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: 05 December 2018

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Yellow-Vest Protests Continue in France

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • vest: a sleeveless covering worn over a shirt
  • turn out: to be present at an event
  • fuel: gas
  • evolve: to turn into something else
  • high-visibility: very easy to see
  • demonstration: a protest

Yellow-Vest Protests Continue in France

Tens of thousands of protesters have turned out across France for the past few weekends causing President Macron to back down on a planned fuel tax increase. The protests began as a to rising gas prices, but have evolved into a more general demonstration against the government’s economic and planned eco-taxes. The protesters have been yellow vests, which are symbolic of the high-visibility safety clothing in every vehicle in France. The yellow-vest protesters have inspired similar demonstrations in Basra this week, where Iraqi are demanding basic services.

Comprehension Questions

  1. What is this report mainly about?
  2. What do the yellow vests relate to?
  3. Why does the report mention Iraq?

Discussion Questions

During the Arab Spring, which began in 2010, one anti-government protest led to another in several countries. Do you think this will happen again with the yellow-vest protests? How do you feel about eco-taxes?

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.
© EnglishClub.com
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