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
cancel – to stop something, or to decide that something official that was planned will not happen
athlete – someone who competes in sports competitions
descent – a person’s family origins
gymnast – a person who performs gymnastics, especially in a competition
gymnastics – physical exercises, often using special equipment, which develop and show the body’s strength and ability to bend and move easily
lawn bowls – a game played on an area of very smooth grass, in which players take turns to roll bowls as near as possible to a small ball
athletics – sports such as running, high jump, and long jump
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:
- When are the Commonwealth Games?
- What are the Commonwealth Games similar to?
- What information does the speaker give about the Commonwealth?
- Why did Glasgow offer to host the 2026 Games?
- How many sports will be represented? And how many Para sports?
- How many women and how many men are in the New Zealand team?
- Who is Sienna Shields?
- Where are one third of the team from?
- Name four of the sports that New Zealand athletes will compete in.
- How many events will the New Zealand Para athletes compete in?
- How can you watch the Commonwealth Games?
News story
If you’re a sports fan, you may be wondering what to watch now that the FIFA World Cup is over. One option is the Commonwealth Games, which start on Thursday 23 July and finish on Sunday 2 August.
The Commonwealth Games are similar to the Olympic Games but are only for countries which are members of The Commonwealth. This is an association of countries and has its roots in the British Empire. Some countries in the Commonwealth used to be ruled by Britain and still have the King as head of state. However, republics and other independent countries have joined the Commonwealth.
The 2026 Games were going to be in Melbourne, but the Victoria State Government cancelled the plans to host them because of increasing costs. Glasgow offered to host instead, but with only ten sports. Six Para sports are integrated in the Games, which means that there is not a separate Para Games or separate tickets.
New Zealand is sending a team of 116 athletes to the Glasgow Games. There are 65 women and 51 men. They have a wide range of cultural backgrounds, including Cook Islands, Samoan, and Tongan. 13.5 percent are of Māori descent. The average age is 27.7. The youngest is gymnast Sienna Shields who has just turned 18. The oldest is lawn bowls athlete Julie O’Connell who is 67. One third of the team are from the Auckland region, with Waikato and Canterbury the next highest represented regions, at 11.5% and 10.6% respectively.
New Zealand athletes will compete in artistic gymnastics, athletics, 3×3 basketball, boxing, lawn bowls, judo, netball, swimming, track cycling, and weightlifting. New Zealand Para athletes will compete in para athletics, para bowls, para swimming, and para track cycling.
If you want to watch the 2026 Commonwealth Games, there will be live coverage on Three and ThreeNow as well as on Sky Sport.
Answers – you don’t have to write a complete sentence as long as you have the key idea in your answer.
a. When are the Commonwealth Games?
Thursday 23 July to Sunday 2 August
b. What are the Commonwealth Games similar to?
The Olympic Games
c. What information does the speaker give about the Commonwealth?
It is an association of countries; it has its roots in the British Empire. Some countries in the Commonwealth used to be ruled by Britain and still have the King as head of state; republics and other independent countries have joined the Commonwealth.
d. Why did Glasgow offer to host the 2026 Games?
The Victoria state government cancelled the plans to host them in Melbourne because of increasing costs
e. How many sports will be represented? And how many Para sports?
Ten sports; six Para sports
f. How many women and how many men are in the New Zealand team?
65 women; 51 men
g. Who is Sienna Shields?
A gymnast; the youngest member of the New Zealand team at 18
h. Where are one third of the team from?
The Auckland region
i. Name four of the sports that New Zealand athletes will compete in.
Any four of the following: artistic gymnastics, athletics, 3×3 basketball, boxing, lawn bowls, judo, netball, swimming, track cycling, and weightlifting
j. How many events will the New Zealand Para athletes compete in?
Four
k. How can you watch the Commonwealth Games?
There will be live coverage on Three and ThreeNow as well as on Sky Sport.