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: 05 August 2014
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN 🔈
Robot Hitchhikes Across Canada
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- hitchhike: to ask for a free ride from someone you don’t know
- document: to record details or information
- professor: post-secondary teacher
- optimistic: having a positive outlook about the future
Comprehension Questions
- Who built the robot?
- What is the purpose of this project?
- Where is hitchBOT’s final destination?
Discussion Questions: Would you ever pick up a human hitchhiker? Why or why not? What about a robot hitchhiker?
show Answershide Answers
Robot Hitchhikes Across Canada
A robot is hitchhiking across Canada and documenting its journey by tweeting and keeping an audio diary. The robot, known as hitchBOT, was designed by two professors in Ontario. Their goal is to examine the relationship between humans and smart technologies. The robot is equipped with a tablet and is capable of having a basic conversation. It has pool noodles for limbs and a bucket for a torso. Motorists who pick up the robot receive special instructions, such as how to charge it. HitchBOT was dropped off last Monday in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and had already made its way to Toronto, Ontario by Friday. Its final destination is an art gallery in Victoria, BC. The researchers involved in the project are optimistic that the robot will make its way safely to the west coast, relying on the goodwill of drivers.
- Two professors from Ontario built the robot.
- The purpose of this project is to examine the relationship between humans and smart technologies.
- The robot’s final destination is an art gallery in Victoria, BC.
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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