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: African community plans to build downtown complex
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 complex
a)
Meaning
a piece of land without buildings on it; land
available for development
2. __ the African Canadian
Foundation
b)
to be built or situated in a particular place or
position
3. __ an unused lot
c)
a group of buildings which are close together
and used for a particular purpose
4. __ a community centre
d)
to be in the middle of; to separate two points
or things
5. __ to be located
somewhere
e)
a non-profit organization which supports the
cultural and economic development of
immigrants from Africa
6. __ to be between
f)
a place in their community where people can
gather for recreation or other purposes
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.
The African community plans to build a complex in downtown
Winnipeg.
True False
2.
The complex will be built on a unused piece of land.
True False
3.
All of the complex will be for housing.
True False
4.
The project will cost exactly eighteen million dollars.
True False
5.
The project is located on Ellice Avenue.
True False
6.
One main goal of the project is to give young African Canadians a
place where they can meet others from their culture and learn
about their new home.
True False
7.
There are two thousand people in Winnipeg’s African community.
True False
To find out more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2011/01/04/mb-africancommunity-centre-winnipeg.html
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Story 2: Canada wins silver medal at world junior hockey championship
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
Meaning
1. e_ to win a silver medal
a)
to get the puck or ball into the net in sports
like hockey and soccer
2. __ world junior hockey
championship
b)
to defeat a person or team in a competition
3. __ to lose
c)
one of three divisions or parts of a hockey
game
4. __ to score a goal
d)
an international competition for hockey
players ages 17 to 20
5. __ a period
e)
to finish in second place in a competition
6. __ to beat
f)
the opposite of to win
Step 2: Listen to the second 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.
In the recent World Junior Hockey a) the gold medal
Championship, Russia received
b) the silver medal
______.
2.
For the first two periods of the
hockey game______.
a) Russia was ahead
b) Canada was ahead
3.
Russia scored five goals ______.
4.
When the Canadian team
defeated the United States team,
many people thought______.
a) in the final minutes of the game
b) in the final period of the game
a) Canada would win the gold medal
b) Canada would not be able to beat the
Russians
5.
The World Junior Hockey
Championship is held _______.
a) annually
b) every two years
To find out more:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2011/01/05/sp-canada-russia-gold.html
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Story 3: World food prices highest in decades
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. b _ a decade
a)
Meaning
to find out the amount of something, for
example, height, weight or price
2. __ a food price index
b)
ten years
3. __ the United Nations
c)
the growing and harvesting of crops; farming
4. __ to measure
d)
a long period of dry weather when there’s not
enough water for plants or animals to live
5. __ flooding
e)
when more and more people want or demand a
product or service
6. __ a drought
f)
a load of food or other goods that is sent away
or exported by sea, road or air
7. __ food production
g)
an international organization that tries to find
peaceful solutions to the world’s problems
8. __ a shipment
h)
to cause something to increase
9. __ to create a demand
for something
i)
a chart or index showing the changes in the
price of a basket of food products over time
10. __ to drive up
j)
when water covers land
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. Food prices were _______ in December than they were twenty years ago.
2. ______ issues can affect foods around the world by making them more _______.
3. _________ in Australia, ______ in Russia and heavy rain in Canada have also
affected food production and _______.
4. Newer, large economic centres are _________ more ______ for food.
prices
creating
higher
drought
demand
shipment
weather
expensive
flooding
To find out more:
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2011/01/05/world-food-prices-record.html
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Hi, this is Heather Wells. You’re listening to Learning English with CBC newscast for the
week of January 3rd.
African community plans to build downtown complex
The African Canadian Foundation is buying an unused lot in downtown Winnipeg. The
Foundation wants to build a community centre and housing for the city’s African
community. The project will cost about eighteen million dollars. It will be located on
Hargrave Street between Ellice Avenue and Qu’Appelle Avenue. The community centre
will give young African Canadians a place to learn about Winnipeg and meet other
young people who share their culture. There are about twenty thousand people in
Winnipeg’s African community.
Canada wins silver medal at world junior hockey championship
Canada received the silver medal at the world junior hockey championship after losing
the final game to Russia. At first, Canada was winning by three goals. Then, Russia
scored five times in the final period of the game. The final score was 5 to 3. Many
people were surprised that Russia won. Canada beat the United States team before
playing Russia in the final game. Many people thought Canada would also beat Russia.
The world junior hockey championship is held every year.
World food prices highest in decades
In December, food prices around the world were higher than they were twenty years
ago. The food price index used by the United Nations measures monthly price changes
for foods like wheat, rice, dairy, meat, and sugar. Weather issues often affect foods
around the world, making them more expensive. Flooding in Australia, drought in
Russia and heavy rain in Canada have caused problems with food production and
shipment. Newer large economic centres around the world have been creating more
demand for food. This also drives up the costs.
Answers for Story 1
Vocabulary: 1) c; 2) e; 3) a; 4) f; 5) b; 6) d
Questions:
1) T; 2) T; 3) F; 4) F; 5) F; 6) T; 7) F
Answers for Story 2
Vocabulary: 1) e; 2) d; 3) f; 4) a; 5) c; 6) b
Questions:
1) a; 2) b; 3) b; 4) a; 5) a
Answers for Story 3
Vocabulary: 1) b; 2) i; 3) g; 4) a; 5) j; 6) d; 7) c; 8) f; 9) e; 10) h
Questions:
1) prices; higher 2) Weather; expensive 3) Flooding; drought; shipment
4) creating; demand
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