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: 21 February 2018

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Syrian Civilians Trapped in Eastern Ghouta

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • catastrophic: causing great harm or damage
  • dire: very serious
  • humanitarian: related to help for people in need
  • civilian: a person who is not in the armed forces or police
  • access: the ability to get or have
  • ceasefire: an agreement to stop fighting for a time period

Syrian War Catastrophic in Eastern Ghouta

Syrians trapped in the last rebel-held region say the is catastrophic and fear the international community has forgotten them. At least ten towns and across the region have been bombed in government air strikes since Sunday. According to the Red Cross, the area is in dire need of humanitarian , but no emergency supplies are being allowed in. Hundreds of civilians have been killed and many more are with no access to medical care. The UN is calling for a ceasefire in order to civilians.

Comprehension Questions

  1. What fear do Syrian civilians in Eastern Ghouta have?
  2. According to the article, which organization wants to provide humanitarian assistance but can’t?
  3. What has the UN called for?

Discussion Questions

Do you agree that the world has forgotten about Syria? What role does the media have?

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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