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: 06 January 2016

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Obama in Tears Over Gun Control

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • press conference: a major announcement or update made with the media present
  • massacre: the violent killing of many people
  • unveil: to release or show new information or a new product
  • executive order: a rule or law made by the president without Congress (a new president or judge can reverse the orders)
  • initiative: a plan for change
  • background check: an investigation into a person’s profile (e.g., criminal past, health)
  • enforcement: the act of making sure a rule or law is followed

Obama in Tears Over Gun Control

US President Barack Obama was while talking about gun violence in the US at a press conference on Tuesday. A number of Americans who have lost children in recent gun massacres the president as he unveiled his planned executive orders on gun control. One of the initiatives is to “bring the background check system into the 21st century”. Another is to increase mental health treatment and reporting to the background check system. The president is also calling for more to research gun safety as well as better enforcement of existing gun laws.

Comprehension Questions

  1. According to this report, who was crying at this press conference?
  2. What was the purpose of the press conference?
  3. What does the report mention about mental health?

Discussion Questions: Obama put two questions forward to the American public at the press conference: 1) If there’s an app to find a lost tablet, why can’t we find a lost or stolen gun? 2) If we can unlock a mobile phone with a fingerprint, why can’t we have something similar on a gun? Do you think these gun safety measures could be a reality in America in the near future? Why or why not?

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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