EDMONTON Weekly Newscasts Lesson Plan APRIL 11, 2016 Newscasts are current news stories read at a slower pace than you might hear on the radio. These are prepared by CBC news editor Don Bell. Objectives: ● To develop listening skills ● To increase vocabulary ● To increase awareness of grammatical structures and functional language ● To increase knowledge of current events ● To provide a user-­‐friendly, self-­‐study tool for learners, as well as an ESL classroom resource for instructors Contents: Three news stories are featured in each weekly lesson plan. Each lesson contains vocabulary and listening comprehension activities. At the end of each lesson, you will find a complete transcript and an answer key. This lesson plan is aimed towards learners at an intermediate language level (i.e. Canadian Language Benchmarks 4-­‐5 or equivalent). Learning English with CBC is a joint project with CBC Calgary, CBC Edmonton, and the Government of Alberta. Lesson Plans prepared by Deidre Lake, Communication4Integration Inc. © CBC 2015 Permission is granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only. For more information on copyright, please click: http://www.cbc.ca/permissions LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 1 NEWSCAST 1: NO MORE EXCUSES FITNESS CENTRE BREAK-­‐IN Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-­‐bandit-­‐breaks-­‐into-­‐gym-­‐just-­‐to-­‐work-­‐
out-­‐1.3523000 LANGUAGE LEVEL: Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 4/5 or equivalent WARM UP QUESTIONS Do you go to the gym? Why or why not? LISTENING ACTIVITY 1 (Audio Clip 0:11) Listen to the first newscast. While you listen, take notes below so you tell the story of what happened. You may need to listen more than once. Intruder – someone that enters a building without permission (burglar, thief, bandit) SPEAKING ACTIVITY 1 Now try to tell the story in your own words of what happened. LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 2 VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1 Match the words used in the story with the correct synonym. Look at how the word is used in the story if needed. The first one is done for you. ANSWER WORD/EXPRESSION SYNONYM H 1. struggle A. work clothes 2. risk B. chance 3. jail time C. intruder 4. mud-­‐caked D. container for unclaimed items 5. overalls E. stacks 6. piles F. dry off 7. pricey G. break-­‐in 8. bandit H. have difficulty 9. wipe down I. strengthened 10. uninvited J. trouble 11. lost and found bin K. dirty 12. cooperative L. acknowledge 13. intrusion M. expensive 14. beefed up N. time behind bars 15. hassle O. unwanted 16. give credit P. easy-­‐going Most people struggle to exercise but one Edmonton man was willing to risk jail time to spend a night alone inside a gym. Cheryl Schneider, the owner of No More Excuses Fitness, walked into her studio on Monday morning and found evidence of an intruder. The intruder had left his mud-­‐caked construction boots outside the front door along with his folded overalls. The intruder moved some equipment around and placed other things in neat piles but left pricey equipment and office computers untouched. After his workout, the bandit used one of the gym's mint-­‐scented towels to wipe down and helped himself to a chicken wrap from Tim Hortons. When Schneider was showing the police around, they came across the uninvited guest behind a door. He was wearing ladies gym clothes that he had found in the lost and found bin. The intruder was calm and cooperative as police handcuffed him and escorted him through the gym. Before leaving, he wiped his feet on the mat so he wouldn't dirty the studio floor. Since the intrusion, Schneider beefed up security at the gym by replacing the locks and adding deadbolts to all the new doors. Despite the hassle, Schneider says she has to give the intruder some credit for good manners, and a determination to get fit. LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 3 NEWSCAST 2: DIABETES A MAJOR CONCERN WORLDWIDE Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/diabetes-­‐global-­‐1.3522830 LANGUAGE LEVEL: Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 4/5 or equivalent WARM UP QUESTIONS What is diabetes? Does anyone you know have diabetes? VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1 Look at the following words and their meanings before listening to the newscast. WORD MEANING World Health Organization An agency of the United Nations, established in 1948 to (W-­‐H-­‐O) promote health and control communicable diseases. released announced; made public; made known to the public staggering surprising; astounding; shocking statistics data; facts and figures; information; details quadrupled increased by four (e.g. 100 to 400) obesity a medical condition of being overweight that has a negative effect on health major important; serious; significant common widespread; typical findings research; results urgent Something that requires immediate action or attention LISTENING ACTIVITY 1 (Audio Clip 1:55) Listen to the newscast once for overall comprehension. LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 4 LISTENING ACTIVITY 2 (Audio Clip 1:55) Listen to the newscast again. Fill in the blanks with the words that you hear. The World Health Organization (WHO) has ____________________ some staggering new statistics on ____________________. The W-­‐H-­‐O says the number of adults with diabetes has quadrupled worldwide in four ____________________ to 422 million, and the condition is fast becoming a major problem in _______________________ countries. Researchers said ____________________ populations and _____________________ levels of obesity across the world mean diabetes is becoming "a [major] issue for global public health." They found that between 1980 and 2014, diabetes became more ____________________ among men than women, and rates of diabetes rose _________________________ in many low and middle-­‐income countries. Margaret Chan, the W-­‐H-­‐O's director-­‐general, said the _________________________ showed an urgent need to address unhealthy diets and ________________________ around the world. The largest increases in diabetes rates were in Pacific island nations, followed by the Middle East and North Africa, in countries like Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. CONCLUSION Consider or discuss the following questions. 1. Are you concerned about diabetes? 2. What does it mean to live a healthy lifestyle? Give examples. 3. Do you think we are educated when it comes to knowing what is healthy or unhealthy? 4. Why do you think obesity is increasing? What should we do about it? 5. Do you think health and nutrition should be taught to children in school? Why or why not? LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 5 NEWSCAST 3 (LANGUAGE LEVEL: CLB 5/5+): PANAMA PAPERS SCANDAL Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/panama-­‐papers-­‐offshore-­‐tax-­‐scope-­‐1.3520001 INTRODUCTION Have you heard of the Panama Papers scandal? Look at the picture above. What do you think it is about? It is estimated that about $1 trillion is funneled out of developing countries each year. Money generated from major natural resource extraction projects, for example, can be siphoned off and hidden in offshore accounts. (Thierry Gouegnon/Reuters) What examples can you think of? What are the pros and cons of doing this? LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 6 VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1 Look at the vocabulary below. Match the word with the correct definition. The first one is done for you. If you unsure, leave the answer blank and move on as you will be asked to recheck your answers later. ANSWER WORD/EXPRESSION SYNONYM(S) K 1. leak A. abroad; overseas 2. records B. protect; guard 3. offshore C. resigned; withdrew 4. claimed D. accusations; claims 5. casualty E. documents; data 6. stepped aside F. suspicious; questionable 7. amid G. anger; disapproval 8. outrage H. prevention; evasion 9. revelations I. put an end to; squash 10. shelter J. arrangements; strategies 11. sums K. disclosure; release 12. dubbed L. clear; open 13. suppress M. wrongdoing; unlawfulness 14. allegations N. declared; affirmed 15. misconduct O. areas; places of authority 16. dubious P. nicknamed; termed 17. avoidance Q. among; in the midst of 18. schemes R. amounts; quantities 19. transparent S. victim; misfortune 20. jurisdictions T. announcements; confessions LISTENING ACTIVITY 1 (Audio clip 3:25) Listen to the newscast. Use the space below to take notes. Listen for the vocabulary above. The words are in the order you will hear them while listening to the story. SPEAKING ACTIVITY 1 Try to summarize the information you understood in your own words. LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 7 READING ACTIVITY 1 Read at the script below. The leak of millions of records on offshore accounts belonging to the rich and famous claimed its first high-­‐profile political casualty Tuesday as Iceland's Prime Minister stepped aside amid outrage over revelations he had used a shell company to shelter large sums of money. The leaked records have been dubbed the Panama Papers. China and Russia, took the opposite approach, suppressing the news and rejecting any allegations of misconduct by government officials named in the leak of more than 11 million financial documents from a Panamanian law firm. Officials in Ukraine, Argentina, and other countries are also facing questions about dubious offshore tax-­‐avoidance schemes. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the international community has to work together to make global finance more transparent to prevent the sort of inequality highlighted by the Panama Papers scandal. Trudeau says otherwise, rich investors will simply "hop" around to favourable jurisdictions where they can avoid paying tax. Now go back to the vocabulary activity and use the script to recheck your answers before looking at the answer key. LISTENING ACTIVITY 1 (Audio clip 3:25) Listen to the newscast for a final time and follow along using the script above. CONCLUSION What rich and famous people have been named in the Panama Papers scandal? Do you think it is wrong to avoid paying taxes? Why or why not?
LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 8 TRANSCRIPTS OF WEEKLY NEWSCASTS WEEKLY NEWS STORIES Introduction Hi. This is Don Bell. You’re listening to Learning English with CBC for the week of April 11th. Newscast 1 Most people struggle to exercise but one Edmonton man was willing to risk jail time to spend a night alone inside a No More gym. Cheryl Schneider, the owner of No More Excuses Excuses Fitness Fitness, walked into her studio on Monday morning and Break-­‐in found evidence of an intruder. The intruder had left his mud-­‐caked construction boots outside the front door along with his folded overalls. The intruder moved some equipment around and placed other things in neat piles but left pricey equipment and office computers untouched. After his workout, the bandit used one of the gym's mint-­‐scented towels to wipe down and helped himself to a chicken wrap from Tim Hortons. When Schneider was showing the police around, they came across the uninvited guest behind a door. He was wearing ladies gym clothes that he had found in the lost and found bin. The intruder was calm and cooperative as police handcuffed him and escorted him through the gym. Before leaving, he wiped his feet on the mat so he wouldn't dirty the studio floor. Since the intrusion, Schneider beefed up security at the gym by replacing the locks and adding deadbolts to all the new doors. Despite the hassle, Schneider says she has to give the intruder some credit for good manners, and a determination to get fit. LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english TIME 0:00 0:11 9 Newscast 2 Diabetes a major concern worldwide The World Health Organization (WHO) has released some staggering new statistics on diabetes. The W-­‐H-­‐O says the number of adults with diabetes has quadrupled worldwide in four decades to 422 million, and the condition is fast becoming a major problem in poorer countries. Researchers said aging populations and rising levels of obesity across the world mean diabetes is becoming "a [major] issue for global public health." They found that between 1980 and 2014, diabetes became more common among men than women, and rates of diabetes rose significantly in many low and middle-­‐income countries. Margaret Chan, the W-­‐H-­‐O's director-­‐general, said the findings showed an urgent need to address unhealthy diets and lifestyles around the world. The largest increases in diabetes rates were in Pacific island nations, followed by the Middle East and North Africa, in countries like Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
1:55 Newscast 3 Panama Papers Scandal The leak of millions of records on offshore accounts belonging to the rich and famous claimed its first high-­‐profile political casualty Tuesday as Iceland's Prime Minister stepped aside amid outrage over revelations he had used a shell company to shelter large sums of money. 3:25 The leaked records have been dubbed the Panama Papers. China and Russia, took the opposite approach, suppressing the news and rejecting any allegations of misconduct by government officials named in the leak of more than 11 million financial documents from a Panamanian law firm. Officials in Ukraine, Argentina, and other countries are also facing questions about dubious offshore tax-­‐avoidance schemes. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the international community has to work together to make global finance more transparent to prevent the sort of inequality highlighted by the Panama Papers scandal. Trudeau says otherwise, rich investors will simply "hop" around to favourable jurisdictions where they can avoid paying tax. LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 10 ANSWER KEY FOR NEWSCAST 1: NO MORE EXCUSES FITNESS CENTRE BREAK-­‐IN VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1 ANSWER WORD/EXPRESSION SYNONYM H 1. struggle A. work clothes B 2. risk B. chance N 3. jail time C. intruder K 4. mud-­‐caked D. container for unclaimed items A 5. overalls E. stacks E 6. piles F. dry off M 7. pricey G. break-­‐in C 8. bandit H. have difficulty F 9. wipe down I. strengthened O 10. uninvited J. trouble D 11. lost and found bin K. dirty P 12. cooperative L. acknowledge G 13. intrusion M. expensive I 14. beefed up N. time behind bars J 15. hassle O. unwanted L 16. give credit P. easy-­‐going LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 11 ANSWER KEY FOR NEWSCAST 2: DIABETES A MAJOR CONCERN WORLDWIDE LISTENING ACTIVITY 2 (Audio Clip 1:55) The World Health Organization (WHO) has released some staggering new statistics on diabetes. The W-­‐H-­‐O says the number of adults with diabetes has quadrupled worldwide in four decades to 422 million, and the condition is fast becoming a major problem in poorer countries. Researchers said aging populations and rising levels of obesity across the world mean diabetes is becoming "a [major] issue for global public health." They found that between 1980 and 2014, diabetes became more common among men than women, and rates of diabetes rose significantly in many low and middle-­‐income countries. Margaret Chan, the W-­‐H-­‐O's director-­‐general, said the findings showed an urgent need to address unhealthy diets and lifestyles around the world. The largest increases in diabetes rates were in Pacific island nations, followed by the Middle East and North Africa, in countries like Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 12 ANSWER KEY FOR NEWSCAST 3: PANAMA PAPERS SCANDAL VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1 ANSWER WORD/EXPRESSION K 1. leak E 2. records A 3. offshore N 4. claimed S 5. casualty C 6. stepped aside Q 7. amid G 8. outrage T 9. revelations B 10. shelter R 11. sums P 12. dubbed I 13. suppress D 14. allegations M 15. misconduct F 16. dubious H 17. avoidance J 18. schemes L 19. transparent O 20. jurisdictions A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
N.
O.
P.
Q.
R.
S.
T.
SYNONYM(S) abroad; overseas protect; guard resigned; withdrew accusations; claims documents; data suspicious; questionable anger; disapproval prevention; evasion put an end to; squash plans; strategies disclosure; release clear; open wrongdoing; unlawfulness declared; affirmed areas; places of authority nicknamed; termed among; in the midst of amounts; quantities victim; misfortune announcements; confessions Thank you for using Learning English with CBC. If you have any questions or comments, please email Deidre Lake at [email protected] LEARNING ENGLISH WITH CBC – cbc.ca/learning-­‐english 13