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: 24 September 2013
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Costa Concordia Set Upright
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- upright: in standing position
- capsize: to turn over in the water
- luxury liner: expensive cruise ship
- platform: a raised structure with a flat surface
- unprecedented: never happened before
- manslaughter: a criminal charge of killing someone without intention
Comprehension Questions
- What is the Costa Concordia?
- What needs to be done now?
- What does the report say about the ship’s captain?
Discussion Question: What environmental concerns do you think engineers had to take into account during this operation?
show Answershide Answers
Costa Concordia Set Upright
The Costa Concordia, a cruise ship that capsized off the coast of Italy in January 2012, has been set upright. The damaged luxury liner was rolled over onto an underwater platform that was built on the sea bed. The massive operation took a crew of over 500 people working for 18 hours. It was unprecedented both in terms of size and cost. Many engineers doubted that it could be done. In the upcoming weeks and months, repairs will be made so that the ship can be towed away and destroyed. When the boat capsized, 32 of the 4,200 people on board were killed. The captain of the Costa Concordia, who is accused of abandoning the ship, is currently on trial for manslaughter.
- The Costa Concordia is a luxury cruise liner that capsized off the coast of Italy in 2012.
- The ship needs to be repaired so that it can be towed away and destroyed.
- The report says that the ship’s captain abandoned ship, and is on trial for manslaughter.
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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