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: 13 January 2016

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David Bowie Leaves Parting Gift for His Fans

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • producer: a person who manages the making of a movie, album, or theatrical production
  • icon: a person (or thing) who is very well known for something specific (e.g., David Bowie was iconic for his rock music and personas)
  • confirm: to state with authority that something is true
  • parting gift: a present given or received when people leave each other
  • persona: the character or image one presents to the world

David Bowie Leaves Parting Gift for His Fans

British music David Bowie died of cancer on January 10 at the age of 69. Bowie, who had been suffering from cancer for 18 months, his final Backstar on his birthday, just two days before his death. His producer confirmed that the music icon intended his final album to be a parting gift for his . Bowie, who was famous for his rock music and his many personas, sold approximately 140 million albums. Bowie is survived by his wife Iman and his two children.
Comprehension Questions

  1. What did David Bowie die from?
  2. What did David Bowie’s producer say about Blackstar?
  3. Who is Iman?

Discussion Question: If you were given a year to live, what type of “parting gift” would you want to leave for your friends and loved ones?

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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