Welcome to the CBC Newscast Lesson!
The CBC EAL Newscast is a listening lesson for students who are learning English.
The lessons are for students who are at Canadian Language Benchmarks 3 and 4 (high
beginner / low intermediate). Each newscast has a lesson file and an audio file.
The Lesson File
You will need to print the lesson file first. Here’s what you will find in each lesson.
1. A vocabulary match exercise for each story
Learning new vocabulary before you listen makes it easier for you to understand the
story.
2. Questions on the main ideas or details of each story
Can you listen to a news story and understand the main ideas? Are you hearing the
most important details? Answer the questions and find out!
3. A transcript for the newscast
If you are having difficulty understanding the story when you listen, you can use the
transcript to help you.
4. Answers to the questions in the lesson
The answers are at end of the lesson on page 5.
5. An internet link or other resource suggestion
Some stories will have an internet link or suggest another resource you can use to
find more information.
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites)
The Audio File
Click on this file to hear three real world news stories read by a CBC news reader. The
first is a Manitoba story. The second is a Canadian story. The third is an international
story. All of the stories are in the same audio file
There are new stories and lessons every Thursday.
Now you are ready to begin. Read on!
Story 1: Group holds contest to find Winnipeg’s worst living conditions
Step 1: Learn new vocabulary. Learning new vocabulary before you listen makes it
easier for you to understand the story. Can you match these vocabulary
words with their meaning? The first one is completed for you as an example.
Vocabulary Word
1. _c a contest
Meaning
to cover windows, doors or an entire building
with wood
a)
2. __ an advocacy group
b)
3. __ the worst conditions
c)
4. __ social assistance
d)
the state of housing, e.g. Is it in good repair? Is
the electrical system safe?
5. __ assisted living
housing
e)
financial assistance from government that
helps people meet their basic needs
6. __ appliances
f)
to increase people’s knowledge/understanding
7. __ an electrical system
g)
a group that raises public awareness on issues
and tries to bring about change
8. __ to board up
h)
something someone gets if they win a contest
9. __ a prize
i)
opposite of the best conditions
10. __ housing conditions
j)
special housing to meet the needs of seniors
and people with disabilities
11. __ to raise awareness
k)
e.g. fridges, stoves, washers, dryers
a system of wiring, switches etc. that provides
electricity for a home or business
a competition where the winner gets a prize
Step 2: Listen to the first story in the audio file. Focus on listening for the main ideas
and key information. Listen as many times as you need to.
Step 3: Answer questions about the story. Which of the following statements about
the story are true? Which are false? Underline or circle the correct answer.
The first one is completed for you as an example.
1.
An advocacy group in Winnipeg is holding a contest to find the
city’s best housing conditions.
True False
2.
Anyone in Winnipeg can send in photographs of their living
conditions and enter the contest.
True False
3.
Examples of poor housing conditions are appliances that don’t
work and unsafe electrical systems.
True False
4.
The people with the worst housing conditions will be selected as
the contest winners.
True False
5.
There will be three winners. Each will receive one hundred dollars.
True False
To find out more: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/06/07/mb-worstliving-conditions-contest-winnipeg.html
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Story 2: Royal Bank increases mortgage rates
Step 1: Learn new vocabulary. Learning new vocabulary before you listen makes it
easier for you to understand the story. Can you match these vocabulary words
with their meaning? The first one is completed for you as an example.
Vocabulary Word
1. _f the Royal Bank
a)
Meaning
a mortgage where the interest paid doesn’t
change, e.g. four percent over five years
2. __ to increase a rate
b)
to be likely to do something
3. __ a mortgage rate
c)
to raise an amount or rate so it is more than it
was before
4. __ a fixed-rate mortgage
d)
to choose something
5. __ per month
e)
the additional costs you have when you
borrow money, e.g. the interest you pay
6. __ to be common
f)
the name of Canada’s largest bank
7. __ to select something
g)
every month
8. __ borrowing costs
h)
to happen often to many people in many
places
9. __ to be expected to do
something
i)
the percentage of interest that is charged on
a mortgage
Step 2: Listen to the first story in the audio file. Focus on listening for the main ideas
and key information. Listen as many times as you need to.
Step 3: Answer questions about the story. Does option a) or option b) make the
sentence correct? Underline or circle your answer. The first one is completed
for you as an example.
1.
The Royal Bank has _______.
a) increased its five year fixed mortgage rate
b) increased all of its mortgage rates
2.
The increase means that someone
with a three hundred thousand
dollar mortgage will pay _______.
a) an additional $372 dollars per month
b) an additional $31 per month
3.
Most first-time homebuyers select
_______.
a) a five year fixed-rate mortgage
b) a five year variable-rate mortgage
4.
Other banks are expected to
______________.
a) lower their mortgage rates
b) raise their mortgage rates
To find out more:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/06/07/business-royal-bank-mortgage.html
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Story 3: Areas in central Europe experience flooding
Step 1: Learn new vocabulary. Learning new vocabulary before you listen makes it
easier for you to understand the story. Can you match these vocabulary
words with their meaning? The first one is completed for you as an example.
Vocabulary Word
1. e central Europe
a)
Meaning
to make sure there is as little damage as possible
2. __ flooding
b)
e.g. soldiers, firefighters, paramedics
3. __ to be evacuated
c)
a wall or similar structure that is built to keep
flood waters from overflowing onto dry land
4. __ a barrier
d)
to be told to leave a dangerous place; to be sent
to a safe place
5. __ to protect someone
/something
e)
a region which includes the countries in the centre
of Europe
6. __ emergency
personnel
f)
to keep someone out of danger or something
from being harmed
7. __ to limit the damage
g)
when water overflows onto land that is normally
dry
Step 2: Listen to the third story in the audio file. Focus on listening for the main ideas
and key information. Listen as many times as you need to.
Step 3: Answer questions about the story. Fill in the blank with the correct word from
the box below. The first one is completed for you as an example.
1. Heavy rainfall has caused rivers and _______ in Central Europe to _________.
2. Communities in several __________ have been flooded.
3. Tens of ________ of people have been __________ from their homes.
4. Water continues to rise in the Danube, Europe’s biggest __________.
5. People in Hungary are building ________ to ________ people and _______.
6. More than 80,000 ____________ personnel are working to limit the _______ from
flooding.
rainfall countries evacuated
thousands
river
overflow
barriers
protect emergency
lakes
homes
damage
To find out more:
www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/06/08/europe-flooding.html
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Hi, this is Heather Wells. You’re listening to Learning English with CBC newscast for the
week of June 3rd.
Here is our first news story.
Group holds contest to find Winnipeg’s worst living conditions
An advocacy group in Winnipeg is holding a contest to find the city’s worst housing
conditions. People who are on social assistance or in assisted living housing can send
in photographs of the poor conditions they live in. Examples of photographs that people
can send in include appliances that don’t work, unsafe electrical systems, doors that
don’t lock, and boarded-up windows. Three prizes of one hundred dollars will be
awarded to the people with the worst living conditions. The contest is meant to raise
public awareness of the poor housing conditions many people live in.
And in Canadian news,
Royal Bank increases mortgage rates
The Royal Bank increased its mortgage rates for five-year fixed-rate mortgages. The
increase means that people with a three-hundred thousand dollar mortgage over
twenty-five years will pay thirty-one dollars more per month. That works out to an extra
three-hundred and seventy-two dollars a year. The five-year fixed-rate mortgage rate is
the most common mortgage rate selected by first-time homebuyers. The bank is
charging its customers more because it has to pay higher borrowing costs than it did in
the past. Other banks are also expected to increase their rates.
And in international news,
Areas in central Europe experience flooding
Heavy rainfall has caused rivers and lakes in Central Europe to overflow. Communities
in several countries have been flooded. Tens of thousands of people in Germany,
Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic have been evacuated from their homes.
Water continues to rise in the Danube, Europe’s biggest river. People in Hungary are
building barriers to try to protect people and homes. More than eighty thousand
emergency personnel, including firefighters and soldiers, are working to limit the
damage from flooding.
Answers for Story 1
Vocabulary: 1) c; 2) g; 3) i; 4) e; 5) j; 6) k; 7) b; 8) a; 9) h; 10) d; 11) f
Questions:
1) F; 2) F; 3) T; 4) T; 5) T
Answers for Story 2
Vocabulary: 1) f; 2) c; 3) i; 4) a; 5) g; 6) h; 7) d; 8) e; 9) b
Questions:
1) a; 2) b; 3) a; 4) b
Answers for Story 3
Vocabulary: 1) e; 2) g; 3) d; 4) c; 5) f 6) b; 7) a
Questions:
1) rainfall, lakes, overflow 2) countries 3) thousands, evacuated 4) river
5) barriers, protect, homes 6) emergency, damage
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