If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page, after the Vocabulary. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.
If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the text.
1. Listening for main ideas
First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening?
2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:
- What happened last Monday?
- In what ways will the new ferries be different from the current ones?
- What is the benefit of having space for rail wagons on the ferries?
- What needs to happen to the port infrastructure in Picton? And in Wellington?
- When will the new ferries start operating?
- In what ways is this new project different from the one proposed by the previous government?
As you listen again, fill in the gaps in the sentences below, then read or listen to the text to check your answers.
3. Listening for numbers
Each ferry will be approximately _________ metres long and _________ metres wide, and will have capacity for __________ passengers, _________ kilometres of lanes for cars and trucks, and _________ rail wagons. In contrast, the largest current ferry, the Kaitaki, is about ___________ metres long and _________metres wide. It can carry up to _________ passengers while the other current ferries can carry around _________ passengers.
4. Listening for adjectives and adverbs
This plan means that the project will be ____________ ____________ than the ____________ government’s plan, which would have required ____________ changes to the ports in both Picton and Wellington. That plan was ____________ costed at $551 million, but the port upgrades were going to increase the cost to $3 billion. ____________, this government cancelled the plan in December 2023, and has to pay a fee for breaking contracts, ____________ as much as $300 million.
Text
Last Monday the Minister for Rail, Winston Peters, announced the plan for two new Cook Strait ferries. They will be longer and wider than the current ferries and will be rail-enabled.
The government has not yet bought or even ordered the ferries, but they have decided what kind of ferries that they want. Each ferry will be approximately 200 metres long and 28 metres wide, and will have capacity for 1500 passengers, 2.4 kilometres of lanes for cars and trucks, and 40 rail wagons. In contrast, the largest current ferry, the Kaitaki, is about 181 metres long and 23 metres wide. It can carry up to 1400 passengers while the other current ferries can carry around 600 passengers. The decision to have space for rail wagons means that loading freight will be faster and more efficient. In addition, Winston Peters said that the port infrastructure in Picton is old so it will be replaced, whereas the infrastructure in Wellington only needs to be modified.
The next steps include seeking proposals from shipyards by June and finalising contracts by the end of this year. The ferries will start operating across Cook Strait by Christmas 2029.
This plan means that the project will be considerably cheaper than the previous government’s plan, which would have required significant changes to the ports in both Picton and Wellington. That plan was initially costed at $551 million, but the port upgrades were going to increase the cost to $3 billion. Consequently, this government cancelled the plan in December 2023, and has to pay a fee for breaking contracts, perhaps as much as $300 million. The change in plan also means the country needs to wait until 2029 rather than 2026 for new ferries to arrive.
If you want to learn more about this topic, listen to The new plan for new ferries from 16 December 2024.
Vocabulary
ferry – a boat that carries people or goods across a river or a narrow area of water
announce – to officially tell people something, especially a plan or decision
lane – in this context, sections of the ferry for cars and trucks to be parked in lines. A more general meaning is a section of a road, that is marked by painted white lines, to keep cars separate.
rail wagon – a large vehicle which is pulled by a train and carries goods
freight – goods that are transported by ship, planes, trains, or trucks, and the system of transporting goods in this way
port – a place where ships load and unload goods
infrastructure – in this context, the basic systems and structures of the port
shipyard – a place where ships are built or repaired
upgrade – to improve something and make it more modern
cancel – to stop something, to decide that something official that was planned will not happen
Answers
a. What happened last Monday?
The Minister for Rail, Winston Peters, announced the plan for two new Cook Strait ferries.
b. In what ways will the new ferries be different from the current ones?
They will be longer and wider than the current ferries and will be rail-enabled.
c. What is the benefit of having space for rail wagons on the ferries?
Loading freight will be faster and more efficient.
d. In what ways does the port infrastructure need to be changed?
The port infrastructure in Picton is old so it will be replaced; the infrastructure in Wellington only needs to be modified.
e. When will the new ferries start operating?
by Christmas 2029
f. In what ways is this new project different from the one proposed by the previous government?
It will be considerably cheaper; the country needs to wait until 2029 for the new ferries rather than 2026.