Text completion in IELTS listening practice exercise
One of the best strategies for IELTS listening is, of course, practice, so try this free exercise to test your skills. When you’ve finished this, take a look at some top tips that can also help you improve your IELTS listening result.
Complete the sentences below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Practice IELTS Listening Text Completion Questions by answering these questions
31. Although New Zealand is relatively young, small and , it is able to demonstrate its presence in an international sporting context.
32. In the , Charles Munro introduced rugby to New Zealand from the UK.
33. The Haka is performed by the All Blacks at the beginning of a game in the spirit of Maori tribes.
34. Rugby was played by New Zealand troops during the 2nd World War to develop team work, willpower, fitness and .
35. The All Blacks first played internationally in .
36. In New Zealand, playing sports and spending time in the open air is .
37. Membership of the Golden Oldies facilitates participation in sports until .
Transcript
In this seminar we are going to think about the impact that sport has on the New Zealand identity of today and how the nation’s commitment to sport has impacted throughout history.
Now, New Zealand, as we know, is a relatively young country, is (Q31) geographically isolated and has a small population. Despite these factors, however, it manages to compete on an international sporting platform – in rugby in particular – against much larger, longer established and more powerful nations. The game of rugby was first introduced to New Zealand by Charles Munro in (Q32) the late 1860s, after he discovered the sport while studying at Christ’s College in the UK . Today, the New Zealand team, ‘the All Blacks’ are an internationally renowned rugby team, not only for their sporting prowess but also the infamous performance – the haka – done at the beginning of international rugby competitions. The haka is performed in the (Q33) traditional spirit of Maori tribes as a means of intimidating the enemy prior to combat.
The significance of rugby in history was highlighted during the 2nd World War when New Zealand forces decided to hold a rugby competition, with the intention of building (Q34) strength, fitness, determination and team work amongst the soldiers. The 2nd World War was the first time that Maori troops were engaged in international warfare.
Maori soldiers went to battle as part of the newly established 28th Battalion, which was an all-Maori troop. They quickly established a reputation for being formidable and well disciplined soldiers and it was once said of them that command of the Maori Battalion would facilitate the conquering of the world. Today, the All Black Rugby team have a similar reputation of being an invincible and highly skilled opposition. The team has competed internationally since (Q35) 1884 when they played against a visiting Australian team from New South Wales . Since the early days, rugby facilitated cohesion between different social groups, while many aspects of life were not necessarily open to all.
To this day, while in many parts of the world life is becoming more sedentary, for a vast number of New Zealand families, participation in sporting activities and time spent outdoors is (Q36) highly valued. Children are commonly encouraged to join a sporting group by parents and schools alike. It’s common for children to participate in a team from as early as 5 years old, and membership opportunities extend to (Q37) late in life through clubs such as the ‘Golden Oldies’. Undoubtedly the continued success of the All Blacks continues to keep the national interest, some might say obsession with the sport, alive.
I would now like to hear the thoughts of each of the groups on how attitudes to sports in New Zealand compare or contrast with the country you have selected for research.
BOOST YOUR VOCABULARY! Here’s a glossary of key words from this post:
| Word (Part of Speech) | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Geographically isolated (adjective) | far away from other countries or places | New Zealand is geographically isolated from many nations. |
| Haka (noun) | a traditional Maori dance or challenge | The All Blacks perform the haka before matches. |
| Renowned (adjective) | well known and respected | The team is renowned for its skill. |
| Prowess (noun) | great skill or ability | Their rugby prowess wins many games. |
| Intimidating (adjective) | making others feel afraid or nervous | The haka can be intimidating to opponents. |
| Cohesion (noun) | the state of working well together as a group | Rugby helped build social cohesion in communities. |
| Sedentary (adjective) | involving little physical activity; sitting a lot | Many jobs are sedentary and need more exercise. |
| Facilitate (verb) | to make something easier or help it happen | Clubs facilitate playing sport late in life. |
| Formidable (adjective) | very strong and difficult to defeat | The Maori soldiers were formidable in battle. |
| Invincible (adjective) | impossible to defeat | Fans often think the All Blacks are invincible. |