Monthly News Digest Online comes to you from EnglishClub.com Dateline: August 2009

Story #1

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

Story #1: Girl Survives Yemen Plane Crash
A girl survived a off the coast of the Comoros Islands this July. Bahia Bakari, a resident of Marseilles, was rescued 13 hours after the Yemenia Air crash. She was travelling with her mother to visit relatives. The young girl held onto debris from the wreckage after the plane crashed into the . She was suffering from hypothermia and also had a broken collar bone. The girl heard other voices during the night, though none of the other 150 passengers were found alive.

Comprehension Questions: Story #1

  1. Who was the sole survivor of the accident?
  2. Where did the plane crash occur?
  3. In what condition did rescuers find Bahia Bakari?

Discussion Question:
This is the second Airbus that crashed in a matter of weeks. Do tragedies like this change your view of air safety or increase your fear of flying?

Story #2

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

Story #2: Obama tells Africa "Yes You Can"
President Barack Obama arrived in Ghana following the G8 summit in Italy. During his July 11th speech to the Ghanian parliament he suggested that the people of had to be responsible for their own future. Obama emphasized the importance of good governance and said that Africa was a partner of America with a of improving the future for children. Local people sold Obama paraphernalia on the streets and hoped to a glimpse of the famous family. During his speech, Obama words from his campaign slogan telling Africans "Yes you can".

Comprehension Questions: Story #2

  1. Where was President Obama prior to arriving in Ghana?
  2. What did Obama stress in his speech?
  3. How did local Ghanians benefit financially from the visit?

Discussion Question: Some leaders are offered traditional clothing such as Kente cloth when they visit foreign nations. Do you think Obama should have worn traditional dress in Ghana while he gave his speech? Why or why not?

Story #3

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

Story #3: Contador Beats Armstrong in Tour de France
Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong's rival , won the Tour de France competition this July. This was Contador's second Tour win in three years. Armstrong, who had won and had taken 3 1/2 years off, came in third place. Tension between the cyclists was high during and after the race. Contador told the media that the toughest in the race in the hotel room. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, came second overall, though the media was stuck on the between Armstrong and Contador.

Comprehension Questions: Story #3

  1. What connection did Armstrong and Contador have besides being great cyclists?
  2. How does Contador's number of Tour wins compare to Armstrong's?
  3. Which athlete did not receive the media attention he deserved?

Discussion Question: The personal rivalry between Armstrong and Contador has continued on Twitter. Do you think celebrities should use social media networks to express their true opinions?

Story #4

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

Story #4: Microsoft and Yahoo Wait for the Okay
of competing with the #1 search engine Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have formed a partnership the search engine Bing. According to the agreement, Yahoo will give up its effort to improve search engine technology and provide important user data in exchange for handling ad sales. Despite taking to come to the agreement, the US federal government still has to approve the deal. There is an antitrust that protects certain types of mergers that could lead to prices. Google currently holds about 65% of the search engine market share.

Comprehension Questions: Story #4

  1. Which two companies are hoping to merge part of their business?
  2. What is the main purpose of the agreement?
  3. Who needs to okay this deal?

Discussion Question: Which search engine do you use? If you have tried Bing, how does it compare to Google? If you have not tried, will you in the future?

ANSWER CHECK

Story #1: Girl Survives Yemen Plane Crash
A 14-year-old girl survived a plane crash off the coast of the Comoros Islands this July. Bahia Bakari, a resident of Marseilles, was rescued 13 hours after the Yemenia Air crash. She was travelling with her mother to visit relatives. The young girl held onto floating debris from the wreckage after the plane crashed into the Indian Ocean. She was suffering from hypothermia and also had a broken collar bone. The girl reportedly heard other voices during the night, though none of the other 150 passengers were found alive.

Comprehension Answers: Story #1

  1. The lone survivor was a 14-year-old girl from Comoros Islands named Bahia Bakari.
  2. The plane crashed in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the Comoros Islands.
  3. The survivor had a broken collar bone and was suffering from hypothermia.
Story #2: Obama Tells Africa "Yes You Can"
President Barack Obama arrived in Ghana immediately following the G8 summit in Italy. During his July 11th speech to the Ghanian parliament he suggested that the people of Africa had to be responsible for their own future. Obama emphasized the importance of good governance and said that Africa was a partner of America with a common goal of improving the future for children. Local people sold Obama paraphernalia on the streets and hoped to catch a glimpse of the famous family. During his speech, Obama borrowed words from his campaign slogan telling Africans "Yes you can".

Comprehension Answers: Story #2

  1. The US President was at the G8 summit in Italy prior to arriving in Ghana.
  2. In his speech the President stressed the importance of good governance.
  3. Ghanians sold Barack Obama paraphernalia to locals on the streets.
Story #3: Contador Beats Armstrong in Tour de France
Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong's rival teammate, won the Tour de France competition this July. This was Contador's second Tour win in three years. Armstrong, who had won seven times and had taken 3 1/2 years off, came in third place. Tension between the cyclists was high during and after the race. Contador told the media that the toughest moment in the race took place in the hotel room. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, came second overall, though the media was stuck on the rivalry between Armstrong and Contador.

Comprehension Answers: Story #3

  1. Contador and Armstrong were competing on the same team.
  2. This is Contador's second Tour win, while Armstrong has won seven times.
  3. The second place winner, Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, did not receive as much attention as the others.
Story #4: Microsoft and Yahoo Wait for the Okay
In hopes of competing with the #1 search engine Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have formed a partnership surrounding the search engine Bing. According to the agreement, Yahoo will give up its effort to improve search engine technology and provide important user data in exchange for handling ad sales. Despite taking more than a year to come to the agreement, the US federal government still has to approve the deal. There is an antitrust law that protects certain types of mergers that could lead to higher prices. Google currently holds about 65% of the search engine market share.

Comprehension Answers: Story #4

  1. Yahoo and Microsoft want to merge their search engine efforts.
  2. The purpose of the deal is to compete with Google.
  3. The US federal government must okay the deal.