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: 05 April 2011
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN π
Air France Wreckage Found
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- wreckage: the parts that remain after an accident
- depth: measurement of how deep something is below the surface of the water
- en route: on the way
- manslaughter: the killing of a person without a plan to do so
Comprehension Questions
- How long ago did the Air France plane go down into the ocean?
- What will happen in the next few weeks?
- What is one of the presumed causes of the crash?
Discussion Question: Millions of dollars are spent on search operations after airplane accidents. The main goal is usually to locate the voice and data recorders. Do you think this is money well spent? Why or why not?
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Air France Wreckage Found
Wreckage from the Air France plane that went down on June 1, 2009 has finally been located after three previously unsuccessful searches. Special robots were being used to dive to depths of up to 4000 metres. Investigators say bodies have been found with the wreckage and will be brought to the surface and identified in the upcoming weeks. Only 50 bodies were found during the original searches almost two years ago. 228 people were killed when the plane crashed into the ocean en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro. The cause of the crash has not been determined and the flight recorders have not been found. Investigators say the plane was flying into a storm and may have been having problems measuring air speed. Air France and Airbus are facing manslaughter charges related to the accident.
- The Air France plane crashed almost two years ago, on June 1, 2009.
- In the next few weeks, bodies that are found in the wreckage will be raised to the surface and identified.
- One of the presumed causes of the crash is that the plane may have been flying at an incorrect air speed while flying into a storm.
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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