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: 21 August 2012
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Limbless Swimmer Links Five Continents
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- limbless: having no arms or legs
- electrocution: a severe injury caused by an electric shock
- frigid: very cold
- flipper: a rubber attachment for a limb that is used for swimming
- strait: a narrow body of water connecting two larger bodies of water
Comprehension Questions
- Why is this man limbless?
- What was the swimmer’s goal?
- What did the swimmer say about his final stretch?
Discussion Question: The swimmer said his goal was to raise awareness for the abilities of disabled people. How are disabled people treated in your country? Do they have the opportunity to take part in sports?
show Answershide Answers
Limbless Swimmer Links Five Continents
Philippe Croizon, a man who lost all four limbs in an electrocution accident, successfully completed his International Straits Swimming Challenge this week. In his final stretch to connect five continents, the Frenchman crossed the frigid waters of the Bering Strait linking Asia and the Americas. The 44-year-old man used flippers to cross between Alaska’s Little Diomede Island to Russia’s Big Diomede Island, which he said was more challenging than crossing the English Channel in 2010. Previously this year he crossed three other straits, linking Australia to Asia, Asia to Africa, and Europe to Asia. Croizon hopes to inspire disabled people worldwide, and will be working at the Paralympics as a radio and television commentator.
- The man lost his limbs in an electrocution accident.
- His goal was to swim across straits linking five continents.
- He said his final stretch was more challenging than swimming across the English Channel.
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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