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. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.
If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the News story.
Use the vocabulary list to check the meanings of some words before you listen.
Vocabulary
peak – the highest point
viral – a viral disease is caused by a virus
virus – a very small living thing which causes illnesses
symptom – a change in your body or mind which shows that you have an illness
acute – an acute illness quickly becomes very serious
respiratory – relating to breathing or your lungs
immune system – the system in your body that produces substances to help it fight against infection and disease
eligible – if you are eligible for something, you are able or allowed to do it
vaccine – a substance that is put into the blood and that protects the body from a disease
elective surgery – surgery that you choose to have, although you do not have to have it
shortage – when there is not enough of something
recruitment – the act or process of finding new people to work in a company or organisation
budget – the money that an organisation or person has
Try these activities while listening
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 the flu?
- What are common flu symptoms?
- How long can coughing last?
- How many people die from the flu in New Zealand each year?
- When did the flu season start this year?
- At the end of August, how many people were in hospital for severe acute respiratory symptoms?
- What does the speaker say about children under five years old?
- What happened each week in August?
- What did health officials decide?
- How many hospitals were over 100 percent capacity in the middle of August?
- Why did Tauranga Hospital declare a ‘state of emergency’ on 15 September?
- What happened between March 2024 and March 2026?
News story
New Zealand has had a very bad flu season this year, although the peak seems to be over.
Flu is short for influenza, which is a very serious viral illness. It spreads quickly between people. Flu symptoms include a fever, runny nose, cough, or upset stomach. The worst symptoms usually last about five days, but coughing can last up to two to three weeks. Some people get very sick with flu and need to stay in hospital. Around 500 people die from the flu in New Zealand each year.
The flu season is officially from May to October, but this year it started quite late, in August. The virus spread quickly and led to high demand for health services. At the end of August, the number of people in hospital for severe acute respiratory symptoms was 16 per 100,000 of the population. This was classed as “very high”. It has now dropped to 10 per 100,000, which indicates that the peak may be over. However, this number is similar to the peak in 2025, so it shows that this season has been very serious and that it is still affecting a lot of people.
Children under five years old are particularly at risk of getting complications from the flu, as their immune systems are not fully developed. In August, 70 children were admitted to the two children’s hospitals in Auckland each week, an 85 percent increase compared to the end of July. As a result, health officials decided that from 1 September, all children from 6 months to 5 years old would be eligible for a free influenza vaccine.
New Zealand’s health system was already under pressure before the flu season hit, so it has been a very challenging time for health workers. In the middle of August, eight hospitals around the country were over 100 percent capacity, which means they had more patients than beds and staff to look after them. On Tuesday, 15 September, Tauranga Hospital emergency department declared a ‘state of emergency’, because it was running up to 200 percent capacity. In many hospitals, elective surgeries have been postponed. There are staff shortages throughout the health system. The Minister of Health has said that the Government has put record funding into healthcare every year. However, Health NZ leaders have said that they need to control recruitment carefully to meet their budget. Between March 2024 and March 2026, Health NZ employed only 54 new full-time equivalent nurses.
Answers – you don’t have to write a complete sentence as long as you have the key idea in your answer.
a. What is the flu?
It is a very serious viral illness
b. What are common flu symptoms?
A fever, runny nose, cough, or upset stomach
c. How long can coughing last?
Up to two to three weeks
d. How many people die from the flu in New Zealand each year?
Around 500
e. When did the flu season start this year?
In August
f. At the end of August, how many people were in hospital for severe acute respiratory symptoms?
16 per 100,000 of the population
g. What does the speaker say about children under five years old?
They are particularly at risk of getting complications from the flu, as their immune systems are not fully developed
h. What happened each week in August?
70 children were admitted to the two children’s hospitals in Auckland
i. What did health officials decide?
From 1 September, all children from 6 months to 5 years old would be eligible for a free influenza vaccine
j. How many hospitals were over 100 percent capacity in the middle of August?
Eight
k. Why did Tauranga Hospital declare a ‘state of emergency’ on 15 September?
Because it was running up to 200 percent capacity
l. What happened between March 2024 and March 2026?
Health NZ employed only 54 new full-time equivalent nurses.