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: 26 June 2019

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Paris Cracks Down on Electric Scooter Misuse

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • crack down on: to start taking bad behaviour more seriously
  • electric scooter: a two-wheel mode of transportation that you stand on; has handle bars
  • misuse: improper or illegal use
  • impose: to force something (usually new and not wanted) on someone
  • fleet: a group of vehicles under one ownership
  • critic: one who disagrees or feels negatively about something

Paris Cracks Down on Electric Scooter Misuse

The trend of and riding two-wheel scooters has taken off in Paris, causing city officials to impose fines for misuse. Electric users in Paris can be fined for parking in doorways, riding over 20 km/hour, and riding on the . In addition, rental operators will soon have to pay a fee for each scooter that is in their fleet. There are at least 20,000 scooters available in Paris, a number that is expected to double by the end of this year. Critics of the rental program say that Paris has turned into a .

Comprehension Questions

  1. What are Paris officials cracking down on?
  2. Why does the report mention doorways?
  3. Why might scooter misuse become a bigger problem in 2020?

Discussion Questions

Why do you think electric scooter rentals have become so popular so quickly? Do you think this is just a passing trend or do you think this new mode of transportation is here to stay?

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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