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: 03 September 2013
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN π
Woman Completes Cuba To Florida Swim
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- crew: a group of people working towards a common goal
- clear away: to remove everything from a path or surface
- jellyfish: a transparent aquatic creature that stings
- fatigue: tiredness
- endurance: ability to continue doing something for a long period of time
Comprehension Questions
- How long did it take for the swimmer to reach Key West?
- What was the role of Nyad’s support team?
- What was the swimmer’s purpose of making a fifth attempt?
Discussion Question: Diana Nyad wanted to prove that people can fulfil their dreams at any age. Are you the type of person who makes several attempts to achieve something? Where do you get your motivation to achieve your own dreams?
show Answershide Answers
Woman Completes Cuba To Florida Swim
64-year-old Diana Nyad completed a 53-hour swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida on Monday. The Los Angeles woman is the first swimmer on record to have completed the 165-kilometre swim without a shark cage. A crew of divers and boaters helped out by watching for sharks and clearing away jellyfish. This was Nyad’s fifth attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida. Her previous attempts were unsuccessful due to jellyfish stings, poor weather, and fatigue. The endurance swimmer wanted to prove that it’s never too late to achieve your dreams.
- It took her 53 hours to reach Key West.
- Divers and boaters cleared away jellyfish and watched for sharks.
- The swimmer’s goal was to show that you’re never too old to fulfil a dream.
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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