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 January 2018

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Hawaii Panics During False Missile Alert

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • panic (verb): to suddenly be and/or act in fear or terror
  • ballistic missile: a weapon shot through the sky
  • drill: a test, not a real emergency
  • shelter: a place to hide or wait during an emergency
  • incident: an event or happening
  • alert: a notice
  • tension: conflict, stress

Hawaii Panics During False Missile Alert

Residents and tourists in Hawaii received an alert morning that warned of an incoming ballistic missile. The alert said to take shelter and warned it was not a drill. Hawaii was in a panic for minutes before learning it was a false alarm. An employee at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency had pressed the wrong button during a staff changeover. A similar alarm went out in Japan on Tuesday. It took ten minutes for authorities to correct the mistake in that incident. Many in and Japan believed the alerts were true due to tension between the leaders of the US and North Korea.

Comprehension Questions

  1. What alert did people in Hawaii receive?
  2. How long did people in Hawaii think the alert was true?
  3. Why does the report mention Japan?

Discussion Question

Why are false alarms like this so dangerous?

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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