes, the most serious since 2009, killed a family of 10, and left people in Gaza City sifting through rubble for survivors and possessions. Homes of Hamas officials, government buildings and storage bunkers were targeted. Israel’s prime minister justified the attacks, saying that rampant rocket attacks from Gaza have been killing and terrorizing innocent civilians. UN’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is working with Egyptian officials to try to broker a cease-fire between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Diplomats around the world fear that a ground invasion could follow if a cease-fire is not reached soon.
- This report is about the conflict between Israel and the Hamas group in Gaza.
- The prime minister of Israel justified the aerial attacks on Gaza by saying that Hamas has been repeatedly attacking Israel with rocket attacks that are killing and terrorizing the people of Israel.
- The report mentions Egypt because Egyptian officials are trying to negotiate a cease-fire between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
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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