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: Winnipeggers celebrate return of the Jets
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. g to celebrate
Meaning
an event where all of the tickets have been
sold
a)
2. __ to return to
b)
a meeting place/riverside park in Winnipeg
where large public events take place
3. __ the Jets
c)
the points won by an individual or team in a
sports event or competition
4. __ an exhibition game
d)
to come back to
5. __ a sold-out event
e)
an event where the activities are appropriate
for children as well as adults
6. __ the score
f)
the name of the Winnipeg arena where the
Jets play hockey
7. __ a family-friendly event
g)
to have a ceremony or do something special
in honour of an event or occasion
8. __ The Forks
h)
a game played before the regular sports
season begins; a pre-season game
9. __ the MTS Centre
i)
the name of Winnipeg’s National Hockey
League team
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 new Winnipeg Jets hockey team
recently played _____.
a) an exhibition game
b) a regular season game
2.
The Jets played against
____________.
a) the Columbus Blue Jackets
b) the Columbus Blue Bombers
3.
The game was _______.
4.
The game was won by ________.
a) almost sold-out
b) sold-out
a) the Jets
b) the Columbus Blue Jackets
To find out more:
www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2011/09/20/sp-jets-jackets-preseason.html
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2011/09/22/mb-nhl-jets-cbc-bash-forks-winnipeg.html
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Story 2: School in Toronto to provide space for prayer
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. _d to provide space
a)
Meaning
the beliefs and customs of a particular
culture or faith
2. __ a school board
b)
to permit
3. __ a prayer session
c)
to say you are worried about something
4. __ to gather
d)
to provide a location for an event
5. __ to allow
e)
a special advantage given to some people
but not to others
6. __ to accommodate
someone’s needs
f)
to come together as a group
7. __ to express concern about g)
something
the organization responsible for operating
schools in a particular geographic area
8. __ traditions
h)
to support or provide help to someone who
has special or different needs
9. __ a privilege
i)
a period of time set aside for prayer
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 Toronto School Board is providing space for weekly prayer
sessions for 300 Muslim students.
True False
2.
The cost of the prayer session will be paid for by the School Board.
True False
3.
About two hundred people gathered outside the Board offices.
True False
4.
Everyone who attended expressed support for the Board’s
decision.
True False
5.
Some of the people who gathered believe prayer and faith
traditions have no place in public schools.
True False
6.
The Toronto School Board makes prayer space available for
students of all faiths.
True False
To find out more:
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/09/18/toronto-prayer-protest.html
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Story 3: Canada helps fund international mother and child programs
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 to fund
something
a)
Meaning
special programs set up specifically to help
mothers and children
2. __ an international
program
b)
to provide money for something
3. __ mother and child
programs
c)
something given to people or animals to
strengthen their immune system and help protect
them from disease
4. __ numerous
d)
programs to provide clean and safe drinking water
5. __ an initiative
e)
a program that affects different nations around the
world
6. __ water sanitation
programs
f)
a first step; a project
7. __ a vaccination
g)
many
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. Canada will give eighty-two million dollars to twenty-eight mother and child _______
programs.
2. The goal of the programs is to help ______ and ________.
3. ________ projects will be funded as part of the government’s ________.
4. The projects include _______ sanitation, vaccinations and ________ health workers.
5. Canadian _________ will receive ______ to work on some of the projects.
initiative
numerous
million
health
universities
water
funding
training
women
children
To find out more:
www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/09/20/pol-harper-maternal-health.html
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Hi, this is Heather Wells. You’re listening to Learning English with CBC newscast for the
week of September 19th.
Here is our first news story.
Winnipeggers celebrate return of the Jets
The new Winnipeg Jets hockey team played their first exhibition game on September
20th at the MTS Centre. They played against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The game
was sold-out. Over fifteen thousand people attended. The final score was 6 to 1 for the
Jets. Winnipeggers will be able to celebrate the return of the hockey team to Winnipeg
at a free family-friendly event at The Forks. The event will take place on October 6.
And in Canadian news,
School in Toronto to provide space for prayer
The Toronto District School Board will provide school space to three hundred Muslim
students for weekly prayer. The cost of the prayer session is being paid for by the
Muslim community. About two hundred people gathered outside the School Board
offices last week. Many came to thank the school board for allowing the students to
pray while they are at school. They think it is important for schools to accommodate
students’ religious needs. Some came to express concern about the board’s decision.
They believe prayer and faith traditions have no place in public schools. Others who
attended said the Board’s decision favors one faith. They want students of other faiths
to have the same prayer privileges.
And in international news,
Canada helps fund international mother and child programs
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Canada will give eighty-two million
dollars to twenty-eight mother and child health programs around the world. The
programs will help women and children in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Numerous
projects will be funded as part of the government’s initiatives. The projects include water
sanitation, vaccinations and training health workers. Canadian universities will also get
funding to work on mother and child health projects in these areas of the world.
Answers for Story 1
Vocabulary: 1) g; 2) d; 3) i; 4) h; 5) a; 6) c; 7) e; 8) b; 9) f
Questions:
1) a; 2) a; 3) b; 4) a
Answers for Story 2
Vocabulary: 1) d; 2) g; 3) i; 4) f; 5) b; 6) h; 7) c; 8) a; 9) e
Questions:
1) T; 2) F; 3) T; 4) F; 5) T; 6) F
Answers for Story 3
Vocabulary: 1) b; 2) e; 3) a; 4) g; 5) f; 6) d; 7) c
Questions:
1) million, health 2) women, children or children, women 3) numerous,
initiative 4) water, training 5) university, funding
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