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: 27 August 2013
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US Says Chemical Weapons Used In Syria
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- suburb: a housing region outside of a main city
- opposition: a group that is on the opposite side of a government or party in power
- cover up: hide the truth
- confirm: prove
Comprehension Questions
- Who is John Kerry?
- What happened when UN investigators tried to visit the site of the alleged chemical attack?
- Why does the report mention the US Navy?
Discussion Question: The civil war in Syria has been going on for over two years. Do you think countries such as the US and Britain should step in with military force, or not?
show Answershide Answers
US Says Chemical Weapons Used In Syria
Hundreds of people reportedly died in a chemical attack on a Damascus suburb last Wednesday, and many more were badly injured. Following a UN investigation, John Kerry, the US Secretary of State said there is little doubt that the Syrian government is behind the gas attack. The US has also accused the Syrian regime of covering up the attack. United Nations investigators had been trying to access the area where the attack took place, but had come under fire. The Syrian government finally allowed UN investigators into the area on Sunday after it had been largely destroyed. US Navy ships are reportedly moving into place for a possible military response.
- John Kerry is the US Secretary of State.
- When UN investigators tried to visit the site of the alleged attack they came under fire.
- US Navy ships are reportedly moving into place for a possible military response against the Syrian regime.
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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