Practice English with NewsPractice with News
NatureTravel115 words1 min read

Storms Close Beaches in Marseille and Southern France

A beach with a mountain in the background
Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash
0:00 / 0:00

Listen to the story

There were big storms in the south of France.

Because of the storms, people cannot swim at the beaches in Marseille.

This happened on Friday.

Many beaches in the Var area are also closed to swimming.

The Var is near Marseille, in the south of France.

A town in the Alpes-Maritimes area also closed all of its beaches.

The town closed the beaches very fast, because of the bad weather.

The authorities say it is not safe to swim now.

They want to keep people safe from the storms.

Nobody knows when the beaches will open again.

People must wait for the weather to get better.

Local news is giving more information about the situation.

Vocabulary15 words

storm
very bad weather with strong wind and rain
authorities
people who have the power to make rules
swimming
moving your body in water
beach
the sand near the sea
closed
not open; you cannot use it
safe
with no danger
region
a big area of a country
weather
sun, rain, wind, etc.
urgent
needing action very fast
south
a direction; down on a map
situation
what is happening now
information
facts about something
danger
something that can hurt you
area
a part of a place
wait
to stay until something happens

Quiz

1. Why are the beaches closed?
2. Where is Marseille?
3. Did a town in the Alpes-Maritimes close its beaches too?

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

There were big _____ in the south of France.

Because of the storms, people cannot _____ at the beaches in Marseille.

This happened on _____.

Many beaches in the _____ area are also closed to swimming.

The Var is near Marseille, in the south of _____.

A town in the Alpes-Maritimes area also closed all of its _____.

The town closed the beaches very fast, because of the bad _____.

The _____ say it is not safe to swim now.

They want to keep people _____ from the storms.

Nobody knows when the beaches will open _____.

People must _____ for the weather to get better.

More Nature stories