A1AI-generatedSeptember 18, 2026·2 min read·279 words·5 vocab words·Source: BBC World

Sad News from a School in the Philippines

Also in
🇫🇷Français🇪🇸Español🇮🇹Italiano🇳🇴Norsk🇰🇷한국어🇮🇷فارسی
Read at another level
A1A2B1B2C1
Sad News from a School in the Philippines
Photo: STS-68 radar image: Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines — NASA/JSC (public domain) (Public Domain (NASA))
In brief

There is a sad event at a school in the Philippines. Three people are dead and eight people are injured. The police are at the school. The government is helping the students and teachers. The governor says adults must keep guns in a safe place. Everyone is very sad today.

Listen — hands-free audio modeSwipe through today's stories at your level. Lock your screen and keep listening.Survival phrases — real-world situationsBrowse graded phrases for travel, work, emergencies and more. Audio in 5 languages.
Vocabulary · Words with a dotted underline are vocabulary words — tap for an instant definition.

There is a sad event in Banga. The location is a high in the Philippines. The date is Friday. Three people are Two students are The gunman is He is sixteen. There are eight people. Four of the people are in a critical condition. The is closed for all students. The Department of Education is very concerned. The department is helping the teachers and the students. The are at the now. They are looking for information. The Red Cross is helping too. The Red Cross has an ambulance at the This is the third shooting since June. The Philippines has many guns. Gun ownership is high. The governor of South Cotabato is Reynaldo Tamayo. He talks to the people. He says adults must be responsible. He says adults must store guns in a place. He says children must not have guns. The governor says the security is difficult. He says everyone must work together. The gunman talks to his friends at lunch. He tells his friends to go home. He says he has a plan. His friends laugh. They think he is a joker. Then he starts the shooting. He hits ten students. Then he kills himself. The investigation continues today. Everyone is waiting for more news. The community is in shock. The students are at home. The teachers are at home. The government is working on the case. It is a very difficult time for the city. People are sad. The city is quiet. The are at the The is empty today. The families are with the children. Everyone wants safety.

Speak about it

Take a position. Out loud, if you can.

Four ways to start. Pick one and try saying it before you scroll on.

Tip · Record yourself, use in a notebook, or practice with a language partner.

Comprehension
Question 1 of 3

How many people are dead?

Grammar spotlight

Subject + be + adjective

One point · A1

Using 'be' verbs to describe the state of something or someone.

From this article

There is a sad event in Banga.

What to know · A1

Use it today

Try saying this aloud

Neutral register

Scenario: Talking about a sad event.

  1. 01This is very sad.
  2. 02The people are safe.
  3. 03The police are here.

Register tip · informal

🔑Key Phrases

The school is closedThe school is not open.

Used to describe a place that is shut.

Passive construction (be + past participle)

The store is closed.

The police are at the schoolThe police are present at the location.

Used to describe location.

Prepositional phrase

The teacher is at the door.

The community is in shockThe people are surprised and sad.

Used to describe feelings.

Noun phrase

The family is in shock.

Accent

Article Audio — Kokoro TTS

Sad News from a School in the Philippines

💬Discussion Questions

Open-ended questions to talk or write about — alone, with a partner, or in class.

  1. 1

    Is the school a safe place?

    Opinion
  2. 2

    Are the police good for the city?

    Opinion
  3. 3

    Is it good to help the students?

    Evaluate
  4. 4

    Do you like your school?

    Personal
  5. 5

    Is it sad when people are hurt?

    Opinion
  6. 6

    Are guns dangerous for children?

    Opinion
  7. 7

    Do you want to be a teacher?

    Personal
  8. 8

    Is the city quiet today?

    Predict

News sourced from: BBC World. LectoPress rewrites the facts as original graded-reader text for language learners.

Daily digest · Free

Get stories at your level, every day

A1 · EN · delivered to your inbox · unsubscribe any time

Customize language, level & topics → full preferences

Continue reading