Weird News Radio Show

Weird news radio show

Name: ______Group: ______

Task: Get together in groups of three.

You have to prepare a radio show about weird news.

One student has to play the role of the host.

The other two students have to play the roles of two guests who have heard of two incredible events.

Get prepared for your presentations.

In the radio show, the host welcomes the two guests at the same time and asks them questions about how it happened, what happened, when it happened, where it happened, who was involved and finally why it happened.

The guests all answer these questions.

In the end, the host thanks his guests for coming. As a final word, the two guests and the host have to say which of the two stories was the weirdest and why.

While you’re not doing your oral presentation, you have to listen to the other groups. For each group, you must listen to their weird stories and write down which story was the weirdest. You need to give at least two good reasons for your choices. You need to write full sentences.

Good luck! Task: Read the following two weird news stories. Decide who of you picks which story and who wants to be the host.

First story: Chinese man blows up tyres with his nose

It’s a bit different from a course of antibiotics or a shot of penicillin. But Nie Yongbing said his doctor’s remedy blew his boils away. The 61-year-old inflates tyre inner tubes with up to eight people standing on them – using his nose. Mr Nie discovered his talent eight years ago in 2006 when he visited a Chinese doctor after being plagued by ‘really horrible red boils’. His physician told him he needed to unblock his body’s pathways – or meridians – by inflating balloons. Unbelievably, the treatment worked and Mr Nie has moved on to blowing up tyre inner tubes and mattresses. He now gives demonstrations of his skills to advertise his bakery in China’s south-west Sichuan province. International medias heard of his story in early 2014. Mr Nie said: “I’ve been doing this for eight years and never had a problem with boils since I started the treatment. It takes me about 20 minutes to pump up a tube with people standing on it. Doctors have told me I have an incredibly healthy lung with an enormous capacity which is great.” Second story: Swedish man reads his own obituary

Death comes to us all – but sometimes obituary writers get there first. Sven-Olof Svensson was surprised to read about his death following a misunderstanding between his family and the hospital that had been treating him. The 81-year-old, from Jönköping in Sweden, was wrongly reported to be dead after his sister, 90, spoke with a doctor on the phone and was given the impression he was dead. Mr Svensson had been admitted on Christmas Eve 2013 after feeling unwell. His obituary appeared a week later in the local newspaper on New Year’s Eve. However, his sister’s friend – who had helped her compile the tribute – was shocked when he visited the hospital to collect Mr Svensson’s things and found him sitting up in bed. Svensson later welcomed a reporter from the same newspaper for a ‘follow-up’ article. When asked how he felt about seeing his obituary, he said: “You don’t feel much. We are all going to end up in the obituary section. I’ve lived a fantastic long life, I’m 81 and can’t complain about my age.”

Task: If you are one of the guests, you have to write down some important details of the two stories.

First story: How did it happen?:

______

What happened?:

______

When did it happen?

______

Where did it happen?

______

Who was involved?

______

Why did it happen? ______

Second story:

How did it happen?:

______

What happened?:

______

When did it happen?

______

Where did it happen?

______

Who was involved? ______

Why did it happen?

______

Task: Take some more notes for your role and your presentation. How do you want to talk to the others and present your topic?

Notes for the host:

______

Notes for the first guest:

______

Notes for the second guest:

______

Task: Listen closely to the other presentations. For each presentation, you have to choose which of the two presented stories is the weirdest. Write the topic down. Give at least two reasons for your choice. Write full sentences.

Group 1:

Members of the group: ______

Topic of the weirdest story: ______

Two reasons why this story is weird (full sentences!):

1. ______

2. ______

Group 2:

Topic of the weirdest story: ______Two reasons why this story is weird (full sentences!):

1. ______

2. ______

Group 3:

1. ______

2. ______

Group 4:

1. ______

2. ______

Group 5:

1. ______2. ______

Group 6:

1. ______

2. ______

Group 7:

1. ______

2. ______

Group 8:

Two reasons why this story is weird (full sentences!): 1. ______

2. ______

Group 9:

1. ______

2. ______