EnglishClub : Listen to News : ”Florida Man” Google Search Goes Viral
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 April 2019

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”Florida Man” Google Search Goes Viral

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • wacky: odd; often funny
  • headline: the title of a news story
  • break into: to force entry into a locked or restricted area
  • hologram: a picture made with lasers that looks 3-D (three-dimensional)
  • go viral: to be shared by many online

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”Florida Man” Google Search Goes Viral

Googling “Florida Man” to find and wacky news from America’s “Sunshine State” is one of the latest on the Internet. The search term “Florida Man” results in headlines and news stories that often seem odd to be true. The headlines typically feature crazy crimes by Floridian males; for example, “Florida Man of Throwing Pancake Batter at Woman,” “Florida Man Breaks Into Jail to Hang with Friends,” and “Florida Man Claims Wife was by Holograms.” While some Internet users have been having fun with “Florida Man” for several years, googling Florida Man plus one’s is the latest Internet challenge to go viral.

Comprehension Questions

  1. What is this report mainly about?
  2. Who is “Florida Man”?
  3. Why does the report mention birthdays?

Discussion Question

While it may be fun to participate in the “Florida Man” birthday challenge, why is it not a wise idea to share your results online for all to see?

show Answers

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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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Teacher's Notes

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4 comments

  • English Club Indonesia says:

    The report is about the ‘Florida Man’ Google search going viral. “Florida Man” is a Floridian male who breaks the law and goes viral. The latest trend is Googling ‘Florida Man’ plus one’s birthday to see the result that will appear. While it seems fun, just remember not to share the result, as your birthdate is your privacy.

  • thanh ngan says:

    It is difficult, so I couldn’t understand it.

  • santhosh says:

    FIRST THANKS FOR YOU.IT IS NICE STATEMENT. THE PASSAGE IS MEANINGFUL TO ALL.

  • Bijan says:

    Hi Tara,

    First, thank you for this week’s audio news report.

    Second, it’s so difficult for me and I couldn’t understand it.
    In addition, it’s the longest lesson among your lessons that I have ever seen.

    Third, I could also fill in the blanks the words “too”, “accused” and “birthday”.

    Thus, because of not understanding the subject, I cannot present any opinion about it.

    Thank you and best wishes,
    Bijan from the Persian Gulf

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