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: 23 June 2015
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Disgruntled Ex Cuts Belongings in Half
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- disgruntled: bitter; unhappy about a situation
- ex: a person who is no longer in a relationship
- to take something literally: to think of something in the sense of the words themselves, rather than the intended idiomatic sense
- possession: something that you own
- witty: funny in a wise way
- notable: worth noting; noticeable
- wear (noun): a deteriorated condition caused by usage
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Disgruntled Ex Cuts Belongings in Half
Comprehension Questions
- Why was the man disgruntled?
- How did the man react to the court order?
- What does the report say about the eBay ads?
Discussion Questions: How do you think the man’s ex reacted when she saw her possessions literally cut in half? Do you think he will be returning to court?
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Disgruntled Ex Cuts Belongings in Half
A disgruntled German man was recently ordered by the court to give half of his belongings to his ex-girlfriend. The man took the order literally. A YouTube video shows him cutting their joint possessions in half with his power tools. Some of the objects that he divided in half were a flat screen television, a mobile phone, a car, and a bed. The man is selling his half of the possessions on eBay. Each item comes with a witty description. For example, the motorcycle helmet claims to offer good visibility on one side, while the car has some notable signs of wear.
- The man was disgruntled because he was ordered to divide his possessions with his ex.
- The man decided to accept the court order in a literal way. He physically cut their belongings in half. He’s selling his halves on eBay.
- The report says that the eBay ads are witty.
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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