Air France Wreckage Found

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

• wreckage: the parts that remain after an accident
• depth: measurement of how deep something is below the surface of the water
• en route: on the way
• manslaughter: the killing of a person without a plan to do so

Click the link below to listen and complete the article below.

http://edition.englishclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/air-france.mp3

Wreckage from the Air France plane that went down on June 1, 2009 has finally been located after three previously unsuccessful searches. Special were being used to dive to depths of up to 4000 metres. Investigators say bodies have been found with the wreckage and will be brought to the surface and in the upcoming weeks. Only 50 bodies were found during the original searches almost two years ago. 228 people were killed when the plane crashed into the ocean en route to Paris from . The cause of the crash has not been determined and the have not been found. Investigators say the plane was flying into a storm and may have been having problems measuring air speed. Air France and Airbus are facing manslaughter charges related to the .

Discussion Question: 

Millions of dollars are spent on search operations after airplane accidents. The main goal is usually to locate the voice and data recorders. Do you think this is money well spent? Why or why not?

“Titanic” Director Takes Deep Sea Voyage

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

• voyage: an adventure trip
• emerge: to come into view
• dove: past tense of “dive” in American English (“dived” British English)
• sub: short for “submarine”; a vehicle that travels under the water
• remote: far away from action or populated areas
• technical glitch: a small mechanical problem
• premier: the first showing of a film

Filmmaker James Cameron emerged safely from a dive to the deepest known point of the world’s oceans. Cameron dove 11 kilometres down in the western Pacific in a one-man sub called Deepsea . He spent four hours exploring the ocean floor, which he called the most “remote, isolated place on the planet.” Though Cameron was hoping to samples from the dive, the robotic arm on board suffered a technical glitch. He was able to the dive, and plans to release a documentary. The entire trip took about seven hours, and Cameron resurfaced just hours before the premier of “Titanic” in . 

Click the link below to listen and complete the article below.

http://edition.englishclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EnglishClub.com-News-Cameron-Dive.mp3 

 Discussion Question:

What is interesting about the timing of this deep sea voyage? Do you think it was partly a publicity stunt?

Two US Presidents Died on Independence Day

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

• independence: freedom from another government’s control
  
• significant: important; notable
• draft: to write
• rival: enemy
• renew: to try again; to refresh something from the past
• outlive: to live longer than
• written in the stars: destined to happen

Click the link below to listen to the audio.

http://edition.englishclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/EnglishClub.com-IF-Declaration.mp3

Two US Presidents Died on Independence Day

On July 4th Americans around the world celebrate Independence Day. July 4th is a significant day in history for two other reasons. The second US president, John Adams, and the president, Thomas Jefferson, both died on July 4th. In fact, Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4th, 1826. This was the fiftieth of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Adams and Jefferson had worked together to draft the Declaration. In later years, the two became political rivals. It wasn’t until they were both retired that they renewed their friendship and their respect for each other. Adams who was 90 outlived Jefferson, 82, by hours.

 

 Discussion Questions: Do you think the timing of these deaths was a coincidence or do you think it was written in the stars? 

 

 

Three Dogs Survived the Titanic

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

• ill-fated: doomed; unlucky
• evacuate: to leave due to danger
• capacity: the ability to safely hold a certain amount of people
• undetected: not noticed
• kennel: a confined place where animals are held
• disembark: to get off a ship or plane

Click the link below to listen and complete the article below.

http://edition.englishclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/EnglishClub.com-IF-Titanic-Dogs.mp3

It is a well-known fact that there weren’t enough for the passengers on the ill-fated Titanic. But did you know that three dogs were among the ? Two Pomeranians and one Pekingese dog evacuated safely onto the lifeboats. Some people would call this a crime, since over 1500 humans didn’t make it onto a lifeboat. The reality is that many of the lifeboats were not filled to capacity. Lifeboat 1 carried 12 people though it had a capacity for 40. In addition, these dogs were so that they didn’t take up any space and probably went undetected. About nine other dogs with the ship. These dogs were in the ship’s kennel. The captain’s dog normally with him, but his daughter had taken the animal off the ship before it set sail. There is also a rumour that a cat and her kittens disembarked at Southampton before the Titanic continued its journey towards New York.

Discussion Question: 

Many stories have been told about the Titanic passengers. One is about a woman who refused to evacuate without her Great Dane. According to rumour, her body was found with her dog. Do you think this actually happened? Do you know someone who would sacrifice his or her own life for a pet?

Body Doubles Do More Than Stunts

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

• stunt: a daring act that takes courage and skill
  
• hire: to offer to pay someone for their services
• decoy: a person or thing that tricks people into going or looking a different way
• resemblance: likeness
• impersonate: to pretend to be someone
• keep something at bay: to prevent future trouble from happening

Click the link below to listen and complete the article below.

http://edition.englishclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/EnglishClub.com-IF-Body-Double.mp3

Body doubles are often used for special shots in films or television shows. They perform stunts, such as running through a burning building or jumping from an airplane. This is not the only reason a body double might get hired. Body doubles who are in very good are often hired to do nude scenes. They may also be used as stand-ins for magazine photo shoots. Oprah Winfrey has a body double for this purpose. According to some reports, China’s super rich can hire a body double to appear in court and for a crime. Body doubles can also act as decoys. Some body doubles even receive plastic surgery. High profile body doubles need to have a strong resemblance to the person they are impersonating. According to gossip magazines, Tom Cruise hired a body double for his daughter Suri. Do you believe this rumour?

 Discussion Questions: 

Some people think that rich criminals still suffer by hiring a body double to do the time for their crime. The criminals have to remain in hiding, and they have to pay out a lot of money to the body double’s family. What do you think about this practice?

World Bank Wants to Refocus Aid

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

• refocus: to change the direction or emphasis
• resolve: to end the problem
• justice: fairness
• global action plan: a set of steps that an international group agrees to take part in to achieve a goal
• poverty: the state of being poor; not having enough food, money, and supplies for life

Click the link below to listen and complete the article below.

http://edition.englishclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/World-Bank-1.mp3

The World has released a new report suggesting that aid money be refocused on prevention rather than health, education, and military support. Much more money is spent on resolving conflict in war torn countries than preventing the conflict in the first place. The author of the report stated that financial aid should focus on police, justice systems, and institutions. Approximately people are threatened by political and criminal violence. Most of these people live in areas that have a long history of civil war. The report also concluded that conflict-affected countries have not achieved any of the eight goals set out in the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. The UN backed global action plan was adopted at the 2010 Summit to reduce poverty among women and over the next five years.

Discussion Question:

 Do you agree that financial aid should be spent on policing before education and health? Why or why not?

“News Of The World” Shuts Down

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

• tabloid: a type of newspaper with half-sized pages; sensational news
• phone-hacking: accessing private information from personal telephones
• scandal: an illegal action that causes public rage
• allegedly: believed to be true, but not proven in court
• boycott: to refuse to buy or use something as a means of getting attention or making a point

Click the audio below to listen and complete the article below.

http://edition.englishclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/News-of-the-World.mp3

Britain’s Sunday tabloid, News of the World, ran its last on Sunday, July 10th. Rupert Murdoch’s paper sold 2.6 million a week, and had been in print for 168 years. The closure is related to a phone-hacking scandal, dating back to 2006. News of the World staff and journalists have been accused of using private investigators to hack into private boxes. Victims of the alleged scandal included politicians, members of the royal family, , and the military. News of the World journalists allegedly hired a PI to hack the voicemail of murder victim Milly Dowler. voicemail messages gave the school girl’s family false hope that she was alive. Prior to the closure, several advertisers said they would boycott the Sunday paper. A reader boycott was also in the works.

 Discussion Question:

 Are tabloid newspapers popular in your country? Why are people so interested in celebrity gossip?