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: 13 November 2012
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN 🔈
Barack Obama Re-elected As President
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- defeat: to beat an opponent
- concede: to admit the truth (often unhappily)
- conference centre: a large gathering place for people with common interests
- election campaign: a series of events used to convince people to vote for a certain candidate or party
Comprehension Questions
- Who is Mitt Romney?
- Why does the report mention Stevie Wonder?
- What word did Obama use to describe his outlook on his country’s future?
Discussion Question: In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge that President Obama faces in his second term?
show Answershide Answers
Barack Obama Re-Elected As President
After a very tight election race, US President Barack Obama was re-elected to office, defeating Republican candidate Mitt Romney for the presidency. After Romney conceded, Obama entered a Chicago conference centre with Stevie Wonder’s song “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” playing in the background. In his victory speech, the president promised Americans that “the best was yet to come” and that he was returning to the White House more hopeful than ever about his country’s future. Over 2 billion dollars was spent on the election campaign, making it the costliest one in US history.
- Mitt Romney was the Republican candidate who ran against Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012.
- Barack Obama walked into his victory rally to the sound of one of Stevie Wonder’s songs.
- Obama used the word “hopeful” to describe his outlook of his country’s future.
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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