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: 20 June 2018

NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN ๐Ÿ”ˆ

Japan Fans Tidy Up After World Cup Match

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • match: a competition between two sides
  • stadium: a large arena for sporting events
  • tidy up: to clean up and reorganize
  • pick up after oneself: to clean up one’s own mess
  • value: a personal view of what is important or good

Japan Fans Tidy Up After World Cup Match

After winning their opening match to 2โ€“1, Japanese fans got busy cleaning up their part of the stadium. Fans placed their in large garbage bags that they had brought with them and made sure their rows looked as tidy as they did when they arrived. Picking up after themselves is a habit Japanese kids learn in grade school, where they are expected to keep classrooms and clean from an early age. In addition to being proud of their team (the “Samurai Blue”), Japan’s fans are pleased to show off their good manners on the world stage. Respect and responsibility are important values in Japanese .

Comprehension Questions

  1. Who demonstrated respect and responsibility (and where)?
  2. How does tidying up become a habit for Japanese people?
  3. Who are the Samurai Blue?

Discussion Question

Do you think Japan’s good manners will rub off on other countries at the World Cup? What other values can fans and athletes demonstrate during sporting events?

You can leave your ideas online in the comments box below.

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
Search for more stories by topic. For example, search for keywords like: climate change, floods, trump, money, thailand, language...

Teacher's Notes

Subscribe to EnglishClub Podcasts RSS Feed

10 comments

Leave a comment