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: 07 October 2014
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN 🔈
Man Rescued From Floating Bubble
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- hydro pod: an inflatable vehicle designed to float on water
- locator beacon: an emergency device that sends a radio alert identifying a person’s exact location
- activate: to start
- exile: a person who has been forced to leave his/her home country for political reasons or as punishment for a crime
- endurance: the ability to withstand something for a long time
- fatigued: tired
- disoriented: lost
Comprehension Questions
- Where is Reza Baluchi from?
- What was Baluchi’s mission?
- Why did Baluchi activate his locator beacon?
Discussion Questions:Â Emergency rescues cost taxpayers a lot of money. Do you think dare devils, such as Baluchi, should be responsible for “footing the bill”?
show Answershide Answers
Man Rescued From Floating Bubble
A man floating in a homemade hydro pod was rescued by the US Coast Guard last week after activating his locator beacon. Reza Baluchi is an Iranian exile who lives in the US. His mission was to run from Florida to Bermuda in his giant inflatable bubble to raise funds and awareness for his charity to help the “world’s forgotten children”. Baluchi, an endurance runner, planned to live on protein bars and fish and hoped to make it through the dangerous Bermuda Triangle. His journey ended a few days after it began when he became fatigued and disoriented.
- Reza Baluchi is from Iran.
- His mission was to raise money for his charity, which supports “the world’s forgotten children”.
- He activated his locator beacon because he was tired and lost.
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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