Edmonton
November 7, 2016
Objectives:
Contents:
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
Canada welcomes new immigrants (0:14)
Setting the Scene
Immigration Minister John McCallum announced today that Canada will welcome 300,000 immigrants to the country in 2017. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press) (CBC file photo)
The population of Canada is aging, which means the average age is getting older and older. When fewer people are working in a country, the economy will get weaker. To balance the aging population, Canada welcomes immigrants. New immigrants mean more working people in the country, and therefore should help our economy grow.
Pre-listening Questions Why did you and/or your family decide to come to Canada? What other countries did you consider immigrating to? Does your country welcome new immigrants?
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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. immigrants (n.)
people who move to a new country to live and work
increase (n.)
Something that is bigger or larger in number or amount than before
targets (n.)
goals that a person/country is trying to achieve
strategy (n.)
a plan to achieve a goal
economic (adj.) advisers (n.)
relating to the economy – the trade, industry, resources and money a country has people who give advice about a specific subject
boost (v.)
to increase, to make something bigger or stronger
currently (adv.)
at present time
1. Teachers encourage students to set __________________ they hope to achieve in a semester. 2. The teacher is trying a new __________________ to get her students to finish their homework. 3. The teacher knows that if students complete their assignments they will be able to __________________ their grades and their knowledge of the subject. 4. The government is hoping to provide an__________________ in the amount it spends on education. 5. When the __________________ situation is not strong, the government has less money to support programs. 6. There is__________________ a recession, so the economy is not strong right now. 7. Many government __________________ suggest that the government spend more money to boost the economy. 8. One suggestion was that the government increase the number of __________________ welcomed into Canada each year. We encourage you to study these new words using this link: https://quizlet.com/_2qutah 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 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. ____ Canada will increase the number of immigrants it welcomes in 2017. 2. ____ There will be a bigger increase in the number of immigrants welcomed after 2017. 3. ____ This year Canada brought in 200 000 new immigrants. 4. ____ Canada has a target of having lower immigration. 5. ____ Higher immigration is a strategy to increase economic growth of the country. 6. ____ The immigration strategy or plan was created by a council of economic advisers. 7. ____ The council says that increasing the number of immigrants will not boost the economy.
8. ____ More immigrants will mean more people of working age. 9. ____ The council said the government should increase immigration to 540, 000 a year. 10. ____ They believe this increase should happen over the next five years.
Food for Thought
What other countries are experiencing the problem of an aging population? How will new immigrants help a country’s economy? What are some other ways a country can try to boost its economy?
© 2016/2017
Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.
Page 4 of 14
News story #2
The worst of the recession is over (1:19)
Setting the Scene
An oil pump (CBC file photo)
Two years ago, the price of oil crashed. This drop in the price of oil affected the world’s economy, and it greatly affected Canada’s economy. As an oil-producing country, Canada was making a lot of money selling oil, when the price was high. Since the price of oil dropped, Canada has been in a recession and many people have lost their jobs.
Pre-listening Questions What are some other oil-producing countries? How was your home country affected by the drop in the price of oil?
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Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.
Page 5 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
______
downturn (n.)
a) a person who studies the economy
______
recession (n.)
b) a steep drop, crash
______
collapse (n.)
c) consistency, a state of not experiencing big changes
______
expect (v.)
d) not less than or shorter than a certain number
______
economist (n.)
e) a large container like a can that is used to transport oil
______
barrel (n.)
f) ending employment because there is not enough work
______
stability (n.)
g) the process when business and production decreases
______
rehiring (v.)
h) to believe something will happen in the future
______
at least (adv.)
i)
to employ someone again
______
layoffs (n.)
j)
a difficult time when the economy slows down
We encourage you to study these new words using this link: https://quizlet.com/_2quuc3 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 Multiple Choice Read the following questions. Then listen to the audio and choose the best answer to complete the sentences. Answers are in the appendix. 1. ATB Financial Bank says it believes that the worst of the ______________________ may be over. 2. They believe Alberta will come out of the two-year recession caused by the _________________. 3. The bank expects Alberta’s economy to grow _______________ next year.
a)
economic recession
b) energy downturn a) collapse of oil b) collapse of the economy a) 2.1% b) 21%
4. ATB chief economist says prices are expected to be
a) $40 - $45
around US _______________ a barrel next year.
b) $50 - $55
5. Hirsch predicts there will be more stability in the ________________________. 6. ______________________ of workers lost their jobs in the energy downturn. 7. The economist believes those workers will not be rehired for ______________________. 8. He predicts the __________________ should end.
a) energy industry b) economy a) Tens of thousands b) Thousands a) another month b) at least a year a) recession b) layoffs
Food for thought
How does a recession affect the average individual? Have you experienced some of the negative effects of Canada’s recession? What are they? What do you think a government can do to help people during a recession?
© 2016/2017
Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.
Page 7 of 14
News story #3
Rescuing the pumpkins (2:24)
Setting the Scene
(CBC file photo)
One Halloween tradition in Canada is to carve pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. First, the top of the pumpkin is cut off. Then, the seeds and pulp are taken out. Next, a face or image is carved into the pumpkin. Lastly, a candle is put the pumpkin. These jack-o-lanterns are used to decorate at Halloween time. When Halloween is over, most of these pumpkins are thrown in the garbage.
Pre-listening Questions Did you carve a pumpkin for Halloween this year? Have you ever carved a pumpkin? Did you enjoy looking at any creative pumpkins this year? What do you think should be done about this waste of food?
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Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.
Page 8 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
Related words
________
rescue (n.)
a) safe place, protected area
________
rehome (v.)
b) area, location
________
sanctuary (n.)
c) gather, pick up
________
collect (v.)
d) farm animals, cows
________
treat (n.)
e) healthy chemicals, substance in food
________
livestock (n.)
f) save, salvage
________
nutrients (n.)
g) candy, special food
________
region (n.)
h) find new shelter, new home
We encourage you to study these new words using this link: https://quizlet.com/_2quv9z 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 Short Answer Read the questions below. Listen to the audio and answer the questions. Answers are in the appendix. 1. What holiday was celebrated at the end of October?
2. What is the Farm Animal Rescue and Rehoming Movement?
3. What is the Farm Animal Rescue and Rehoming Movement collecting?
4. Why are they collecting this vegetable?
5. Each fall, how many of this special vegetable does the rescue group collect?
6. What makes this vegetable so good for livestock?
7. What is now open across the Edmonton area?
Food for thought What Canadian traditions do you think are unusual? Which traditions are you interested in learning about or participating in? What Canadian holidays do you enjoy?
© 2016/2017
Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.
Page 10 of 14
Transcripts of Weekly news stories NOVEMBER WEEKLY NEWS STORIES
Introduction
TIME 0:00
Hi, I’m Don Bell and this is Learning English with the CBC for November 7th, with stories that made news over the past week.
Story 1
Canada won't increase the number of new immigrants being welcomed to the country next year, but is planning for a bigger increase in numbers in the coming years. The government has said Canada will bring in 300,000 new arrivals next year, the same number as this year. Higher immigration targets are part of a government strategy to increase economic growth. The plan is based on the work of a council of economic advisers. The council says that increasing the number of immigrants by tens of thousands would boost the number of working age people in Canada which is currently decreasing. The council said the government should gradually increase immigration levels to 450,000 a year over the next five years.
Story 2
1:19 ATB Financial Bank says it believes that the worst of the energy downturn may be over and that Alberta will come out of the two-year recession caused by the collapse of oil prices. In its latest economic report, the bank says it expects Alberta's economy to grow 2.1 per cent next year. ATB chief economist Todd Hirsch says oil prices are expected to be around US$50 to US$55 a barrel next year. There will be more stability in the energy industry -- but not growth. He says the rehiring of the tens of thousands of workers who have lost their jobs in the downturn will not start for at least another year or more, but layoffs should end. Now that Halloween is over, the Farm Animal Rescue and Rehoming 2:24 Movement, an animal sanctuary near Wetaskiwin is collecting unwanted pumpkins to feed its pot-bellied pigs. Pumpkins are like candy to the pigs. Each fall, the rescue group has collected hundreds of pumpkins from around Edmonton as a special treat for its pigs and other livestock that have been rescued from across Alberta. Pumpkins are a healthy snack with plenty of nutrients that are good for pigs. There are a number of drop-off locations now open across the Edmonton region.
Story 3
© 2016/2017
0:14
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Page 11 of 14
Answer keys News story 1 Canada welcomes new immigrants Vocabulary 1. Teachers encourage students to set targets they hope to achieve in a semester. 2. The teacher is trying a new strategy to get her students to finish their homework. 3. The teacher knows that if students complete their assignments they will be able to boost their grades and their knowledge of the subject. 4. The government is hoping to provide an increase in the amount it spends on education. 5. When the economic situation is not strong, the government has less money to support programs. 6. There is currently a recession so the economy is not strong right now. 7. Many government advisers suggest that the government spend more money to boost the economy. 8. One suggestion was that the government increase the number of immigrants welcomed into Canada each year. Listening
1. __F__ Canada will increase the number of immigrants it welcomes in 2017. 2. __T__ There will be a bigger increase in the number of immigrants welcomed after 2017. 3. __F__ This year Canada brought in 200 000 new immigrants. 4. __F__ Canada has a target of having lower immigration. 5. __T__ Higher immigration is a strategy to increase economic growth of the country. 6. __T__ The immigration strategy or plan was created by a council of economic advisers. 7. __F__ The council says that increasing the number of immigrants will not boost the economy.
8. __T__ More immigrants will mean more people of working age. 9. __F__ The council said the government should increase immigration to 540, 000 a year. 10. __T__ They believe this increase should happen over the next five years.
© 2016/2017
Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.
Page 12 of 14
News story 2 The worst of the recession is over Vocabulary Answer Vocabulary word Definition ___g__
downturn (n.)
a) a person who studies the economy
___j__
recession (n.)
b) a steep drop, crash
___b__
collapse (n.)
c) consistency, a state of not experiencing big changes
___h__
expect (v.)
d) not less than or shorter than a certain number
___a__
economist (n.)
e) a large container like a can that is used to transport oil
___e__
barrel (n.)
f) ending employment because there is not enough work
___c__
stability (n.)
g) the process when business and production decreases
___i__
rehiring (v.)
h) to believe something will happen in the future
___d__
at least (adv.)
i)
to employ someone again
___f__
layoffs (n.)
j)
a difficult time when the economy slows down
Listening 1. ATB Financial Bank says it believes that the worst of the ______________________ may be over.
a) economic recession b) energy downturn
2. They believe Alberta will come out of the two-year recession caused by the _________________.
a) collapse of oil b) collapse of the economy
3. The bank expects Alberta’s economy to grow _______________ next year.
a) 2.1% b) 21%
4. ATB chief economist says prices are expected to be around US _______________ a barrel next year.
a) $40 - $4 b) $50 - $55
5. Hirsch predicts there will be more stability in the ________________________.
a) energy industry b) economy
6. ______________________ of workers lost their jobs in the energy downturn.
a) Tens of thousands b) Thousands
7. The economist believes those workers will not be rehired for ______________________. 8. He predicts the __________________ should end.
a) b) a) b)
© 2016/2017
another month at least a year recession layoffs
Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.
Page 13 of 14
News story 3 Rescuing the pumpkins Vocabulary Answer Word from the story Related words ___f__
rescue (n.)
a) safe place, protected area
___h__
rehome (v.)
b) area, location
___a__
sanctuary (n.)
c) gather, pick up
___c__
collect (v.)
d) farm animals, cows
___g__
treat (n.)
e) healthy chemicals, substance in food
___d__
livestock (n.)
f) save, salvage
___e__
nutrients (n.)
g) candy, special food
___b__
region (n.)
h) find new shelter, new home
Listening 1. What holiday was celebrated at the end of October? Halloween 2. What is the Farm Animal Rescue and Rehoming Movement? an animal sanctuary 3. What is the Farm Animal Rescue and Rehoming Movement collecting? unwanted pumpkins (from Halloween) 4. Why are they collecting this vegetable? to feed its (pot-bellied) pigs and other livestock 5. Each fall, how many of this special vegetable does the rescue group collect? hundreds of pumpkins 6. What makes this vegetable so good for livestock? tt is a healthy snack, it has lots of nutrients 7. What is now open across the Edmonton area? drop off locations – places to drop off (donate) your pumpkins
© 2016/2017
Government of Alberta Permission granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only.
Page 14 of 14
