Check how well you can understand spoken English. Choose a speed and listen to the report. Practise listening faster and slower to help you improve.
Robots save people from bears - 21st December 2020
Bears are causing problems for the Japanese town of Takikawa. The huge, dangerous animals are entering the town more often than is usual.
The town is trying an interesting solution to scare off the bears. It has bought two robotic wolves which look and sound scary. They have grey furry bodies and four legs. Their eyes are bright red lights which turn on when animals come near.
These robot wolves also make noises like a real wolf to scare off the bears. They move their heads and the red lights flash on and off. People think that the bears will be afraid of the robots. Wolves used to live in Japan but they were killed off a hundred years ago.
Bears spend the winter asleep. Before they fall asleep, bears need to eat a lot so they search for things to eat. This year, there isn’t as much food in the forest but the bears are still hungry. When bears are hungry, they are more dangerous.
Add to homescreen