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: School’s smoking shelter for students causes concern
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 smoking shelter
Meaning
the federal government department
responsible for health issues
a)
2. __ to cause concern
b)
an outdoor structure that protects you from
the weather while you smoke
3. __ the education minister
c)
the remains of cigarettes after they have been
smoked; cigarette butts
4. __ breaks
e)
to make someone worry
5. __ to complain about
something
f)
young people ages 13 to 19
6. __ cigarette litter
h)
rest times; times when students are not in
class
7. __ school property
i)
the person in government who is responsible
for schools
8. __ Health Canada
j)
the land around a school; the land a school is
responsible for taking care of
9. __ teens
k)
to say that you are annoyed or unhappy
about something
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 urban high school in Manitoba has built a smoking shelter.
True False
2.
The education minister was not surprised to hear about the shelter.
True False
3.
The shelter is a place where students can smoke any time during
the day.
True False
4.
The school built the shelter in response to complaints from people
who live near the school.
True False
5.
The education minister does not approve of the shelter.
True False
To find out more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2011/01/20/man-smokingteen-steinbach-shelter.html
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Story 2: Party wants to ban kirpan from Parliament
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_ a political party
a)
a federal party which competes only in Quebec
2. __ to ban
b)
the place where federal elected representatives
meet and make Canada’s laws
3. __ a kirpan
c)
to prohibit; to not allow
4. __ Parliament
d)
something you use to fight or attack with; a
sword, knife or gun
5. __ the Bloc
Québécois
e)
an organization which runs candidates in an
election and seeks political power
6. __ a practicing Sikh
f)
to not provide an answer or information when
you are asked a question by the media
7. __ a religious symbol
g)
a ceremonial dagger or sword worn at all times
by orthodox Sikhs
8. __ a weapon
h)
a problem or issue about public safety
9. __ an issue of security
i)
someone who follows the religious and cultural
traditions of the Sikh community
10. __ to not comment
j)
a picture or object that has a particular meaning
for a specific religion
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.
The Bloc Québécois wants to
______.
a) ban kirpans
b) ban kirpans in Parliament
2.
Kirpans are religious symbols
which are _________.
a) also used as weapons
b) ceremonial in nature
3.
The Bloc Québécois says
banning kirpans is an issue of
__________.
a) security
b) religious rights
To find out more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2011/01/19/bloc-sikhkirpan-ban-parliament.html
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Story 3: Wal-Mart plans to sell healthier foods in the U.S.
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_ Wal-Mart
a)
Meaning
to remove one thing and put something in
its place
2. __ to announce
b)
to provide better food choices
3. __ chain stores
c)
stores which sell products directly to
consumers for their own use
4. __ retail stores
d)
an example of a large retail store
5. __ to replace
e)
to have enough money to purchase
something
6. __ to offer healthier options
f)
to say something publicly
7. __ to be able to afford
g)
retail stores which sell the same products
and are owned and managed by the same
parent company
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. Wal-Mart will start to sell healthier products in its stores across the U.S.
2. Wal-Mart is the ______ chain of retail stores in the U.S.
3. Products containing large amounts of ______ and ______ will be ________ with
healthier options.
4. Wal-Mart has also promised to _____ the prices of ______ and ________ so that
more people can ________ them.
replaced
largest
vegetables
lower
healthier
fruits
afford
sugar
salt
To find out more:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/attention-shoppers-wal-martplans-to-offer-healthier-foods/article1878208/
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Hi, this is Heather Wells. You’re listening to Learning English with CBC newscast for the
week of January 17th.
School’s smoking shelter for students causes concern
Manitoba’s education minister was surprised to find out that a high school in rural
Manitoba had built a smoking shelter for its students. Steinbach Regional Secondary
School officials allowed a small shelter to be built outside for students who want to
smoke on their breaks. The school officials said they built the shelter because people
who live near the school complained about cigarette litter. The education minister said
she doesn’t think the students should be allowed to smoke on school property.
According to a recent Health Canada report, more teens smoke in Manitoba than
anywhere else in Canada.
Party wants to ban kirpan from Parliament
The federal Bloc Québécois party wants to ban members of parliament from wearing
kirpans. Kirpans are ceremonial daggers worn by Sikhs. There are three practicing
Sikhs in the House of Commons. One of them wears his kirpan at all times. He is an
MP for the Liberal party. Sikhs see kirpans as religious symbols, but some people think
they are weapons. The Bloc Québécois members say the issue is one of security, not
of religious rights. The Liberal and NDP parties believe practicing Sikhs should be
allowed to wear their kirpans during parliamentary meetings. Conservative party
members have not commented on what they think about the issue.
Wal-Mart plans to sell healthier foods in the U.S.
Wal-Mart announced that it will start to sell healthier products in its stores across the
United States. Wal-Mart is the largest chain of stores in the United States, and sells
more groceries than any other retail store. It will replace products that have large
amounts of salt and sugar with healthier options. Wal-Mart officials said they will focus
on foods like lunch meats, fruit juices, and salad dressings. The prices for things like
fruit and vegetables will be lowered so that more people can afford them.
Answers for Story 1
Vocabulary: 1) b; 2) e; 3) i; 4) h; 5) k; 6) c; 7) j; 8) a; 9) f
Questions:
1) F; 2) F; 3) F; 4) T; 5) T
Answers for Story 2
Vocabulary: 1) e; 2c; 3) g; 4) b; 5) a; 6) i; 7) j; 8) d; 9) h; 10) f
Questions:
1) b; 2) b; 3) a
Answers for Story 3
Vocabulary: 1) d; 2) f; 3) g; 4) c; 5) a; 6) b; 7) e
Questions:
1) healthier 2) largest 3) salt/sugar or sugar/salt; replaced 4) lower;
fruit/vegetables or vegetables/fruit; afford
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