The Reading / Listening - Maori Haka - Level 2

The famous Maori war dance (the haka) and being bilingual may help people keep dementia away. Researchers from a university in New Zealand say doing the haka and speaking two languages (Maori and English) might help Maoris avoid dementia. A study compared rates of dementia among people in their 80s and 90s. Researchers thought these rates would be higher among Maoris. This is because Maoris have less health care, less income and more heart diseases than non-Maoris. However, researchers found no differences between Maoris and non-Maoris.

The haka is a traditional war cry. A group of people all chant and repeat the same energetic movements while stamping their feet. Warriors did it before battles. They wanted to show their strength and frighten their enemy. A New Zealand football team started using it in 1888. The famous All Blacks rugby team then started using it before their matches in 1905. It is now part of the pre-match preparations for the All Blacks. A Maori professor said that skill, eye co-ordination and the difficult dance routines of the haka help to keep the brain healthy.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Maori Haka - Level 0 Maori Haka - Level 1   or  Maori Haka - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-39881974
  • https://www.maoritelevision.com/news/national/kapa-haka-and-te-reo-maori-may-help-maori-avoid-dementia
  • http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=11853969


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The famous Maori war
  2. being
  3. speaking two
  4. A study compared rates
  5. among people in
  6. these rates would be higher
  7. less
  8. researchers found
  1. among Maoris
  2. their 80s and 90s
  3. dance
  4. no differences
  5. of dementia
  6. income
  7. languages
  8. bilingual

Paragraph 2

  1. The haka is a traditional war
  2. repeat the same energetic
  3. stamping their
  4. Warriors did it
  5. They wanted to show
  6. part of the pre-match
  7. eye
  8. keep the brain
  1. healthy
  2. feet
  3. preparations
  4. movements
  5. co-ordination
  6. before battles
  7. cry
  8. their strength

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The famous Maori (1) ___________________, the haka, and being bilingual may help people keep (2) ___________________. Researchers from a university in New Zealand say doing the haka and (3) ___________________ languages (Maori and English) might help Maoris avoid dementia. A study compared rates of dementia among (4) ___________________ and 90s. Researchers thought these rates would be higher among Maoris. This is because Maoris have (5) ___________________, less income and more heart diseases than non-Maoris. However, researchers found (6) ___________________ between Maoris and non-Maoris.

The haka (7) ___________________ war cry. A group of people all chant and repeat the (8) ___________________ movements while stamping their feet. Warriors (9) ___________________ battles. They wanted to show their strength and frighten their enemy. A New Zealand football team started (10) ___________________ 1888. The famous All Blacks rugby team then started using it before their matches in 1905. It (11) ___________________ the pre-match preparations for the All Blacks. A Maori professor said that skill, eye co-ordination and the difficult (12) ___________________ of the haka help to keep the brain healthy.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThefamousMaoriwardance,thehaka,andbeingbilingualmayhelppeo
plekeepdementiaaway.ResearchersfromauniversityinNewZealands
aydoingthehakaandspeakingtwolanguages(MaoriandEnglish)might
helpMaorisavoiddementia.Astudycomparedratesofdementiaamong
peopleintheir80sand90s.Researchersthoughttheserateswouldbehig
heramongMaoris.ThisisbecauseMaorishavelesshealthcare,lessinco
meandmoreheartdiseasesthannon-Maoris.However,researchersfo
undnodifferencesbetweenMaorisandnon-Maoris.Thehakaisatraditio
nalwarcry.Agroupofpeopleallchantandrepeatthesameenergeticmov
ementswhilestampingtheirfeet.Warriorsdiditbeforebattles.Theywa
ntedtoshowtheirstrengthandfrightentheirenemy.ANewZealandfoot
ballteamstartedusingitin1888.ThefamousAllBlacksrugbyteamthens
tartedusingitbeforetheirmatchesin1905.Itisnowpartoffhepre-matc
hpreparationsfortheAllBlacks.AMaoriprofessorsaidthatskill,eyeco-
ordinationandthedifficultdanceroutinesofthehakahelptokeepthebrai
nhealthy.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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