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NSW May Ban E-Bikes for Children Under 12; Airport Near-Miss Called ‘Unacceptable’

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The premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, is considering a ban on e-bikes for children under 12 years old. An e-bike is a bicycle with an electric motor that helps riders go faster with less effort.

The possible ban comes amid growing concern about young riders using e-bikes at high speeds, sometimes without proper safety equipment.

Meanwhile, Australia's air safety chief has called a recent near-miss at Sydney Airport "unacceptable." A near-miss is an incident where two vehicles or planes come dangerously close but do not actually collide.

The incident happened on the airport's tarmac, the paved area where planes taxi, take off and land. Details about exactly what occurred have not yet been made public.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the government body responsible for investigating transport accidents and incidents, is now gathering information about the circumstances surrounding the event.

Air safety incidents on airport tarmacs are taken very seriously because of the risk of serious accidents if planes or vehicles come too close to one another.

In separate news, New South Wales police have confirmed that human-like remains found inside a suitcase near the town of Goulburn are not human. Superintendent Linda Bradbury of NSW police gave an update, saying this was "good news" because it meant there was no suspicious human death involved.

The discovery had initially raised concerns among investigators, but the confirmation has eased fears of foul play.

These stories are part of a wider set of developments being reported today across Australia, covering transport safety, aviation and policing matters in New South Wales.

Vocabulary10 words

e-bike
a bicycle with a small electric motor
near-miss
when two vehicles almost crash but do not
tarmac
the paved area at an airport for planes
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB)
a government group that investigates transport accidents
suitcase
a bag used to carry belongings when travelling
remains
parts of a dead body
unacceptable
not good enough; should never happen
suspicious
making people think something bad or illegal happened
premier
the top political leader of an Australian state
superintendent
a senior rank in the police force

Quiz

1. Why is Minns considering banning e-bikes for under-12s?
2. What is the role of the ATSB in this story?
3. What did NSW police confirm about the remains found near Goulburn?

Fill-in-the-blank listening

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

The premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, is considering a _____ on e-bikes for children under 12 years old.

An e-bike is a bicycle with an electric _____ that helps riders go faster with less effort.

The possible ban comes amid growing concern about young riders using e-bikes at high speeds, sometimes without proper safety _____.

Australia's air safety chief has called a recent near-miss at Sydney Airport "_____."

The incident happened on the airport's _____, the paved area where planes taxi, take off and land.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is now gathering information about the _____ surrounding the event.

New South Wales police have confirmed that remains found inside a _____ near the town of Goulburn are not human.

Superintendent Linda Bradbury of NSW police said this was "good news" because it meant there was no _____ human death involved.

The discovery had initially raised concerns among investigators, but the confirmation has eased fears of foul _____.

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NSW May Ban E-Bikes for Children Under 12; Airport Near-Miss Called ‘Unacceptable’ - Practice English with News