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.

7 comments

• Lara Vanessa says:
  

  Here we can see that anyone can make a mistake speaking other language.

• Tara Benwell says:
  

  Bijan,

  That is the funniest story! Thanks for the giggle.

  And yes, what a tricky language it is!

• Tara Benwell says:
  

  Andrea, I saw that too in the dictionary and was surprised. I suppose it means delightful in terms of food and smell. When used with people, it certainly suggests a different meaning.

• Bijan says:
  

  Hi Andrea,

  First, I’m so happy to see your comment and also your nice question here

  Second, I searched for “slip up” on the Cambridge Dictionary and found that it’s a phrasal verb that means:

  “to make a small mistake, often as a result of not thinking carefully.”

  In addition, “slip-up” is a noun (with the hyphen). It means:
  “a mistake that someone makes by not giving something enough attention.”

  I believe all of us should help each other.
  I hope my answer to be correct.

  Best wishes and have a great weekend,
  Bijan

• Bijan says:
  

  Hi Tara,

  First, thank you for this week’s news report.

  Second, I could understand the text without seeing it, but couldn’t fill in the blanks two words (definition and similar). I’m surprised why couldn’t I understand them while they are easy words for me!?

  Third, I believe English language is so difficult for people who aren’t native speaker.

  In my opinion, it’s natural that the president of French has language slip-up in Australia.

  I have heard one story about meeting between ex-president of the US and the prime minister of Japan. I hope if the story isn’t true, someone tells me the fact.

  The story (or the fact) is in the following sentences:

  when Mr.Obama was the president of the US, the prime minister of Japan wanted to meet him for the first time. He didn’t know English language, so some of his advisors want him to learn some English words.

  They tell to the prime minister of Japan when you meet the president of the US, you should tell him:
  How are you, and then the president tells you, I’m fine and how about you, so you tell the president: me too.

  When the prime minister meets Mr.Obama, he suddenly forgets the sentence (how are you) and tells:

  Who are you?
  Mr.Obama is surprised and understands the prime minister doesn’t know English, so tells the prime minister:

  I’m Michelle’s husband.

  So, the prime minister answers him:
  Me too.

  Wow! my God.
  All people who are present there to look at one another that what is happening here?

  Thus, English language is very difficult and learners like me should work so hard.

  Fourth, Teacher Tara,
  Thank you so much for choosing the interesting news for your students.

  Best wishes and have a great weekend in nice Canada,
  Bijan from the Persian Gulf

• Sylvie says:
  

  On the whole, the term “delicious” is used for meal and taste.

  Delighful indeed is the real term he should have used.

  But really, there is no harm to make a mistake !

  I find this rather nice.

• Andrea says:
  

  I just checked the definition of “delicious” in the Oxford English Dictionary. It gives two definitions:
  1. highly pleasant to the taste
  2. delightful

  Where’s the “slip-up”?