French Students Protest After School Fire in Nantes
Listen to the story
Students in Nantes, France, are protesting. Their school, Nelson Mandela, was burned. The students feel bad about this. They say people do not trust them now. They feel discredited.
Many schools in France are having protests. Students are blocking school doors. This is called a blockade. Some older people are talking to young people about it. One man was a student in the 1950s. He has advice for students today.
Some students have been hurt during the protests. Police used special weapons like the LBD, which is a kind of rubber-bullet gun. Police also used tear gas, which makes people's eyes hurt. Some students have been arrested.
People are asking if the police are acting correctly. The students in these protests are young. Many are not adults yet. People are asking if the police should use different methods with young protesters.
Vocabulary6 words
- burned
- destroyed by fire
- discredited
- not trusted or believed anymore
- blockade
- blocking a place so no one can enter
- LBD
- a gun that shoots hard rubber balls, used by police
- tear gas
- a gas that makes eyes and skin hurt, used by police
- arrested
- taken by police because of breaking a rule
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. It was burned 2. Discredited 3. True
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Students in Nantes, France, are _____. Their school, Nelson Mandela, was _____. The students feel bad about this. They say people do not trust them now. They feel _____.
Many schools in France are having _____. Students are _____ school doors. This is called a _____. Some older people are talking to young people about it.
Some students have been hurt during the protests. Police used special weapons like the _____, which is a kind of rubber-bullet gun. Police also used _____. Some students have been _____.
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.