ESL Listening for English language learners

Cow Crime

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Before You Listen

This is a story about a cow in Cambodia.

Do you know where Cambodia is?

Which countries does Cambodia border?

What is the capital of Cambodia?

Audio

Cow Crime


Listen to this short talk a cow in Cambodia

a cow in Cambodia.

Understanding

Answer these questions. You can check your answers at the end

1. True or false?

a) Cows attack motorists
b) Cows sometimes surround cars.
c) Cows move when you sound your horn
d) Cows sometimes cause problems for motorists.

2. Try this interactive quiz about this story: Cow Quiz

Answers/Tapescript

Cambodian Cow - Answers & Transcript


1. a) false b) true. c) false d) true

2. When did the accident with the cow happen?

a) not long ago ('recently')

3. b) the cow

4. b) the cow

5. c) less than 5ft ('almost')

6. c) poor lighting

7. a) they stared at them

Transcript:
Cows can be a problem for drivers. They surround your car. You sound your horn. They refuse to move.

This behaviour is annoying. But surely Cambodian police were wrong to arrest a cow recently. They blamed the animal for another traffic accident in Phnom Penh.

The white 5-ft tall cow was standing in the middle of a main road one night. Tragically, a 66-year-old motorcyclist crashed into it.

‘This cow has caused five accidents,’ said the police inspector, Pin Doman. ‘We’re holding him at the police station.’

Taking a cow to court doesn’t seem very fair. The real problem is that most Cambodian roads are dark at night. With lights most drivers could avoid even the biggest cow.

People are not always reasonable about cows. An English hotel once received this complaint from a couple:

'We looked out of our hotel room window,' they wrote, 'and there were cows in the field. We didn't like the way they were looking at us.'

Activities

Writing
1. You are the policeman arresting the cow. Write your report.


2.
Five things I didn't know about: cows

Find five new facts about cows. At least one must not be from the Internet - try books, encyclopedias, dictionaries etc.

Think about:
  1. What different foods come from a cow?
  2. In which religion is a cow sacred?
  3. How much do cows eat and drink?
  4. How many stomachs do cows have?
  5. Name five products that come from a cow.