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: 23 October 2012
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Ivory Seizure Worth Millions
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- seizure: the retrieval of illegal goods or property
- confiscate: to take something away from someone (authority takes possession)
- tusks: long, pointy external teeth on an animal
- ornament: something that is used for decoration
- smuggle: to hide something while in transit
- poaching: the illegal hunting of animals
Comprehension Questions
- Who found the illegal ivory?
- Why does the report mention beans?
- Where is there a strong demand for illegal ivory?
Discussion Question: When a seizure such as this takes place, the damage is already done. What should be done with all of the confiscated ivory?
show Answershide Answers
Ivory Seizure Worth Millions
Officials in Hong Kong confiscated two large shipping containers of illegal ivory worth approximately 3.5 million dollars. The ivory tusks and ornaments were smuggled in bags of scrap plastic and beans, and shipped from Kenya and Tanzania. This ivory seizure, is one of the largest in Hong Kong history. International trade of ivory has been banned since 1990, however, elephant poaching is still on the rise in Africa due to an increasing demand for illegal ivory in the Asian market. Seven people have been arrested.
- Hong Kong officials found the illegal ivory.
- The report mentions beans because the ivory was smuggled in containers of scrap plastic and beans.
- There is a strong demand for illegal ivory in Asia.
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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