LISTENING EXERCISE:

KEY VOCABULARY TO UNDERSTAND THE LISTENING EXERCISE:

Wound: injury

To pledge: to promise

Issue: problem

Outrage: a situation causing shock and indignation

Congress: the U.S. legislative body

Stalwart: strong supporter

Round: bullet

Clip: metal holder containing bullets (= magazine)

Scourge: a thing that causes great trouble and suffering

Address (a problem): think and react to (a problem)

QUESTIONS:

1. Why does Mayor Bloomberg believe that gun laws in the U.S. are an outrage?

2. Are Americans more likely to die from guns than citizens in other developed countries? How much more likely?

3. What is the main issue that Americans have to confront?

4. What are the gun-control proposals being pushed in Congress?

5. What has Obama’s government done to remove weapons of war from the streets of America?

6. How many Americans die every hour from gunshot wounds?

7. What kind of weapons does the Democratic senator Joe Manchin want to ban?

8. Is Joe Manchin for or against the right to carry and bear firearms in general?

9. According to President Obama, is access to guns the only way to prevent tragedies such as Sandy Hook?

ANSWERS:

1. Because Americans are killing each other with guns and they are the only industrialized country doing it.

2. Yes, Americans are twenty times more likely to die from guns than citizens from other developed countries.

3. Access to guns.

4. Reinstating a ban on certain types of assault or semi-automatic weapons.

5. Nothing.

6. Three.

7. Assault weapons.

8. Joe Manchin is for guns. He is a gun stalwart.

9. No. It can also be achieved by improving education, general mental health, and by fighting against violent popular culture.

We hope you enjoyed this listening activity. If you would like to do similar listening and speaking activities with one of our top-notch native English teachers, just order a pack of 1-to-1 online lessons here.