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 is special about today?
- Why is there a separate public holiday to celebrate the King’s birthday?
- What is the King’s Birthday Honours List?
- How are people nominated for an honour?
- What is the process for deciding who receives the honours?
- How do people receive their honour?
- What is closed on King’s Birthday, and what is open?
- What does the speaker say about a surcharge?
- How long have we celebrated King’s Birthday? Why?
Text
Today is King’s Birthday, which is a public holiday in New Zealand. It is not actually King Charles’ birthday, though. He was born on 14 November 1948.
The reason that there is a separate public holiday is because of the seasons in the United Kingdom. There is a military parade for the king or queen’s birthday there, so it is better to hold that in summer when the weather is likely to be fine. New Zealand has followed that tradition, with King’s Birthday always being the first Monday in June. Here, however, there is no military parade, but like in the UK there is a King’s Birthday Honours List. People who have given special service to the country, their community, or their field of work receive an honour. Anyone can nominate someone who they think deserves an honour, and then nominations are considered by a Cabinet committee. The Prime Minister then recommends the final list to the King. The Honours List is published in the media on King’s Birthday, and in the following months those people receive their honour from the Governor-General, who represents the King, in a special ceremony. The highest honour is the Order of New Zealand, which is limited to 20 living people, and then there are several honours in the New Zealand Order of Merit. This year there are 88 women and 100 men on the Honours List, recognised for their service to education, business, science, health, arts and media, community work, and sport.
King’s Birthday is a public holiday, so offices, banks, schools and universities are closed. Supermarkets, shops, restaurants and cafes are usually open, but they can choose to close if they want or to have shorter hours. People who work on King’s Birthday are entitled to time-and-a-half pay and an alternative day off. Some restaurants and cafes may charge extra on public holidays, to cover the extra costs of paying staff. This is called a surcharge and can be 15 percent, but the business must either have a sign about the surcharge or tell customers about it before they order.
This is only the third King’s Birthday in recent years. For 70 years, the holiday was called Queen’s Birthday, for Queen Elizabeth II, so for some people it is still strange to say King’s Birthday.
Vocabulary
parade – a public celebration when groups walk or ride on decorated vehicles along a street, dancing or playing music
honour – in this context, a special title or medal
nominate – to officially suggest someone for a position or a prize – or in this context, an honour
Cabinet – a group of senior members of a government who decide on government policy
entitled – having the official right to have or do something
surcharge – extra money that you have to pay
Answers
a. What is special about today?
It is King’s Birthday, which is a public holiday in New Zealand.
b. Why is there a separate public holiday to celebrate the King’s birthday?
Because of the seasons in the U.K: there is a military parade for the king or queen’s birthday there, so it is better to hold that in summer when the weather is likely to be fine.
c. What is the King’s Birthday Honours List?
People who have given special service to the country, their community, or their field of work receive an honour.
d. How are people nominated for an honour?
Anyone can nominate someone who they think deserves an honour.
e. What is the process for deciding who receives the honours?
Nominations are considered by a Cabinet committee, then the Prime Minister recommends the final list to the King.
f. How do people receive their honour?
They receive their honour from the Governor-General, who represents the King, in a special ceremony.
g. What is closed on King’s Birthday, and what is open?
Offices, banks, schools and universities are closed. Supermarkets, shops, restaurants and cafes are usually open.
h. What does the speaker say about a surcharge?
Some restaurants and cafes charge extra on public holidays, to cover the extra costs of paying staff. This is called a surcharge and can be 15 percent, but the business must either have a sign about the surcharge or tell customers about it before they order.
i. How long have we celebrated King’s Birthday? Why?
For three years. For 70 years before that, it was Queen’s Birthday, for Queen Elizabeth II.