Listening: Listening for Specific Information & Detail B1 - Lesson 1: Extracting Key Factual Information from Short News Items or Reports

B1 Listening for Detail: Extracting Information from News Reports

Welcome to B1 Listening for Detail! In this lesson, we will practice extracting key factual information¹ from short news reports². This is an essential skill for understanding events happening in your community and around the world.

1. The '5 Ws' of a News Report

Most news reports answer five basic questions, known as the '5 Ws'. Before you listen, always think about these five targets:

Question Word	Information to Listen For
Who?	The people or groups involved.
What?	The main event or action.
Where?	The location of the event.
When?	The time or date of the event.
Why?	The reason or cause of the event.

2. Practice News Report 1: A Local Event

Listen to this news report about an event in Siem Reap. Listen for the '5 Ws'.

"Good evening. The city of Siem Reap opened a new public library today. The mayor, Mr. Chea Sokun, cut the ribbon at a ceremony this morning. He said the library was built to provide more educational resources for students and the community."

Answer these questions based on the report:

1. What was opened?
2. Where was it opened?
3. When did it open?
4. Who opened it?
5. Why was it built?

Click to Show Answer

Answers: 1. A new public library, 2. In Siem Reap, 3. Today, 4. The mayor, Mr. Chea Sokun, 5. To provide educational resources.

3. Practice News Report 2: A Weather Warning

Let's try another one. This report is about the weather. Listen for the '5 Ws'.

"The Ministry of Environment has issued³ a warning for heavy rain across northern Cambodia, including Siem Reap province. The warning is for this weekend, from Friday to Sunday. Officials are advising residents⁴ to be careful of potential flooding because of a powerful storm system moving in from the east."

Answer these questions based on the report:

1. Who issued the warning?
2. What is the warning about?
3. Where is the warning for?
4. When is the warning for?
5. Why was the warning issued?

Click to Show Answers

Answers: 1. The Ministry of Environment, 2. Heavy rain, 3. Northern Cambodia, 4. This weekend (Friday to Sunday), 5. Because of a powerful storm system.

Final Quiz: Extract the News Details

Listen to one more short news report. Then, answer the '5 Ws' questions about it.

News Report: (Listen to the audio)

1. Who is hosting the event?
2. What is the event?
3. Where will it be?
4. When will it begin?
5. Why are they doing it?

Click to Show Answers

Answers: 1. An international charity organization. 2. A clean-up event. 3. At the Tonlé Sap lake. 4. This Saturday at 8 AM. 5. To help protect the local environment.

Homework Task

1. Listen to the News: Find a short, one-minute news report in English online (from a source like VOA Learning English, BBC, or Reuters). Listen to it two or three times. Try to write down the answers to as many of the '5 Ws' as you can.

2. Create a News Report: Think of a small event that happened in your community or school today. Write a short, two-sentence news report about it, making sure to include answers to Who, What, Where, and When.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Factual Information (noun phrase) - Khmer: ព័ត៌មានពិត - Details that are true, real, and can be proven. ↩
2. News Report (noun) - Khmer: សេចក្តីរាយការណ៍ព័ត៌មាន - A spoken or written account of a recent event of public interest. ↩
3. To Issue (a warning) (verb) - Khmer: ចេញ (ការព្រមាន) - To formally and officially give or announce something to the public. ↩
4. Resident (noun) - Khmer: អ្នកស្រុក - A person who lives in a particular place. ↩