Learn English : Listen to News : Dutch Villagers Force Closure of ‘Singing Road’
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: 11 April 2018

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Dutch Villagers Force Closure of ‘Singing Road’

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • strip: a long, narrow piece
  • launch: the official use or release of something new
  • influence: to cause to respond in a certain way
  • motorist: driver
  • (not) go over well: to (not) have approval of many people
  • reckless: dangerous
  • install: to put something into its proper place

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Dutch Villagers Force Closure of ‘Singing Road’

Special “singing strips” that had been placed on a roadway in the were removed just one day after the official launch of a controversial experiment. The of the strips was to try to influence driver behaviour. Whenever a motorist drove over the singing strips at the legal limit, the anthem of the Friesland region would play. The experiment did not go over well with local who said they could not sleep or go outside due to the constant sound. Critics said the strips also encouraged reckless driving. Many motorists experimented to see what would happen if they sped up over the strips. The cost to install and remove the singing strips was close to $100, 000.

Comprehension Questions

  1. Where did this experiment take place?
  2. How were drivers able to get the road to sing?
  3. Who demanded that the experiment come to a close, and why?

Discussion Question

Do you think roadways are good places to conduct experiments like this? Why or why not?

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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