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: 14 January 2014
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN 🔈
Black Rhino Permit Auctioned Off
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- permit: license; an official document of permission
- conservation: research and protection for a species
- bidder: a person who offers a certain amount of money to purchase something in an auction
- breed: to produce offspring
- FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation (US)
Black Rhino Permit Auctioned Off
Comprehension Questions
- What did the highest bidder win?
- According to the Dallas Safari Club, what will the money go towards?
- Why does the report mention the FBI?
Discussion Question: Do you think this license to kill is a valid conservation effort, or do you agree that it’s wrong to kill any endangered species?
show Answershide Answers
Black Rhino Permit Auctioned Off
A hunting permit for a Namibian black rhino was auctioned off for $350,000 this weekend at the Dallas Safari Club in Texas. Members of the club say that 100 percent of the money will be used for black rhino conservation efforts in Namibia. The highest bidder won the right to kill an older, aggressive male rhino that is no longer able to breed. The black rhino is one of the most endangered species in the world. The animals are hunted for their horns, and poaching is their greatest threat. While the hunting club defended the auction saying it hoped to raise 1 million dollars for rhinos, the event sparked international criticism from animal rights activists. The FBI is currently investigating death threats against members of the club.
- The highest bidder won a permit to hunt an old, non-breeding, male black rhino in Namibia.
- According to the Dallas Safari Club, the money raised at the auction will go towards rhino conservation in Namibia.
- The report mentions the FBI because some members of the hunting club received death threats in relation to the auction.
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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