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Exercise 1
Useful Expressions
Direction: Read the useful expressions with your tutor.
Did you hear about the new park opening downtown?
That sounds like great news!
I read that it will have a playground and walking trails.
It’s nice to see positive changes in the neighborhood.
Exercise 2
Vocabulary
Direction: Listen and repeat after your teacher
Hot off the press
/hɒt ɔf ðə prɛs/
Meaning:
Very recent news
- The news about the park is hot off the press!
In the loop
/ɪn ðə luːp/
Meaning:
Being informed about what’s happening
- I like to stay in the loop about community events.
Spread like wildfire
sprɛd laɪk ˈwaɪldˌfaɪər/
Meaning:
Information spreading very quickly
- The news about the park opening spread like wildfire.
The word on the street
/ðə wɜːrd ɒn ðə striːt/
Meaning:
What people are saying informally
- The word on the street is that the park will be amazing.
Exercise 3
Practice
Read each sentence and choose the word or phrase that means the opposite (antonym)
The news about the park is hot off the press.
old news
breaking news
recent update
fresh information
I like to stay in the loop about community events.
uninformed
aware
updated
connected
The news about the park opening spread like wildfire.
spread slowly
spread quickly
went viral
circulated fast
The word on the street is that the park will be amazing.
official announcement
rumors
gossip
informal talk
Exercise 4
Business Dialogue
Direction: Read the conversation aloud with your teacher and fill in the blanks.
Word Bank:
The word on the street
In the loop
Spread like wildfire
Hot off the press
Two coworkers discuss recent company news.
Gary
Word Bank: word, opening, playground, trails, park, loop, press, wildfire.
Did you hear about the new ________ opening downtown?
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Meli
Word Bank: word, opening, playground, trails, park, loop, press, wildfire.
Yes! That news is hot off the ________.
Gary
Word Bank: word, opening, playground, trails, park, loop, press, wildfire.
I like to stay in the ________ about local events.
Meli
Word Bank: word, opening, playground, trails, park, loop, press, wildfire.
Me too. The news spread like ________ yesterday!
Gary
Word Bank: word, opening, playground, trails, park, loop, press, wildfire.
The word on the ________ is that the park will have a great playground.
Meli
Word Bank: word, opening, playground, trails, park, loop, press, wildfire.
And some nice walking ________.
Gary
Word Bank: word, opening, playground, trails, park, loop, press, wildfire.
It’s nice to see good news in the neighborhood.
Meli
Word Bank: word, opening, playground, trails, park, loop, press, wildfire.
Definitely, it brings the community closer.
Exercise 5
Study Guide
Direction: Read the study manual aloud
How to Talk About Local News
1. Ask Friendly Questions
Start chats with questions such as “Did you hear about the new park opening downtown?” or “What’s the latest news you’ve heard?” to engage others.
2. Share What You Heard
Use idioms to describe how fresh or widely shared the news is. For example, “That story was hot off the press!” or “The news spread like wildfire.”
3. Listen to Local News
Watch community news programs or listen to radio updates to hear how these idioms are used in real-life conversations.
Listening Practice
Office News Chat
1. What does “hot off the press” mean?
A. Old news
B. Very recent news
C. A printed newspaper
2. What does “in the loop” mean?
A. Being busy
B. Being informed
C. Being confused
3. What does “spread like wildfire” mean?
A. Information spreads quickly
B. Slow news
C. A fire in the forest
4. What is “the word on the street”?
A. A rumor
B. Official news
C. Informal news people talk about
Exercise 6
Discussion
Discuss these questions to practice speaking and share experiences.
1. Did you hear about any recent company news?
2. How do you usually find out about news at work?
3. What’s the latest good news you’ve heard here?
4. Do you like to stay in the loop about workplace updates?
5. Have you ever spread news like wildfire at work? What was it?
6. How do you share news with your coworkers?
7. Do you prefer getting news by email, meetings, or chatting?
8. How do you feel when you hear positive news about the company?
