photo Tara Benwell 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: 21 May 2013

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Angelina Jolie Has Double Mastectomy

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • preventive: a substance or act that prevents or slows something down
  • mastectomy: a surgical procedure to remove all or part of the breast
  • mutation: a change in the original structure of something
  • hereditary: a gene or characteristic that is passed down in families
  • ovary: part of the female reproductive system where eggs are produced

Angelina Jolie Has Double Mastectomy

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie announced that she had a preventive mastectomy this month after testing positive for a genetic mutation. Breast and ovarian cancers run in the side of Jolie’s family. According to Jolie, the procedure has her risk of hereditary breast cancer from 87 to 5 percent. Jolie, a mother of six, claims that she made this decision for her . The 37-year-old may decide to have her ovaries removed as well.

Comprehension Questions

  1. What medical procedure did Angelina Jolie recently undergo?
  2. Why is Jolie at a greater risk for breast and ovarian cancer than other women?
  3. What reason did Jolie give for going through with the procedure?

Discussion Question:
Do you agree with Jolie’s proactive choice, or is it extreme to have surgery before any hint of cancer exists?

show Answers

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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