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: 18 May 2016
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN π
Musicians Boycott North Carolina Over Bathroom Law
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- celebrity: a famous person
- boycott: to refuse to attend, use, or buy as a form of protest
- high-profile: well-known, powerful
- controversial: causing a lot of debate
- correspond: to match
- LGBT: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
- violate: to not respect a rule, law, or space
- NBA: National Basketball Association (US)
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Celebrities Boycott North Carolina Over Bathroom Law
Comprehension Questions
- What did Bruce Springsteen recently do and why?
- Why does the report mention PayPal?
- What did the US Department of Justice do?
Discussion Questions: Do you agree with singer Elton John who called North Carolina’s bathroom bill “discriminatory” and “dangerous”? Why or why not?
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Celebrities Boycott North Carolina Over Bathroom Law
Several high-profile musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, and Pearl Jam have canceled concerts in North Carolina recently to protest the state’s controversial new bathroom bill. The new state law (HB2) bans individuals from using public washrooms that do not correspond to their birth gender. Some companies and organizations, including PayPal and the NBA, have also taken measures to show support for the LGBT community. Earlier this month, the US Department of Justice filed a suit against the state, saying that the bill violates civil rights.
- Bruce Springsteen recently canceled a concert to protest HB2 and support the LGBT community.
- PayPal is named as an example of an organization that is taking an action to show support for the LGBT community. (Note: PayPal made the decision not to expand into North Carolina as planned and the NBA is threatening to pull the 2017 All-Star game from the state.)
- The US Department of Justice filed a suit against the state of North Carolina, saying that the bill violates civil rights.
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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