A2
Sport
Country Profile
Profile on New Zealand Warm up
1 What do you know about New Zealand? Circle the correct answers to complete the fact file. Then check your answers on the Net.
Location: Pacific Ocean / Atlantic Ocean Capital City: Auckland / Wellington Population: 4.5 million / 45 million Currency: New Zealand pounds / New Zealand dollars National symbols: kiwi / kangaroo / silver fern* / rose Indigenous people: Aborigines / Maori A famous New Zealander: Russell Crowe / Johnny Depp
The Adventure Capital of the World
New Zealand is home to many extreme sports. New Zealand calls itself The Adventure Capital of the World and people come from all over the world to do crazy, dangerous sports. Queenstown, on the South Island, situated near lakes, fjords and glaciers, is the most popular place to do extreme sports. 1
Vocabulary
2 Match the extreme sports below to their correct definitions. Then match the photos to the sports.
a b c d e f
Bungee jumping
White-water rafting
Canyoning
Heli-skiing
Paragliding
Zorbing
Walking, swimming, abseiling* down a canyon. Going down a hill in a big plastic ball. Jumping off a mountain with a parachute*. Jumping off a tall building / bridge etc with an elastic cord tied to your feet. Going down rivers on rubber boats. Taking a helicopter to a place and then skiing back. 5
2
3
4
6
1
Sport
A2
Key Language
Over to you
3 Which sport on page 74 do you think is the most / least dangerous? Why?
The haka
The haka is a traditional Maori war dance. There are lots of different haka. New Zealand’s national rugby team, the All Blacks, perform a haka before international matches. The tradition started in 1888. The All Blacks have different haka that they perform. The most common one is called Ka Mate which means ‘I die’.
I think that ............................. is the most / least dangerous because ................................ What do you think? I’m not sure. Maybe ................ is the most .............................
Vocabulary
4 Write the name of the action below each picture for doing a haka. Then do a haka!
• hit the top of your legs with your hands
• move your hips* • stamp your feet
1
• bend your knees • puff* out your chest
3 4
2 ...............
. . . . ...........
5
...............
...............
...............
Reading and writing
5 Read about the teen champion Anton Cooper. Then, write a headline for the article and add a comment.
Christchurch’s latest world champion got an incredible welcome when he returned home today. About 100 pupils from his school performed a haka when Anton Cooper, 18, arrived home from Austria, where he won the world junior crosscountry mountain bike championships on Sunday. Anton said, ‘It felt special to walk into the arrivals hall with my rainbow jersey on and all my mates there. It feels good to be wearing this as there has been a lot of hard work.’
➜ Did you know...? In 1893 New Zealand became the first country to give women the right to vote.
Comments Flynn 03:01 pm Sept 12 2012 Congratulations. Well done, Anton. Great to see NZ, best in the world at something. Good luck in your exams! Angus 04:01 pm Sept 12 2012 I was in the airport when Anton arrived - it was special. To see this 18-year-old World Champion welcomed home by his school-mates with their school haka, was fantastic.
............................................................................................... .............................................................................................. ...............................................................................................
Words to remember abseiling: hips: puff out: parachute: silver fern:
2