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: 26 March 2013
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN 🔈
Demonstrators Protest Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- bill: a proposed law
- adoption: the legal taking of another person’s child into one’s own family
- demonstrator: a person who is actively protesting something in public
- opinion poll: a short survey used to find out people’s thoughts on a certain issue or thing
Comprehension Questions
- Why are people protesting in Paris?
- What section of Paris did riot police work hard to protect?
- What do some protestors want the French government to focus on?
Discussion Question: Some reporters used the expression “it turned ugly” to describe a recent protest in Paris. What does this expression mean when it is used in reference to a protest?
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Demonstrators Protest Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption
Hundreds of thousands of protestors gathered in Paris this week to fight against a bill in France called the “marriage for everyone” law. The bill calls for same-sex couples to have equal marriage and adoption rights. Many of the protestors said that they supported same-sex marriage, but didn’t think gay couples should have the right to adopt. The bill will be reviewed by the Senate next month, and is expected to be approved. Riot police used tear gas to block demonstrators from getting close to the presidential palace. According to opinion polls, most French people support same-sex marriage, though recent protests suggest otherwise. Some protestors told reporters that they want the president to focus on jobs rather than same-sex marriage rights.
- People are protesting in Paris because they don’t agree with a bill that could give same-sex couples equal marriage rights, including the right to adopt.
- The riot police worked hard to protect the presidential palace.
- Some protestors want the French government to focus on jobs rather than same-sex marriages.
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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