HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

NEW
ZEALAND
COVID-FREE
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Expemo code:
16BB-5139-GC81

1 Warm up

Complete these tasks before you listen to a news report.

Match these leaders with their countries:

• Jacinda Ardern:
• Sanna Marin:
• Mette Frederiksen:
• Angela Merkel:
• Katrin Jakobsdottir:

What do you think all these leaders have in common?

Why has Jacinda Ardern been in the news recently?

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ADVANCED (C1-C2)

NEW ZEALAND COVID-FREE

2 Watch for main idea

Video Watch this press conference, where Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces that New Zealand is
COVID-free, and answer these questions:

1. What will now happen to the country’s economy? When will this start?
2. What might happen in the future?
3. What did the prime minister do when she heard the good news?

3 Watch for detail

Work in A/B pairs. Watch the report again and make a note of why these items are significant. Then
explain and confirm your ideas with your partner.

Student A:

• 40,000

• 40 days

• not a point in time

Student B:

• 12 days

• 22 days

• not a sign we have failed

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4 Presentation skills - pronunciation

Jacinda Ardern communicates clearly and effectively by using stress and intonation.

Listen to part of the press conference again (starting at 0:41) - notice how the words in bold are
stressed. When we stress words, we say them longer, louder, and higher.

We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now,
but elimination is not a point in time. It is a sustained effort. We almost certainly will see
cases here again. And I do want to say that again - we will almost certainly see cases here
again. That is not a sign that we have failed. It is a reality of this virus. But if and when
that occurs, we have to make sure, and we are, that we are prepared.

There are two different ways that the Prime Minister uses stress:

• stressing information words, like "for now" and "reality." This is how English is normally stressed.
• stressing auxiliary verbs, like "are" and "will". This is not the usual stress pattern for English - why
is this happening here?

Now practice reading these sentences again, copying the stress.

5 Discussion

Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Some people have suggested that female leaders have been more successful than male leaders at
handling this crisis. Do you think this is true? Why/not?
2. New Zealanders are now free to attend all types of public and private events, shop and use hotels
and restaurants, and travel on public transport. How confident do you think they are feeling about
these activities? How would you feel?
3. New Zealand is talking about creating a "travel bubble" with neighboring countries including Australia
and Pacific Islands. What do you think this means? How can this be done safely?
4. The report you watched included a translation in sign language, one of the three official languages
of New Zealand. Does your country include sign language interpretation for important announcements?
Why might it be important to do this?

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