Sensations English Logo
LEVEL C1

Shadowing the newsreader

Listen to the newsreader read out each line and then practise saying it. Record your own voice line by line and submit your voiceover.

Hide View

Sitting way up high above the city of Antakya, in Turkey's Hatay province, is the Duman family's silk workshop.

The Dumans' decades-old business lies on a former trading point on the silk road, the Eurasian network of paths used to transport goods westwards from China.

Emel Duman has revived the original method of silk production, which is cruelty-free, earning it the title 'peace silk'.

In the process, the silk cocoons are only harvested once the silkworms have emerged as moths.

In the aftermath of the region's colossal earthquake in February, which caused 50,000 fatalities, the Dumans diverted their attention to fellow humans rather than business.

With their own home flattened in the quake, they camped in the silk workshop and allowed 100 others, in a similar predicament, to join them.

Although the co-operative had earlier guaranteed employment for 70 individuals, many of them women who were home-based, to date merely seven have resumed work.

This left the Duman family hesitant to restart production.

The International Organisation for Migration assisted by directing a cohort of Syrian refugees to the cooperative, kickstarting production.

Emel's subsequently filed for a 'protected designation of origin' stamp, to bestow status and enhance value on their precious commodity.

Only a few months ago, this region boasted more than 350,000 workers engaged in textile production for 3,000 separate enterprises.

Now, as the area rebuilds itself from the rubble, hope emerges with this rarified craft.

REGISTER NOW

Get videos, articles, games and study tools!

Learn at six levels from A1 to C1
Or sign up with your Email
By clicking “Sign Up” above you are accepting our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign in

Sign up with email

Enter the following information to create your account.
All sign up options

Log in Or create an account

or

Forgot password?

reset password or login

Crop Image

Crop preview
Add to homescreen