Lesson 1

 

NEW ZEALAND – THE COUNTRY OF LONG WHITE CLOUDS

 

1. New words and word-combinations to be remembered.

wage (v) [weɪdʒ] – здійснювати, вести survive (v) [səˈvaɪv] – виживати steam (n) [stiːm]– пар, потік   volcano (n) [vɔlˈkeɪnəu] – вулкан  geyser (n) [ˈɡiːzər] – гейзер earthquake (n) [ˈɜːθkweɪk] – землетрус  several (adj) [ˈsevrəl] – декілька pasture (n) [ˈpɑːstʃər] – пасовище phenomena (n) [fəˈnɔmɪnə] – явища  wing (n) [wɪŋ] – крило feather (n) [ˈfeðə] – пір’я  soap (n) [səup] – мило footwear (n) [ˈfutweə] – взуття brick (n) [brɪk] – цегла

New Zealand, an independent state and a member of the

Commonwealth, is situated to the south-east of Australia. It’s a country consisting of two large islands – the North Island and the South Island – and several dozen smaller islands. Most of the smaller islands are hundreds kilometres from the main ones.  

The first to settle here were the Maoris^*. It was about 1000 years ago. Maoris is a Polynesian people. And the British came here at the end of the

19^th century. “The Aurora” was the first British ship to come to New Zealand. The British waged the real wars on the Maoris. Thousands of the Maoris were killed, but their culture survived. Beautiful songs and dances are as old as the Maori people itself. 

Smoke and steam are characteristic features of New Zealand. They come from volcanoes and geysers. That’s why the Maoris called New Zealand the country of long white clouds. So earthquakes are common here. Sometimes they have several quakes a day. 

Now the forest are very thick and always green because of the climate. It never gets too hot in summer and there are no frosts in winter. 

The mountain stream is also very unusual. Water is ice-cold near one of its banks and is boiling hot near the other. On the pastures one can see many sheep.

This small country holds the second place in the world in wool production. 

Tourists like to see unusual phenomena here. They are shown a kiwi. It’s a bird you can only find in New Zealand. It has no wings and its feathers are like hair. New Zealand has put it on its national emblem. 

There are four large towns in New Zealand. One of them is Wallington and it is the capital of this country. It was built by the British. Its population is about 340000 people. It’s the chief industrial centre in the country. Its industries include: woollen textiles, chemicals, soap, footwear and bricks. 

 

3. Answer the questions

1.       Where is New Zealand situated?

2.       What does the country consist of?

3.       What is the capital of New Zealand?

4.       Who were the first people of New Zealand?

5.       Why did the Maoris call this country the country of long white clouds?

6.       What can happen several times a day in New Zealand?

7.       What is unusual in the nature of New Zealand?

8.       What is a kiwi like?

9.       What place does the country hold in wool production?

10.   How many large cities are there in New Zealand?

11.   What is the population of the capital?

12.   What industries does Wellington include?

 

4. Put the words in the right order to make the sentences? 

1.   constitutional, New, a, monarchy, Zealand, is.

2.   speak, English, many, native, own, their, in, language, addition, to, people.

3.   belongs, a, New, large, Zealand, group, to, called, island, Polynesia.

4.   gave, was, a, constitution, colony, 1852, New, in, Zealand, when, Britain, it, a, British 

5.   many, on, the, for, agriculture, years, of, the, economy, country, depended, largely.

6.   the, was, Europeans, discovered, country, in, 1642, by

 

5. Read and translate the text. Insert the missing words

 

 central heating  government's   extremely hot concert halls   in isolation   electrical appliances

               vegetable gardens                  rural areas                              keep the homes

 

New Zealand way of life

New Zealand has a high standard of living. New Zealanders eat more butter and meat per person than do the people of any other country. The  ________ medical program provides excellent health care. About 70 % of New Zealand people own their houses. Almost every family has a car.  

Most New Zealanders live in single family houses with a small _________. Almost in every New Zealand home there are refrigerators, wash machines, and other modern _________. But air conditioning and _________ are rare because the weather rarely becomes _________ or extremely cold. 

In summer, New Zealanders prefer to keep windows open. In winter, fireplaces or electric heaters ___________ warm.

Large cities have excellent restaurants, milk bars, theatres, __________, and other places of entertainment. City life in New Zealand tends to be, rather quiet. 

Near a fifth of New Zealand's people live in_________. Some ranchers live almost__________. 

 

@6. Translate into English 1. Нова Зеландія належить до великої групи островів, яка називається Полінезією. 

2.   Офіційна мова Нової Зеландії – англійська, на ній говорять по всій країні.  

3.   Нова Зеландія є конституційною монархією. 

4.   Країна входила до складу Британської імперії. 

5.   Перші люди, які заселились в Новій Зеландії, були людьми з коричневою шкірою і називались Маорі. 

6.   Маорі складають близько 12 % населення країни.

7.   В Новій Зеландії рівень життя – один з найвищих в світі.

8.   Багато років економіка країни залежала від сільського господарства.

 

 

 

 

Lesson 2

 

POLITICAL SYSTEM OF NEW ZEALAND 

 

1.   New words and word-combinations to be remembered.

sovereign (n) [ˈsɔvərɪn] – правитель, соверен integral (adj) [ˈɪntɪɡrəl]– істотний, повний   involve (v) [ ɪnˈvɔlv] – залучити  chair of the Cabinet (n) –  голова Кабміну hold an office (v)– утримувати міністерство  on commission [kəˈmɪʃn] – за дорученням

accountable  (adj) [əˈkauntəbl̩] – підзвітний, відповідальний enrol (v) [ɪnˈrəul] – зареєструватись, записатись eligible (adj) [ˈelɪdʒəbl̩] – правомочний, прийнятий

 

2.   Read and translate the text.

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy in which a hereditary monarch – since the 6^th of February 1952, Queen Elizabeth II—is the sovereign and head of state.

Executive power in New Zealand is based on the principle that "The Queen reigns, but the government rules". Although an integral part of the process of government, the     Queen         and    her Governor-

General remain politically neutral and are not involved in the everyday aspects of governing. The GovernorGeneral does play an important constitutional role in the calling of elections, the life of Parliament, and the

formation of a Government. Ministers are selected from among the democratically elected members of the New Zealand Parliament. Most ministers are members of Cabinet, which is the main decision-making body of the Government. The Prime Minister is the most senior minister, chair of the Cabinet, and thus head of government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General. The office of prime minister is, in practice, the most powerful political office in New Zealand. The Government is accountable to Parliament for its actions and policies. So ministers are answerable to Parliament for their own actions and policies and for the actions and policies of the departments and state agencies for which they are responsible.  

New Zealand has a single chamber of Parliament which consists of the House of Representatives, which generally has 120 members, and the Governor-General (who does not personally attend the House).  The House is elected for a maximum threeyear term. Citizens and permanent residents, who are aged 18 years and over, are required to vote.  Voting is not compulsory. Every New Zealand citizen who is enrolled as an elector is eligible to be a candidate for election as an MP. 

The country has a multi-party system in which many of its legislative practices derive from the unwritten conventions and precedents set by the United Kingdom's Westminster         Parliament. The    two dominant political    parties         in       New   Zealand have historically been the Labour Party and the National

3. Answer the questions

1.   Who is the head of the state?

2.   What kind of state is New Zealand?

3.   What is the important role of the Governor-General?

4.   Who actually rules the country the Queen, the Governor-General or the government?

5.   What is the main decision-making body of the Government?

6.   Who is the chair of the Cabinet?

7.   What is the Government accountable to Parliament for? 8. How many Houses are there in New Zealand’s Parliament?

9.       How long is the House elected for?

10.   Who can be a candidate for election as an MP?

11.   Is voting compulsory in New Zealand?

12.   What are the main political parties in the country?

 

4. Correct the sentences  

1.   New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with the Governor-General as the head of the state.

2.   The Governor-General hasn’t got all the powers of the Queen in relation to New Zealand. 

3.   Ministers are not selected to the New Zealand Parliament as they are hereditary.

4.   The main decision-making body of the Government is the House of Representatives.

5.   The Prime Minister  holds office on commission from Elizabeth II.

6.   There are two chambers of Parliament in New Zealand: the House of Representatives and the House of Commons.

7.   The Governor-General attends the House of Representatives almost every day.

8.   Citizens over 20 years old must vote as voting is compulsory in the country.

9.   The country has a written constitution set by the United Kingdom's Westminster Parliament.

 

 

 

5. Read and translate the text. Insert the missing words

 

 great place   rubber industries  geothermal attractions cultural institutions  a relatively   Christchurch

               rich in                                     financial centre                      forestry and farmland

 

New Zealand way of life

New Zealand is _______ small country, with a population of little more than 4 million people. Consequently, its cities and towns are mostly quite small with large amounts of _________ surrounding them. If you are looking for a ________ to holiday, then New Zealand is the perfect place. Throughout New Zealand you will find beautiful scenery, adrenaline activities, world-class skiing, ________, towering Alps, cascading waterfalls and vast glaciers.  

New Zealand is ______ minerals. It has got heavy industry. There are many plants in the country. Paper and __________ are developed too. New Zealand exports wool, meat, butter. There are some big cities such as Auckland, Wellington,

________,   Dune-din,    Nelson.        Auckland    and Wellington are the main ports of the country. The capital of New Zealand is Wellington. It is a

__________ too. The city was founded in 1840 and has been the capital since 1865. There are some educational and __________ in Wellington. New Zealand is a very interesting and beautiful country.

 

@6. Translate into English 1. Нова Зеландія - це країна великих контрастів і різноманітності.

2.   Активні вулкани, вражаючі печери, глибокі льодовикові озера, зелені долини, довгі піщані пляжі - все це сприяє живописній красі Нової Зеландії.

3.   Нова Зеландія також має унікальний масив рослинності та тваринного життя.

4.   Економічно країна була залежною від експорту сільськогосподарської продукції, особливо до Великобританії.

5.   Вступ Великобританії в Європейську спільноту змусив Нову Зеландію розширювати торгові зв'язки з іншими країнами.

6.   Туризм відіграв дуже важливу роль у економіці, хоча цей сектор був фінансово нестабільним.

7.   Клімат Нової Зеландії визначається її широтою, її ізоляцією та її фізичними характеристиками. 

8.   Сучасна Нова Зеландія має більшість людей європейського походження, значну меншість маорі, і дуже малу кількість людей з тихоокеанських островів та Азії.