Calgary

March 13, 2017

Objectives:

Contents:

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To develop listening skills
To increase vocabulary
To increase knowledge of current events
To provide an authentic learning resource

Three news stories
Vocabulary building activities
Listening comprehension activities
Transcripts
Answer keys

2016/2017 Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.

 News story #1

Woman leaves baby alone in bushes (0:11)

Setting the Scene

The bushes (groups of short, tree-like plants) where the child was found. (CBC file photo)

In Canada, parents have legal duties to their children. This means they are responsible by law for
elements of their children’s lives. If parents cannot follow these duties, it is considered a crime. One
of these charges is failing to provide the necessities of life. This means that the parent does not give
the child the food, water, shelter, medicine, or care that they need. Another charge is child
abandonment. This means that the parent leaves the child alone for a long period or possibly
forever. This is not safe or healthy for a child. Therefore, the law protects them.

Pre-listening Questions
What do children need in order to be healthy?
What do children need in order to be safe?
How can communities make sure children are cared for?

2016/2017 Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.

Page 2 of 14

 Vocabulary
Sentence Completion
Learning some of the new words you will hear in the listening will help you understand the news
story. Use the vocabulary words below to complete the sentences. Answers are in the appendix.
facing (v.)

having to deal with an unpleasant situation

charges (n.)

police statements saying that someone has committed crimes

allegedly (adv.)

said but not proven

infant (n.)

a young child or baby

banging (v.)

hitting something loudly

nearby (adv.)

not far away

arrested (v.)

kept by police after committing a crime

released (v.)

allowed to leave the police station

1.

Sometimes police need to figure out what happened before someone is
____________________. But, when police see the crime, or it’s caught on camera, they can
lay ____________________ on the criminal right away.

2.

With new technology, there is often new crime. For the past several years, police have been
_____________________ the challenge of how to do their work when crimes happen
online.

3.

When police do not know what happened in a crime, they can ask witnesses to report what
they ____________________ saw. Sometimes, witnesses must go to the police station to
give information before they are _____________________.

4.

My apartment has thin walls, so we often hear noises ________________________.
Sometimes we can hear an __________________ crying in the park, or the garbage
collectors ___________________ garbage cans.

Extra definitions to help you understand the listening:
under the influence – affected by alcohol or drugs
We encourage you to study these new words using this link: https://quizlet.com/_386xpo
You can practice online for free and as many times as you want to. The Quizlet app is a free
vocabulary study tool. You can download it to your phone or tablet and practice new vocabulary
whenever you have time.
2016/2017 Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.

Page 3 of 14

 Listening Task
Multiple Choice
Read the following sentences. Then listen to the audio and circle the best answer to complete the
sentences. Answers are in the appendix.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

A woman is facing charges after allegedly leaving her

a) Calgary home

baby in some bushes outside a __________________.

b) Calgary shop

Police were called to a home in the northeast at about

a) 2:30

___________________ last Tuesday morning.

b) 3:20

They were told a woman holding an infant was

a) at the window

banging _________________.

b) at the door

When officers arrived they found the ____________

a) woman / baby

but she did not have the _______________ with her.

b) baby / woman

They searched for the infant, and found the

a) 3-week-old

_______________ baby.

b) 3-month-old

He was __________________ in the snow and he

a) lying

wasn’t dressed for the weather.

b) playing

The temperature was around ___________________

a) -50°

degrees that morning.

b) -15°

Police arrested the woman, who may have been under

a) health problems

the influence of __________________.

b) drugs or alcohol

The infant was taken to _________________.

a) hospital
b) home care

10. The infant was later released to
____________________ services.

a) health and protection
b) child and family

Food for Thought

In your country, are there services to protect children?
In your country, what would happen to a parent who abandoned their child?
What should happen to the mother? Do you think she should be punished/helped?

 News story #2

U of C campus group fires member because of email (1:24)

Setting the Scene

An image from the trailer to the film The Red Pill. (The Red Pill) (CBC file photo)

Canadian universities are home to several student groups. These groups can bring students
together because of shared hobbies, interests, cultures, beliefs and politics. These groups allow
students to connect with each other and work towards shared goals. However, different groups can
have different ideas, beliefs and goals. Universities in Canada are public institutions. It is important
for campus groups to be respectful of all students on campus.

Pre-listening Questions
Do you belong to any groups in your community, your city, or online?
Do you think student groups are good for students’ school lives?
If you had the chance to start a group, what kind would you create?

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Page 5 of 14

 Vocabulary
Synonym Matching
To help you better understand the story, choose the pair of synonyms (words with similar meaning)
that best match each of the vocabulary words. Answers are in the appendix.
Answer

Word from the story

Synonym

________

fired (v.)

a) argued, disputed

________

director (n.)

b) film, report

________

resigned (v.)

c) agreed, accepted

________

controversial (adj.)

d) quit, left

________

promoting (v.)

e) challenged, judged

________

documentary (n.)

f) let go, dismissed

________

swift (adj.)

g) symbol, design

________

officially (adv.)

h) advertising, selling

________

approved (v.)

i)

fast, instant

________

logo (n.)

j)

leader, manager

________

criticized (v.)

k) formally, properly

Extra definitions to help you understand the listening:
film screening – a presentation of a movie
co-sponsored – provided money for, with other groups
feminism – the support of women’s rights so they are politically and socially equal to men
Wildrose Party – a very conservative party in the province of Alberta
We encourage you to study these new words using this link: https://quizlet.com/_386xvs
You can practice online for free and as many times as you want to. The Quizlet app is a free
vocabulary study tool. You can download it to your phone or tablet and practice new vocabulary
whenever you have time.

2016/2017 Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.

Page 6 of 14

 Listening Activity
Answering True/False questions
Read the following statements. While you listen to the story, decide whether the statements are
true or false. Write your answer in the blanks.
Answers are in the appendix.
1. ____ A group at the University of Calgary has fired its fundraising director.
2. ____ Its president has also resigned.
3. ____ The group is called Wildrose on Campus.
4. ____ The group sent out an email promoting a film screening.
5. ____ The email was titled “Females are Cancer.”
6. ____ It promoted the screening of an anti-feminist film.
7. ____ Reaction to the email was very fast.
8. ____ The campus group is not officially supported by the Wildrose Party.
9. ____ The Party wants the group to stop using its pictures and website.
10. ____ Brian Jean criticized the language in the documentary.

Food for thought
Do you think the group was right to fire the communications director?
What can the university do to make sure student groups are respectful?
In your country, do student political groups exist? Are they popular? Or, do you think they
would be popular?

 News story #3

U.S. President Trump signs new travel ban (2:30)

Setting the Scene

In New York City, people protest against President Trump’s travel ban on citizens from seven Muslimmajority countries (Kathy Willens/Associated Press) (CBC file photo)

In January, U.S. President Donald Trump passed an order called “Protecting the Nation from Foreign
Terrorist Entry into the United States.” People from seven countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia,
Sudan, Syria and Yemen) were no longer allowed entry into the United States. Those who had work
or study visas still had trouble entering the country. People in the United States and around the
world have been protesting the ban. President Trump says this decision will help limit terrorist
attacks and keep Americans safe.
Pre-listening Questions
What do you think of the travel ban?
Do you know anyone impacted by the U.S. travel ban? How can we help them?
Can you think of other ways that governments can reduce terrorism?

2016/2017 Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.

Page 8 of 14

 Vocabulary
Matching
To help you better understand the words in the news story, match the words with their definitions.
Answers are in the appendix.

Answer

Vocabulary word

Definition

______

limiting (v.)

1. for a period of time that may not end

______

ban (n.)

2. happening first

______

visas (n.)

3. someone forced to leave their country

______

original (adj.)

4. officially accepted

______

affect (v.)

5. a rule saying something is not allowed

______

suspension (n.)

6. to change or impact something

______

refugee (n.)

7. took something away

______

blocked (v.)

8. stopped something from moving or going by

______

indefinitely (adv.)

9. documents allowing people to enter/leave a country

______

lifted (v.)

10. the act of stopping something for a period of time

______

approved (v.)

11. controlling and restricting what is allowed

Extra words to help you better understand the listening:
executive order – a rule created by the president, which has legal power
struck down – rejected
green card – a permit that allows a foreign-born person to live and work in the United States
We encourage you to study these new words using this link: https://quizlet.com/_386y6f
You can practice online for free and as many times as you want to. The Quizlet app is a free
vocabulary study tool. You can download it to your phone or tablet and practice new vocabulary
whenever you have time.

2016/2017 Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.

Page 9 of 14

 Listening Activity
Organizing
Read the list of types of people below. As you listen to the audio, put the people in the correct
category in the table.
Answers are in the appendix.

CAN enter the United States

CANNOT enter the United States

 people from Iran

 people from Sudan

 people with green cards

 people with visas

 non-refugees from Syria

 people from Somalia

 people from Libya

 approved refugees from

 people from Yemen

 people from Iraq

Syria

Food for thought
Why do you think a federal court rejected Trump’s first travel ban?
People around the world are protesting American political decisions. Why do you think that is?
In your home country, are political protests common? If so, why do they happen?

 Transcripts of Weekly news stories
MARCH WEEKLY NEWS STORIES
Introduction
Story 1

TIME

Hi. I'm Shannon Scott and this is learning English with the CBC for March 0:00
13th, with stories that made news over the past week.
A woman is facing charges after allegedly leaving her baby in some
0:13
bushes outside a Calgary home. Police were called to a home in the
northeast of the city at about 2:30 last Tuesday morning. They were told
a woman, who was holding an infant, was at banging at the door, but no
one inside knew who she was. When officers arrived they found the
woman, but she did not have the baby with her. They started a search for
the infant, and found the 3-month-old nearby. He was lying in the snow,
and police say he wasn't dressed for the weather. The temperature was
around minus 15 degrees that morning. Police arrested the woman, who
they say may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The
infant was taken to hospital and later released to child and family
services.

Story 2

A group at the University of Calgary has fired its communications
1:24
director, and its Vice-President has resigned, after a controversial email
was sent out promoting a film screening co-sponsored by the group.
The email was sent by the group Wildrose on Campus. It was titled
"Feminism is Cancer," and was promoting a screening of the anti-feminist
documentary film "The Red Pill". There was a swift reaction to the email.
After firing the communications director who sent the email, the group
decided it would no longer co-sponsor the film's screening. The Wildrose
Party said the group was not officially approved by the political party and
has asked it to stop using its name and logo. Wildrose leader Brian Jean
criticized the language in the email.

Story 3

Donald Trump has signed another executive order limiting travel for
people from 6 Muslim-majority countries. This ban comes after his
original travel ban was struck down by a US federal appeals court.
Under the new order, no visas will be given to travelers from Iran,
Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and Libya for 90 days. Iraq was on the list
of countries banned in the original order, but it has been removed from
the list. The new order goes in to effect March 16th. The ban does not
affect people who already have visas and valid green cards. The order
also puts in place a 120 day suspension to the US refugee program,
but Syrian refugees will no longer be blocked indefinitely after the
suspension is lifted. Refugees who have already been approved for travel
will be allowed into the country.

2:30

2016/2017 Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.

Page 11 of 14

 Answer keys
News story 1

Woman leaves baby alone in bushes (0:11)

Vocabulary
1.

2.
3.

4.

Sometimes police need to figure out what happened before someone is arrested. But, when
police see the crime, or it’s caught on camera, they can lay charges on the criminal right
away.
With new technology, there is often new crime. For the past several years, police have been
facing the challenge of how to do their work when crimes happen online.
When police do not know what happened in a crime, they can ask witnesses to report what
they allegedly saw. Sometimes, witnesses must go to the police station to give information
before they are released.
My apartment has thin walls, so we often hear noises nearby. Sometimes we can hear an
infant crying in the park, or the garbage collectors banging garbage cans.

Listening
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

A woman is facing charges after allegedly leaving her
baby in some bushes outside a __________________.
Police were called to a home in the northeast at about
___________________ last Tuesday morning.
They were told a woman holding an infant was
banging _________________.
When officers arrived they found the ____________
but she did not have the _______________ with her.
They searched for the infant, and found the
_______________ baby.
He was __________________ in the snow and he
wasn’t dressed for the weather.
The temperature was around ___________________
degrees that morning.
Police arrested the woman, who may have been under
the influence of __________________.
The infant was taken to _________________.

10. The infant was later released to
____________________ services.

a)
b)
a)
b)
a)
b)
a)
b)
a)
b)
a)
b)
a)
b)
a)
b)
a)
b)
a)
b)

Calgary home
Calgary shop
2:30
3:20
at the window
at the door
woman / baby
baby / woman
3-week-old
3-month-old
lying
playing
-50°
-15°
health problems
drugs or alcohol
hospital
home care
health and protection
child and family

 News story 2

U of C campus group fires member because of email (1:24)

Vocabulary
Answer

Vocabulary Word

Definition

f

fired (v.)

a)

argued, disputed

j

director (n.)

b)

film, report

d

resigned (v.)

c)

agreed, accepted

a

controversial (adj.)

d)

quit, left

h

promoting (v.)

e)

challenged, judged

b

documentary (n.)

f)

let go, dismissed

i

swift (adj.)

g)

symbol, design

k

officially (adv.)

h)

advertising, selling

c

approved (v.)

i)

fast, instant

g

logo (n.)

j)

leader, manager

e

criticized (v.)

k)

formally, properly

Listening
1. F A group at the University of Calgary has fired its fundraising director.
2. F Its president has also resigned.
3. T The group is called Wildrose on Campus.
4. T The group sent out an email promoting a film screening.
5. F The email was titled “Females are Cancer.”
6. T It promoted the screening of an anti-feminist film.
7. T Reaction to the email was very fast.
8. T The campus group is not officially supported by the Wildrose Party.
9. F The Party wants the group to stop using its pictures and website.
10. F Brian Jean criticized the language in the documentary.

2016/2017 Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.

Page 13 of 14

 News story 3

U.S. President Trump signs new travel ban (2:30)

Vocabulary
Answer

Vocabulary word

Definition

11

limiting (v.)

1. for a period of time that may not end

5

ban (n.)

2. happening first

9

visas (n.)

3. someone forced to leave their country

2

original (adj.)

4. officially accepted

6

affect (v.)

5. a rule saying something is not allowed

10

suspension (n.)

6. to change or impact something

3

refugee (n.)

7. took something away

8

blocked (v.)

8. stopped something from moving or going by

1

indefinitely (adv.)

9. documents allowing people to enter/leave a country

7

lifted (v.)

10. the act of stopping something for a period of time

4

approved (v.)

11. controlling and restricting what is allowed

Listening

CAN enter the United States

CANNOT enter the United States

 people from Iraq

 people from Iran

 people with visas

 people from Libya

 people with green cards

 people from Somalia

 approved refugees from Syria

 people from Yemen
 people from Sudan
 non-refugees from Syria

2016/2017 Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.

Page 14 of 14