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: 24 March 2014

Twitter Blocked In Turkey

Listen to the news in English with Tara Benwell

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • enthusiast: someone who shows great interest in something
  • reputation: society’s general beliefs or opinions about a person or thing
  • IP address: a computer’s identification number for communication purposes
  • block: to prevent usage
  • condemn: to express disapproval

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Twitter Blocked In Turkey

A Twitter ban in Turkey took effect last Thursday, a week before the country’s elections. The ban came shortly after prime minister Erdogan vowed to wipe out the social media network. Twitter has refused to remove links to audio files that Erdogan says have damaged his reputation. The has accused Twitter of presenting “an unfair and inaccurate” impression of his office and his country. While Twitter users initially the ban, Internet service providers in Turkey have been making it more difficult by blocking IP addresses used by Twitter. Turkey’s own president condemned the ban, calling the illegal.

  1. What have people in Turkey been banned from doing?
  2. What reason did the prime minister’s office give for the ban?
  3. What is Turkey’s president’s opinion about the ban?

Discussion Question: Do you think that the blocking of a social media network is a violation of personal freedoms? Why or why not?

show Answers

Written 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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