Weekly Newscast September 12, 2014

Learning English with CBC Edmonton Weekly newscast September 12, 2014

Lessons prepared by Barbara Edmondson & Justine Light

Objectives of the weekly newscast lesson

- to develop listening skills at the CLB 4 level

- to increase vocabulary among learners

- to increase knowledge of news stories

- to provide a self-study tool, as well as, an ESL classroom resource

www.alberta.ca http://www.cbc.ca/edmonton/learning-english/

© CBC 2014 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 1 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ News story #1 New Leader for the PC party What do you know about politics in Alberta? Who is the leader of our province? What happened to the leader we had last year? This story introduces the new premier of Alberta. Before you listen to the first news story, complete this vocabulary activity. It will help you to understand the listening more easily. Vocabulary Choose the group of synonyms (words with similar meaning) that best match each of the vocabulary words. Answers are in the appendix. Answer Word from the story Related words 1) premier a) main focus most important 2) defeating b) search look for 3) victory c) acting short term 4) priority d) beating winning over 5) interim e) leader head of a province 6) controversy f) win success 7) seek g) debate argument Now listen to the first news story from the audio file. Listening activity: Multiple Choice Choose the best answer to complete the sentences. Answers are in the appendix. 1. Jim Prentice is now ______. a) a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. b) Alberta’s new premier. 2. Prentice received ______votes a) 18 thousand which helped him defeat two other members. b) 8 thousand 3. Prentice said his victory was ______a) a new beginning for Alberta. ______. b) a top priority for Alberta. 4. Prentice really wants to improve Albertans’ a) involvement with their ______government. b) trust in their 5. Dave Hancock was the interim premier since a) had problems with her expenses Alison Redford ______in March. b) stepped down 6. Prentice will now have to ______as a) seek a seat an MLA in the Alberta legislature. b) search for a leadership role

Discussion Question Why is Jim Prentice’s goal to restore Albertans’ trust in their government? Why do Albertans not trust their government?

© CBC 2014 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 2 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ News story #2 Arctic Mystery Solved

Have you ever heard of the famous British explorer John Franklin? What was he looking for as he explored the Arctic Ocean? This story is about an important discovery of part of Canada’s history. Before you listen to the second news story, complete this vocabulary activity. It will help you to understand the listening more easily. Vocabulary Match the words with their definitions. Answers are in the appendix. Answer Word Definition 1. mystery a) a person who studies people and cultures of the past 2. doomed b) trip or voyage to discover something 3. disappeared c) will probably end negatively or in misfortune 4. dozens d) the use of sound to find things under water 5. sonar e) piece of evidence 6. wreckage f) something that remains unknown 7. archeologist g) lost; no one knows what happened to something/someone 8. Arctic h) ruins; pieces of buildings or vehicles that have been destroyed 9. trace i) located near the north pole 10. expedition j) groups of 12 Extra definitions to help you understand the reading: North West Passage – a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, around islands of northern Canada, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean Now listen to the second news story from the audio file.

Listening Activity: True/False Decide whether the statements below are true or false. Write your answer in the blanks. Answers are in the appendix. 1. ____ Premier Jim Prentice said one of Canada’s greatest mysteries has now been solved. 2. ____ One of the ships from Sir John Franklin’s Atlantic expedition has been found. 3. ____ In 1845 Franklin and 128 others set out to find the North West Passage. 4. ____ All the crew disappeared without a trace. 5. ____ Over the last 170 years hundreds of searches for the ships have failed. 6. ____ Sonar images last weekend clearly showed wreckage of a ship on the ocean floor. 7. ____ An underwater archeologist said the wreck was one of Franklin’s two ships. 8. ____ Next the search team will want to explore inside the sunken ship.

Discussion Question Why do you think people were looking for the Northwest Passage 170 years ago? Why do you think there is so much interest in these ships?

© CBC 2014 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 3 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ News story #3 British Royal Family Growing Can you name members of the British royal family? Why is the news about the royal family printed in Canada? This story is about Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are expecting another child. Before you listen to the third news story, complete this vocabulary activity. It will help you to understand the listening more easily. Vocabulary Use one of the vocabulary words below to complete the sentences. Answers are in the appendix. officials representative or persons in power duchess a high ranking woman; the wife of a duke expecting to be excitedly waiting for something treated to be helped medically by a doctor acute sharp or very strong phase one stage of a process symptoms a sign of an illness throne the chair a king or queen sits in Extra definitions to help you understand the reading: to be over something – to successfully pass or deal with a bad situation or symptom in line to the throne – to be the next person to lead a nation if something happens to the current king or queen 1. When Kate Middleton married Prince William she was given the title ______. 2. British royal ______try to control what the public learns about the royal family. 3. Many people around the world are interested in who is next in line to the ______. 4. When someone is ______a baby they should be sure to eat healthily. 5. There are three ______in pregnancy, and often woman experience morning sickness in the first one. 6. If you feel ______pain you should call your doctor or go to the hospital. 7. When I hurt my hand my doctor suggested I be ______by a physiotherapist. 8. Common ______of a cold are a runny nose, a high fever and a cough.

Now listen to the third news story from the audio file.

Listening Activity: Short Answer Read and answer the questions below. Answers are in the appendix. 1. What did British royal officials say on Monday? 2. What is Kate being treated for? 3. How were her symptoms the first time she was pregnant? 4. When does Prince William think she will be over the worst of the symptoms? 5. Who are the next three people in line for the throne? Re-tell the news story: Can you re-tell the story you have just heard in your own words. Try it out with your partner.

Simple sentences and Compound sentences

Simple sentences – are made up of a subject, a verb and must have one complete thought. Compound sentences – have two independent clauses (two complete sentences), joined with a coordinating conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, so, for, or, nor, yet

We use coordinating conjunctions to join two simple sentences together to make a compound sentence. We should not begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction; it must come in the middle of a sentence. Each coordinating conjunction shows a different relationship between the two simple sentences being joined. Can you see the relationships?

Let’s look at some examples related to our news stories this week.

Simple sentences: Jim Prentice was elected the new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party last week. Jim Prentice therefore becomes premier. Compound sentence: Jim Prentice was elected the new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party last week and therefore becomes premier.

Simple sentences: Dozens of searches over the past 170 years have failed to find the ships. On the weekend sonar images successfully showed wreckage of a ship on the ocean floor. Compound sentence: Dozens of searches over the past 170 years have failed to find the ships, but on the weekend sonar images successfully showed the ship on the ocean floor. Simple sentences: Kate is experiencing morning sickness. Kate is being treated for her symptoms. Compound sentence: Kate is experiencing morning sickness, so she is being treated for her symptoms.

‘and’ – is used when the two sentences we are joining are equal or they occur in order of time.

‘but’ – is used to join two sentences in which the second sentence shows a contrast to the first sentence or negative information.

‘so’ – is used to join two sentences when the first sentence is a cause and the second sentence is the effect.

Try to use compound sentences to write about one of the news stories this week.

© CBC 2014 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 5 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ Transcripts of Weekly news stories

SEPTEMBER 12TH WEEKLY NEWS STORIES TIME

Introduction Hi, this is Don Bell. You’re listening to Learning English with CBC for 0:00 September 12th. Story 1 Alberta has a new premier. Jim Prentice was elected the new leader of 0:10 the Progressive Conservative Party last week and therefore becomes premier. Prentice received nearly 18 thousand votes from party members, easily defeating Ric McIver and Thomas Lukaszuk, who each got fewer than 3 thousand votes. He said his victory was a new beginning for Alberta. Prentice said he would make his top priority improving Albertans' trust in their government. Prentice takes over as premier from Dave Hancock who was interim premier since Alison Redford stepped down in March during controversy about her expenses and leadership style. He will now have to seek a seat as an MLA in the Alberta legislature. Story 2 Prime Minister Stephen Harper says one of Canada's greatest mysteries 1:11 now has been solved, with the discovery of one of the lost ships from Sir John Franklin's doomed Arctic expedition. Harper calls it "a great historic event." Franklin and his 128 member crew set out in two ships in 1845 to find the Northwest Passage. They disappeared without a trace----and dozens of searches over the last 170 years have failed to find the ships. But on the weekend, sonar images from the waters of Victoria Strait, just off King William Island, clearly showed wreckage of a ship on the ocean floor. Ryan Harris, an underwater archeologist who was Parks Canada's project lead for this year's search, said the wreck was one of Franklin's two ships. The next step for the search team will be to take a look at what's inside. Story 3 British royal officials said Monday that Prince William and Kate, the 2:28 duchess of Cambridge, are expecting their second child. For the second time, Kate is being treated for acute morning sickness in the early phases of her pregnancy. The first time she was so ill she had to go to hospital. Prince William said Kate should be over the worst of her symptoms in a few weeks. The new baby, boy or girl, will become fourth in line to the throne. George, who is 13 months old, is third. William is second in line, while his father, Prince Charles, is first.

News story 1 Vocabulary

Answer Word from the story Related words e 1) premier a) main focus most important d 2) defeating b) search look for f 3) victory c) acting short term a 4) priority d) beating winning over c 5) interim e) leader head of a province g 6) controversy f) win success b 7) seek g) debate argument

Listening

1. Jim Prentice is now ______. a) a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. b) Alberta’s new premier. 2. Prentice received ______votes a) 18 thousand which helped him defeat two other members. b) 8 thousand 3. Prentice said his victory was ______a) a new beginning for Alberta. ______. b) a top priority for Alberta. 4. Prentice really wants to improve Albertans’ a) involvement with their ______government. b) trust in their 5. Dave Hancock was the interim premier since a) had problems with her expenses Alison Redford ______in March. b) stepped down 6. Prentice will now have to ______as a) seek a seat an MLA in the Alberta legislature. b) search for a leadership role

News story 2 Vocabulary

Answer Word Definition f 1. mystery a) a person who studies people and cultures of the past c 2. doomed b) trip or voyage to discover something g 3. disappeared c) will probably end negatively or in misfortune

© CBC 2014 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 7 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ j 4. dozens d) the use of sound to find things under water d 5. sonar e) piece of evidence h 6. wreckage f) something that remains unknown a 7. archeologist g) lost; no one knows what happened to something/someone i 8. Arctic h) ruins; pieces of buildings or vehicles that have been destroyed e 9. trace i) located near the north pole b 10. expedition j) groups of 12

Listening

1. __F__ Premier Jim Prentice said one of Canada’s greatest mysteries has now been solved. 2. __F__ One of the ships from Sir John Franklin’s Atlantic expedition has been found. 3. __T__ In 1845 Franklin and 128 others set out to find the North West Passage. 4. __T__ All the crew disappeared without a trace. 5. __F__ Over the last 170 years hundreds of searches for the ships have failed. 6. __T__ Sonar images last weekend clearly showed wreckage of a ship on the ocean floor. 7. __T__ An underwater archeologist said the wreck was one of Franklin’s two ships. 8. __T__ Next the search team will want to explore inside the sunken ship.

News story 3 Vocabulary

1. When Kate Middleton married Prince William she was given the title duchess . 2. British royal officials try to control what the public learns about the royal family. 3. Many people around the world are interested in who is next in line to the throne . 4. When someone is expecting a baby they should be sure to eat healthily. 5. There are three phases in pregnancy, and often woman experience morning sickness in the first one. 6. If you feel acute pain you should call your doctor or go to the hospital. 7. When I hurt my hand my doctor suggested I be treated by a physiotherapist. 8. Common symptoms of a cold are a runny nose, a high fever and a cough.

Listening

1. What did British royal officials say on Monday? They said that Prince William and Kate, the duchess of Cambridge, are expecting their second child. 2. What is Kate being treated for? For acute morning sickness 3. How were her symptoms the first time she was pregnant? She was so ill she had to go to the hospital.

© CBC 2014 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 8 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ 4. When does Prince William think she will be over the worst of the symptoms? In a few weeks 5. Who are the next three people in line for the throne? Prince Charles, William and then George