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: 28 February 2018

NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN 🔈

High School Students Spark Gun-Control Movement

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • spark: to start
  • mass shooting: a gun crime involving four or more victims
  • rally: a large gathering to promote a cause
  • activist: a person who fights for or speaks out about a cause
  • intensive: detailed
  • cut ties: to stop partnering

High School Students Spark Gun-Control Movement

A group of students have organized a gun-control movement in the US following a mass school shooting in Florida on Valentine’s Day. days of the shooting, students were holding rallies and proposing new bills on gun control. They also in a major televised debate, raised over 2 million dollars for victims’ families, and organized a nation-wide march (scheduled for March 24). The students also used to pressure businesses to cut ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA). The goal of the student activists is for this to be the last mass school shooting in America. They are asking for a on assault rifles and more intensive background checks for gun buyers.

Comprehension Questions

  1. What sparked the student-led movement?
  2. What changes do the students want?
  3. Why does the report mention the NRA?

Discussion Questions

The shooter in this crime was a mentally ill 18 year old. He was a former student of the high school and was known to police. He purchased his weapon legally and killed 17 people. Do you think the US needs tighter gun control? How does gun control compare in your native country?

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.
© EnglishClub.com
Search for more stories by topic. For example, search for keywords like: climate change, floods, trump, money, thailand, language...

Teacher's Notes

Subscribe to EnglishClub Podcasts RSS Feed

3 comments

Leave a comment