PSLE Reading Aloud 5: A News Report
This passage helps you practise a clear, steady voice for giving information. It is not an exciting story, and it does not need the warmth of a thank-you speech.
The situation
You are a newsreader presenting a short report on the evening news. Read the passage aloud clearly, as if an audience is listening.
You are giving people the news. Sound calm, clear and confident. A good pace and clear words are the expression here.
The passage
Good evening, and welcome to tonight's news. Earlier today, hundreds of volunteers gathered at East Coast Park for the island's largest beach clean-up of the year. Armed with gloves and rubbish bags, families, students, and office workers spent the whole morning combing the sand and clearing litter along the shore, despite the warm and humid weather.
Organisers said the event collected more than two thousand kilograms of waste, most of it plastic bottles and food wrappers. One volunteer described the turnout as "the biggest we have ever seen", adding that many people had brought their young children along to help. The group hopes the clean-up will remind everyone to keep our beaches clean all year round, not just on special occasions, and they plan to return again next month. Reporting live from East Coast Park, this is Channel News, back to you in the studio.
How it is marked
Examiners listen for clear pronunciation, a natural pace, expression, and a tone that suits the situation.
| What to do | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Stay steady and clear | Use a calm, even pace. Do not rush or add drama. |
| Read in groups of words | Try "hundreds of volunteers / gathered at East Coast Park / for the island's largest beach clean-up". Pause at commas and full stops. |
| Show the quote | "The biggest we have ever seen" is someone else speaking. Say it a little livelier, but do not shout. |
| Change your voice for this situation | You should sound different here from a thank-you speech or a story. A newsreader sounds clear, not sing-song. |
Hard words
| Word | Say it | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| volunteers | vol-un-TEERS | Stress the last syllable. |
| gathered | GA-thurd | Use a soft "th", not "ga-derd". |
| kilograms | KILL-oh-grams | Say all 3 parts clearly. |
| occasions | uh-KAY-zhuns | The middle has a soft "zh" sound. |
Practise
- Say the situation aloud: "I'm a newsreader, so I'll be clear, calm and confident."
- Read the passage once for accuracy.
- Read it again for pace, grouping the facts.
- Ask a listener to tell you 2 facts from your report. If they can, you read it clearly.
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