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: New trash plan proposed for Winnipeg
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 propose something
a)
Meaning
to remove or take away garbage
2. __ a trash plan
b)
to agree to something
3. __ to collect garbage
c)
a machine that works like a human arm and
can pick up things
4. __ recycling
d)
to recommend or suggest an idea or plan
5. __ to approve something
e)
to empty out; to let drop heavily and
suddenly
6. __ a single-family home
f)
containers for waste/garbage
7. __ bins
g)
a system to collect items that can be
reprocessed and reused, e.g. glass, paper,
plastic
8. __ to dump the contents
h)
the collection of waste materials that decay
easily (grass, leaves, vegetable peelings)
9. __ a mechanical arm
i)
leaves, grass etc.
10. __ yard waste
j)
a plan about how to collect garbage from
homes/businesses
11. __ composting
k)
a home designed for one family
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.
Winnipeg Council has approved a new trash plan.
True False
2.
The plan applies to homes and apartment buildings.
True False
3.
The new trash and recycling bins will be on wheels.
True False
4.
Mechanical arms on the garbage trucks will pick up the bins and
fewer workers will be needed.
True False
5.
The plan doesn’t include composting.
True False
6.
The cost of the plan is just over five dollars a month.
True False
To find out more:
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2011/09/23/mb-trash-plan-winnipeg.html
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Story 2: Climate change could be costly to Canada
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 climate change
a)
Meaning
the health of the population as a whole
2. __ to release a report
b)
a change in the average or normal weather
patterns in a region over a long period of
time
3. __ in the near future
c)
to make a report public; to share
information in a report
4. __ public health
d)
to advise someone to do something
5. __ coastal areas
e)
to spend money to find out more
information about a topic
6. __ to recommend
f)
land near the sea
7. __ the federal government
g)
soon; not too long from now
8. __ to invest in research
h)
the government of Canada
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. Fill in the blank with the correct word from
the box below. The first one is completed for you as an example.
1. A new report says climate change could ______ Canada billions of dollars in the
near future.
2. By the year ______ climate change could cost Canada____________ dollars a year.
3. By 2050 climate change could cost almost __________ dollars a year.
4. The _______ looked at the effect of climate change on the _______, public
_________ and coastal areas.
5. The report _________ the federal government _______ in research to learn more
about the cost of climate change.
recommends
invest
climate change
five billion
report
economy
2020
cost
fifty billion
health
To find out more:
www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/09/29/pol-ntree-report-climate-change-costs.html
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Story 3: Australia changes rules for women in military
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 the military
a)
Meaning
to think carefully about something
2. __ to allow
b)
to fight in a war; to be involved in a battle
3. __ to consider
something
c)
the armed forces; soldiers who are part of the army,
navy or air force of a country
4. __ to serve in the
military
d)
the branch of the military responsible for warships
5. __ to be involved in
combat
e)
to permit
6. __ the army
f)
the branch of the military responsible for air warfare
7. __ the navy
g)
groups of soldiers
8. __ the air force
h)
to join the military
9. __ a test of physical
strength
i)
the branch of the military responsible for land
warfare
10. __ troops
j)
a test to determine how strong your body is
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. 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 rules for women in Australia’s
military have _____.
a) changed
b) stayed the same
2.
Women are now allowed to
____________.
a) become soldiers
b) take part in combat
3.
Combat duty will be considered for
women who _______.
4.
Women make up ________.
a) pass a physical strength test
b) have been in the military at least five
years
a) less than 10 percent of the Australian
troops
b) more than 10 percent of the Australian
troops
To find out more:
www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/09/27/australia-women-combat-role.html
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Hi, this is Heather Wells. You’re listening to Learning English with CBC newscast for the
week of September 26th.
Here is our first news story.
New trash plan proposed for Winnipeg
The City of Winnipeg has a new plan for garbage and recycling collection. City council
will vote on the plan in late October. If city council approves the plan, all single-family
homes will get trash and recycling bins on wheels. Trucks with mechanical arms will
pick up the bins and dump their contents into the trucks. This means fewer workers will
be needed to pick up the garbage and recycling. The mechanical arms will do all of the
work. The plan also includes the collection of yard waste for composting. If it is
approved, the new trash plan will cost homeowners less than five dollars a month.
And in Canadian news,
Climate change could be costly in Canada
A report released last week said that climate change could cost Canada billions of
dollars a year in the near future. The report said that by the year 2020, climate change
could cost Canada five billion dollars a year. It also said that by the year 2050, climate
change could cost the country almost fifty billion dollars a year. The report looked at
how climate change will affect Canada’s economy, public health, and coastal areas in
the future. The report recommends that the federal government invest in research to
learn how to decrease the future costs of climate change.
And in international news,
Australia changes rules for women in military
The Australian military will allow women to have positions that were once considered
too dangerous. Women can now serve in sections of the military where combat may be
part of the job. They can serve in the army, the navy, and the air force. Women will
have to pass physical strength tests to be considered for these positions. Australia has
sixty thousand troops in its military. Only eight thousand of the troops are women.
Answers for Story 1
Vocabulary: 1) d; 2) j; 3) a; 4) g; 5) b; 6) k; 7) f; 8) e; 9) c; 10) i; 11) h
Questions:
1) F; 2) F; 3) T; 4) T; 5) F; 6) F
Answers for Story 2
Vocabulary: 1) b; 2) c; 3) g; 4) a; 5) f; 6) d; 7) h; 8) e
Questions:
1) climate change; cost 2) 2020; five billion 3) fifty billion 4) report; economy;
health 5) recommends; invest
Answers for Story 3
Vocabulary: 1) c; 2) e; 3) a; 4) h; 5) b; 6) i; 7) d; 8) f; 9) j; 10) g
Questions:
1) a; 2) b; 3) a; 4) b
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