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: 17 February 2015

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109-Year-Old Man Knits Sweaters for Penguins

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • knit: to make clothes, blankets or other accessories with wool and needles
  • injured: hurt
  • incapable: not able
  • rehabilitate: to make healthy again
  • preen: to clean one’s feathers
  • veterinarian: animal doctor

109-Year-Old Man Knits Sweaters for Penguins

Alfred Date is a 109-year-old Australian man who by knitting sweaters for injured penguins. Australia’s oldest man donates the little sweaters to a Phillip Island wildlife foundation. The organization uses the Knits for Nature program to rehabilitate penguins that injured from an oil spill. Oil causes penguins to become cold and incapable of hunting. Sweaters are placed on the penguins to keep them warm and them from preening and oil. The sweaters are a temporary solution until veterinarians can wash the birds.

Comprehension Questions

    1. Who is Alfred Date?
    2. Why do these penguins needs sweaters?
    3. Why does the report mention veterinarians?

Discussion Questions: What is the secret to living a long life? Can we learn something from Alfred Date who says he has been knitting for 80 years?

show Answers

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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