Talking about a recent news story

Everyday English Conversations

A printable worksheet for conversation-based English lessons.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: Talking about a recent news story

Warm-up

Do you read a newspaper? (Yes, I read... / No, but I...)

Vocabulary Match

caught •• ran away
believe •• cage
escaped •• imagine
keepers •• closed
locked •• workers
enclosure •• grabbed

Vocabulary Answers

caughtgrabbed
believeimagine
escapedran away
keepersworkers
lockedclosed
enclosurecage

Conversation

Fill in the blanks with words from above.

Emma and Kenji discuss a surprising event at Tokyo Zoo. A giant panda escaped, causing a stir among visitors and online.
Emma:Did you hear the news about the giant panda at Tokyo Zoo?
Kenji:Yes, I did. It ________ from its ________ yesterday!
Emma:I couldn't ________ it. How did it get out?
Kenji:They say the gate wasn't ________ properly.
Emma:Was anyone hurt?
Kenji:No, luckily the ________ ________ it after an hour.
Emma:That's good. It must have been scary for the visitors.
Kenji:Yes, but now everyone is talking about it on social media.
Emma:Did you hear the news about the giant panda at Tokyo Zoo?
Kenji:Yes, I did. It escaped from its enclosure yesterday!
Emma:I couldn't believe it. How did it get out?
Kenji:They say the gate wasn't locked properly.
Emma:Was anyone hurt?
Kenji:No, luckily the keepers caught it after an hour.
Emma:That's good. It must have been scary for the visitors.
Kenji:Yes, but now everyone is talking about it on social media.

Quiz

  1. What animal escaped from Tokyo Zoo?
  2. How did the panda get out?
  3. Was anyone hurt when the panda escaped?
  4. How long did it take to catch the panda?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. A giant panda
  2. The gate wasn't locked properly
  3. No, no one was hurt
  4. It took an hour

True or False

  1. A giant panda escaped from from its enclosure at Tokyo Zoo. T F
  2. The panda was scared of the visitors. T F
  3. Everyone is talking about a giant penguin on social media. T F

True or False Answers

  1. True
  2. False
  3. False

Discussion

  1. Have you ever seen a panda in real life?
  2. What is your favourite animal at the zoo?
  3. How often do you read or watch the news?
  4. Do you prefer news on TV, online, or in newspapers? Why?
  5. Do you often talk with friends and family about the news? What kind of stories?

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