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: 25 December 2019

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Massachusetts Police Catch Dog Stealing from Toy Drive

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • culprit: someone who committed a particular crime
  • therapy dog: a dog trained to comfort and support people
  • recover: to take back something that was lost or stolen
  • precaution: an action taken to prevent something bad from happening

Massachusetts Police Catch Dog Stealing from Toy Drive

The police department in Franklin, Massachusetts has found the culprit involved in the disappearances of toys from their Christmas toy drive. The “robber” was the department’s own therapy dog, Ben. The dog was on camera walking down a hallway with a doll in his mouth. Ben’s stash of toys was found under a desk in the . The toys had all been chewed and were unable to be recovered, but officers to replace them. Ben has since been banned from the toy room, and the officers have taken precautions to prevent this from again.

Comprehension Questions

1. The culprit involved in the toy theft was

Correct! Wrong!

The culprit involved in the toy theft was the therapy dog.

2. The dog was caught on camera carrying

Correct! Wrong!

The dog was caught on camera carrying a doll.

3. The toys had to be replaced because

Correct! Wrong!

The toys had to be replaced because the dog had chewed them.

Discussion Question

There is a lot of controversy surrounding working animals. Do you think it is necessary for the police department to have a therapy dog? Why or why not?

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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