TOEFL Listening Practice Skill 1-3 (Longman TOEFL PBT)

Task 1

In order to analyze news reports in the three aspects, you will first need to have a very good understanding of the contents. This is what you will do in Task 1.

1.      First, you will read to understand the three news reports below. Make sure that you know the meaning of every word and every part of each news report.

2.      Then, read the news aloud as if you were a news anchor. Make sure you read them meaningfully and fluently, with accurate pronunciation, word stress, and intonation. Record your voice, and then email the recording to 

Note: The recording of reading three news reports is attached in the file submission of Learning Task M4 LA 1. Thank you.

Task 2 : The Analyses of the Social Functions from the Three News Reports

Questions	News Report 1: Aussie man dies while surfing in Lombok	News Report 2: Fire erupts at illegal oil well in Indonesia	News Report 3: Elephant poachers arrested in Malaysia
1.     Who might be interested in reading each news report?	Target readers:	Target readers:	Target readers:
	·         Australian tourists in Indonesia ·         Tourists to Lombok ·         Surfers ·         Young people in general ·         People who care for travel safety	·      Oil mineral observer ·      Police ·      Natural observer ·      Investor ·      Government ·      People who care for the nature ·      Civil around the incident	·   people who care for animals ·   wildlife officials in charge around the place ·   zoo official ·   government ·   police
2.     What is each reporter’s position towards the issue? Provide the related words, expressions, and sentences as evidence to support your argument.	The reporter’s position towards the issue:	The reporter’s position towards the issue:	The reporter’s position towards the issue:
	The reporter has a neutral or objective position towards the event. Reporting the event by just retelling the information given by the main source, the police. Evidence: - ... the 52-year-old man went surfing alone around 11 a.m. on Sunday, Central Park police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Kholilur Rochmansaid. Andrew was found dead at around 1 p.m. - “They were the ones who saw the victim drown.Based on their information, the victim drowned directly below his surfboard,” Kholilur saidon Monday. - Wiseman was given emergency first aid for 25 minutes, but he could not be resuscitated, Kholilur said. - Based on reports received by police, ... - The police questioned two other foreign tourists, Eva, from Germany and John Robert Haton, from Australia, who had seen the incident firsthand. There is no evidence ofoffensive or emotionalexpressions used in the news report.	The reporter has a neutral or objective position towards the event. Reporting the event by just retelling the information given by the main source, the authorities. Evidence: -   “A fire erupted at an illegal oil well site in Indonesia's northernmost province on Wednesday, killing at least 18 people and injuring about 40 others, some of whom were badly burnt” authorities said -   The fire broke out around 1.30am at a backyard well in a village in Aceh province, on the northern tip of Sumatra Island,according to the National Disaster Management Agency -   Villagers had gathered at the well shortly after midnight, carrying buckets, jars and barrels, in hopes of collecting crude oil after being told about a massive spill there, according tothe disaster agency -   "A group of people came to gather up oil and they weren't supposed to be there," the disaster agency said in a statement -   Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the state-owned oil company Pertamina sent teams to Aceh, which has industrial oil and gas operations, to investigate the incident, said Agung Pribadi, a ministry spokesman -   Agung said the well was being operated by local residents, adding that he was not sure if there were other illegal wells in the area. -   Lieutenant Colonel Wahyu Kuncoro, chief of the East Aceh district police, told reporters at the scene that firefighters were trying to "break the chain of oxygen" in the well to stop the fire -   "Oil doesn't come up to the surface easily in these old wells, so they try to pump it up manually, then try to separate the oil by distillation in barrels, and that's where they probably had the fire," said Mangantar Marpaung, former chief of the Indonesian Mining Fire and Rescue Agency There is no evidence of offensiveor emotional expressions used in the news report.	The reporter has a neutral or objective position towards the event. Reporting the event by just retelling the information given by the main source, the officials. Evidence: -       Four heavily armed poachers who targetted wild elephants in Malaysia have been caught, officialssaid Tuesday, the second such arrest in less than two years. -       Wildlife officials said the gang caught near the town of Gerik in the nothern Malaysian state of Perak was found with deer antlers and suspected tiger bones. -        “This crew is notorious. They hunt elephants,” wildlife department chief Abdul Kadir Abdul Hashim told AFP. -        A police statement saidweapons including rifles and homemade shotguns as well as animal snares were found after they arrested the gang. There is no evidence ofoffensive or emotionalexpressions used in the news report.
3.      How would each news report enlighten its readers? Provide the related words, expressions, and sentences as evidence to support your argument.	Information obtained:	Information obtained:	Information obtained:
	Reading the news report, the readers will have good understanding about: 1)      The event or accident Evidence: An Australian tourist named Andrew Richard Wiseman has died after drowning while surfing at Tanjung Aan Beach in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. 2)      The sources of the information: Evidence: -   Central Park police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Kholilur Rochman -   Two other foreign tourists, Eva, from Germany and John Robert Haton, from Australia, who had seen the incident firsthand 3)      The reason of Wiseman’s death: Evidence: -   ... drowning while surfing ... -   Based on their information, the victim drowned directly below his surfboard ... 4)      The time of the accident: Evidence: between 11am and 1pm on Sunday 5)      The location of the accident: Evidence: at Tanjung Aan Beach in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara 6)      Wiseman’s accommodation in Lombok: Evidence: During his time in Lombok, Wiseman was living in a homestay in Kuta village, Pujut district, in Central Lombok. 7)      The witnesses’ attempt to save Wiseman’s life: Evidence: -   The two tourists, as well as local residents, immediately brought Wiseman back to shore using a boat. -   Wiseman was given emergency first aid for 25 minutes, but he could not be resuscitated, ... -   Personnel from the Kuta Police came to the location after receiving reports and brought Wiseman’s body to the local health clinic. 8)      Family’s responsibility: Evidence: The victim’s brother, Steven Wiseman, took the body and refused an autopsy.	Reading the news report, the readers will have good understanding about: 1)      The event or accident Evidence: A fire erupted at an illegal oil well site in Indonesia's northernmost province on Wednesday, killing at least 18 people and injuring about 40 others, some of whom were badly burnt. 2)      The sources of the information: Evidence: -   The National Disaster Management Agency -   Agung Pribadi, a ministry spokesman -   Lieutenant Colonel Wahyu Kuncoro, chief of the East Aceh District Police. -   Mangantar Marpaung, former chief of the Indonesian Mining Fire Rescue Agency 3)      The reason of a fire erupted at an illegal oil well site Evidence: It may have started with a spark from blowtorch or a worker smoking cigarette. 4)      The time of the accident Evidence: The fire broke out around 1.30 a.m. on Wednesday. 5)      The location of the accident: Evidence: At a backyard well in a village of Pasir Ptih in East Aceh District, Aceh Province, on the northern tip of Smatera Island. 6)      The victims Evidence: At least 18 people died and about 40 people injured and badly burnt. 7)      The authorities’ attention to the accident Evidence: -   Firefighters and other emergency personnel, along with villagers, were still trying to contain the blaze on Wednesday evening -   Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the state-owned oil company Pertamina sent teams to Aceh, which has industrial oil and gas operations, to investigate the incident -   Firefighters were trying to "break the chain of oxygen" in the well to stop the fire. 8)      Historical relationship Evidence: In some cases, the wells were abandoned by the Dutch colonial administration that once ruled Indonesia.	Reading the news report, the readers will have good understanding about: 1)      The event or accident Evidence: Four heavily armed poachers who targeted wild elephants in Malaysia have been caught 2)      The sources of the information Evidence: -   Wildlife officials -   Police 3)      The time of arrest: Evidence: On Tuesday 4)      The place of arrest Evidence: The gang caught near the town of Gerik in the northern Malaysian State of Perak 5)      The evidence goods Evidence: -   Deer antlers and suspected tiger bones -   An elephant shot dead by the poachers in a nearby forest with its tusks ripped out -   Weapons including rifles and homemade shotguns.