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
flu – a common illness for people, and in this context, for birds. Short for influenza
poultry – birds such as chickens and ducks that are kept on farms to produce eggs and meat
mammal – a type of animal that drinks milk from its mother’s body when it is young
infect – to give someone a disease
dolphin – a very intelligent sea animal with a long grey pointed nose
gear – equipment or tools that you need for an activity, in this context, for example, camping equipment or shoes
eradicate – to completely get rid of something
endangered – if an animal or bird is endangered, it may soon no longer exist because there are so few of them
habitat – the natural home of a plant or animal
predator – an animal that hunts other animals
extinction – when a particular type of animal or plant stops existing
virus – a very small living thing which causes illnesses
vaccinate – to protect people or animals from a disease by giving them a vaccine. A vaccine has a weak form of the disease.
species – a group of animals or plants which are similar and can have young animals or plants
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:
- How many cases of bird flu have there been in New Zealand?
- What are officials now prepared to do?
- Is there any risk to human health?
- When was the first sick bird found?
- What types of animals does the H5N1 bird flu affect?
- When can mammals be infected?
- What does the Ministry for Primary Industries advise people to do?
- Which two things remain safe to eat?
- What is one major concern?
- What is the Department of Conservation doing?
News story
There have been three cases of bird flu in New Zealand in the last month. Officials are now prepared to manage the disease. There is no risk to human health from bird flu here.
At the beginning of July, one sick seabird was found on Petone Beach near Wellington, and a sick native bird was found in Carterton in the Wairarapa. Both birds died. Then about a week ago another seabird was found dead in the Wairarapa, and testing confirmed it had bird flu. This is the H5N1 bird flu, which is now widespread around the world. It affects poultry, wild birds, and sometimes mammals. Some cows in the United States have been infected, and a dead dolphin in South Australia tested positive for the disease a few days ago. Mammals can be infected when they eat sick birds or interact closely with them.
The Ministry for Primary Industries is leading the national response to the disease. It advises people to stay away from sick or dead birds and to keep pets away from them too. It recommends washing your hands and cleaning your gear after being outdoors. However, at present the Ministry states that there is no evidence of mass deaths in wildlife and that the disease has not been detected in poultry. Consequently, it states that chicken and eggs remain safe to eat.
The Ministry for Primary Industries is working with the Ministry of Health, Health New Zealand, and the Department of Conservation to reduce the impact of the disease and to protect human health. This is important because officials say that once bird flu becomes established in the country, it will be impossible to eradicate it. One major concern is the effect that bird flu could have on native birds, which are already endangered due to habitat loss and introduced predators. Some birds are at high risk from bird flu and at risk of extinction if the virus has a significant impact. The Department of Conservation is vaccinating five of the most threatened native bird species: kākāpō, takahē, tūturuatu/shore plover, kakī/black stilt, and kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet. It is currently planning which species it will vaccinate next.
Answers – you don’t have to write a complete sentence as long as you have the key idea in your answer.
a. How many cases of bird flu have there been in New Zealand?
Three
b. What are officials now prepared to do?
To manage the disease
c. Is there any risk to human health?
No
d. When was the first sick bird found?
At the beginning of July
e. What types of animals does the H5N1 bird flu affect?
Poultry, wild birds, and sometimes mammals
f. When can mammals be infected?
When they eat sick birds or interact closely with them
g. What does the Ministry for Primary Industries advise people to do?
To stay away from sick or dead birds, to keep pets away from them too. It also recommends washing your hands and cleaning your gear after being outdoors
h. Which two things remain safe to eat?
Chicken and eggs
i. What is one major concern?
The effect that bird flu could have on native birds, which are already endangered due to habitat loss and introduced predators
j. What is the Department of Conservation doing?
Vaccinating five of the most threatened native bird species