Man with a knife in Manchester - level 3

Shocking CCTV footage released by Manchester police shows the moment the man wielding a large-bladed knife is tackled to the ground by armed officers.

At about 11 pm on Tuesday, CCTV operators spotted a man waving the butcher’s knife around the Piccadilly Garden's area of Manchester and informed the police.

The man can be seen struggling to stand and interacts with terrified members of the public, as he continues to wave the knife around.

Several bystanders can be seen approaching the man who was also carrying a number of other items.

Within a couple of minutes of being called, local response and armed police officers arrived at the scene and bravely took the man to the ground.

A 55-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of affray and remains in police custody for questioning.

Difficult words: CCTV footage (security camera video), wield (hold a weapon out to prepare to use it), tackle (pushed), butcher (a person who cuts apart large pieces of meat), interact (communicate or make people react), terrified (scared), bystander (person who watches something), affray (a fight in a public place).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com

What do you think about the man? Why did he do this?

Italian army grows marijuana - level 3

Last year, Italy legalised marijuana for medicinal purposes and now the country is drafting in the army to make cheaper batches of the drug.

Not many patients initially signed up when the drug was legalised, largely because of the stigma it has in Catholic Italy and the cost.

Though Italian doctors can already prescribe cannabis to relieve pain, nausea and treat symptoms of illnesses like multiple sclerosis, only a few dozen patients actually paid the almost 38 euros.

But by using the army to produce the drug, the country's health minister hopes it will halve the cost.

“The aim obviously is to reduce the cost. That’s the motive behind of what we’re doing. We believe we can become self-sufficient and more than just halve the production costs and thus, eventually, also reduce administration costs.”

Starting next year, a high-security lab in a military compound in Florence will produce cannabis for Italy's healthcare system.

Difficult words: legalise (make something illegal be legal), draft in (to bring somebody into a team so they will do something), batch (a quantity of goods produced at one time), initially (in the beginning), stigma (loss of respect), cannabis (a scientific name for marijuana), nausea (a feeling of sickness), multiple sclerosis (a serious illness which makes it difficult to move, speak and see), thus (as a result of this), compound (many buildings in an enclosed area).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com

Do you use or smoke marijuana?

Wedding party in the water - level 3

“Oh my God!”

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God. Oh my God.”

Not quite what you want on your wedding day. It wasn’t just the bride and groom taking the plunge at this wedding in Minnesota, when the whole party ended up in a lake.

The hilarious video shows the moment Dan and Jackie Anderson were dunked into a lake after lining up on a dock with their groomsmen and bridesmaids for a photo shoot, before the wedding was due to begin. The weight of the 22 people was just too much for the dock and it collapsed beneath them, resulting in the whole wedding party getting a soaking.

As screams and laughter echoed around the lake, a couple of bridesmaids were able to dash off, but the rest ended up in waist deep water.

The bride, groom and their entire wedding party were still drying off, as the guests arrived for the wedding.

Difficult words: take the plunge (to do something important or risky), plunge (jump or dive into water AND to do something important), party (group of people who go somewhere together), dunk (to put something into a liquid), dash off (run away).

Source: www.itn.co.uk

Have you ever fallen into water?

Dolphin is born - level 3

A bottlenose dolphin, Sadie, gave birth yesterday to her second calf at Sea World San Diego.

Sadie gave birth at 3:32 PM at dolphin stadium after a 12-month gestation period. The baby came in at whopping 40 pounds (18kg).

Trainers and vets have said that the mother and baby appeared to be in good health and are bonding and swimming together.

In the next few weeks, they’ll continue to monitor both mother and baby around the clock. The gender of the calf is still unknown and will be determined within several weeks.

Thirteen-year-old Sadie’s first calf, named Kailani Koa, was born in 2009. The newborn dolphin marks the 80th successful dolphin birth at Sea World San Diego.

Difficult words: calf (young mammal such as a dolphin), gestation period (the time when the baby is inside the mother’s body), whopping (very large), bond (to establish a relationship with somebody), around the clock (non-stop), determine (to find out), several (few).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com

Any ideas for the name? :-)

If you are a teacher, you can use simple English news in your classes. Students can practise their reading and listening skills. You can prepare different reading activities for your students. We prepared for you some tips on what you can do with the news, so that your students would get the full benefit of each English story.

Working with three levels

1. Let students start working with Level 1, so they can understand news well. Students read the English text and then play the recording.

2. Move on to Level 2. It is not too hard for students because now they know everything about the story, so they can deduce most of the new words too.

3. Move on to Level 3 and that is too difficult for the students but because they have been through level 1 and 2 they find out that they can more or less cope with it and know what the text is saying. This way they even deduce quite a lot of new words.

4. Now, students should practice telling the story to each other in a simple way.

Reading

1. Let students work in pairs. Give both of them a copy of the English story at their level.

2. Students read the English text. The first student reads one sentence and translates it into their own language. The other student reads the second sentence and also translates it into their own language. They keep changing after one sentence and continue this way until they read the whole text.

3. The first student reads the first paragraph without translating it. The other student reads the second paragraph. Once again they change after one paragraph until they finish reading.

4. They do the same but there is a twist. They read the paragraphs their partners read.

5. One student reads the whole text and their partner only listens without reading it. Then the other student does the same. They practise their English listening skills.

6. Play the video or audio the next lesson as many times as necessary until all your students understand.

You can follow these instructions for any news. Have fun!

Baby elephant saved from a well – level 3

An animal conservation project in Kenya have released video of an elephant being rescued.

In the footage, the eight-week-old calf can be seen trapped in a well in the Amboseli national park.

Using ropes tied to their jeep rescuers managed to pull the baby out of its predicament.

And afterwards, it couldn’t get away from the well fast enough, eventually being reunited with its family.

Interesting words: conservation (saving), footage (film), calf (baby of a large animal), predicament (difficult situation).

This text is for Level 3. Please click here for Level 1 and Level 2.

Policeman hit a woman – level 3

An alleged act of shocking police brutality at the street party in Philadelphia. As revellers celebrate the city’s Puerto Rican Day Parade, someone throws what seems to be water into the air, wetting several police officers.

They turn, and as they do so, so does 39-year-old Aida Guzman. As she walks away, one officer, apparently believing her to be responsible, swings a punch at her face, knocking her to the ground.

Aida is hauled off in handcuffs and charged with disorderly conduct. 

The video of the incident has since gone viral and has been picked up by the Philadelphia police department. They say they are investigating the officer in the film, a Luitenant with 19 years service, who has previously been commended for bravery. He’s currently been put on desk duty.

Guzman has reportedly not yet decided whether to press charges after suffering a split lip and grazed knuckles.

Interesting words: alleged (not proved yet), reveller (somebody who is celebrating), swing (throw), haul off (take to prison), disorderly conduct (bad behaviour in public), commend (praise), graze (break the surface of your skin), knuckle (joint in your finger).

This text is for Level 3. Please click here for Level 1 and Level 2.