You can learn to understand local and world news reports by predicting the main ideas based on the news headlines. Read the possible headlines below for the four news stories and predict the content for each. Try to guess what key words that would come up in each story.

HELPFUL TIP: Reading short news stories on a regular basis can not only improve your language skills but help you become a more informed speaker of English. Start by reading the news sections that interest you most.

Listen to the news report by pressing the “Play Audio” button and select the best title for each news story. Press the “Final Score” button to check your quiz.

Here are the top stories today:A giant crocodile attacked a man walking his dog along a river in Australia. Fortunately, the man beats the beast back with a rock as the man’s dog bites the reptile on the face. Both man and dog suffered minor injuries but are expected to recover.

Next, a huge tornado catches a woman trapped in her vehicle and carries her a quarter of a mile from town. The woman suffered a broken leg and minor neck injuries, but she was more worried about her cat swept away by the storm. She’s offering a $1,000 reward for her feline friend.

In another part of the world, a man gets his hand stuck in a kitchen garbage disposal and is trapped for three days. His cries went unanswered until breaking the kitchen window and signaling for help with a fire extinguisher. The man said that his wedding ring disappeared down the disposal, and he was trying to fish it out.

And finally, a Canadian family of four gets lost trying to drive across a mountain pass in a blizzard and is stranded for a week, surviving on a banana, 10 cheese crackers, and a cooked ham. Temperatures dipped to fifteen below as the family stays warm by singing Christmas carols. The family is finally rescued after the father hikes fifteen miles to get help.

And that’s the news today.

• reptile (noun): group of cold-blooded animals including snakes and lizards
  - The zoo has an exciting reptile exhibit that will be open to the public at the end of the month.
• feline (adjective): relating to cats
  - The feline family includes household cats, lions, and tigers.
• fish out (verb): retrieve or get out
  - My wife threw away an important letter by mistake, so I had to fish it out of the garbage.
• blizzard (noun): heavy snow storm
  - It was impossible to travel in the blizzard because of the deep snow.
• be/get stranded (verb): be cut off of left behind
  - She got stranded at the airport due to poor weather conditions.
• dip (verb): drop or decrease
  - Temperatures are predicted to dip below freezing tonight.

The Internet now allows people to search for news stories around the world much easier than before. Use any online service or search engine to find an unusual news event or story in English from a different country than where you presently live. Summarize the main ideas and share it with a partner. Discuss why the event would be of particular local or international interest.