The Reading / Listening - Uluru - Level 4

Climbing Uluru in the desert of Australia's Northern Territory is now banned. Uluru is a sacred site in indigenous Australian culture. It is the world's largest rock and used to be called Ayers Rock. It is now off-limits to climbers because of its cultural importance to the local people. It has attracted tourists for decades. Tourists went there in large numbers to climb the rock. However, it is a sacred site in Anangu culture. The Anangu people campaigned for the ban.

Most visitors respected an initial ban in 2017. Only 16 per cent of visitors climbed it. A local man who grew up in a tiny village near Uluru spoke about its importance. He said: "That place is a very sacred place. That's like our church." He added: "We don't want you to climb the rock. All of our stories are on the rock." He believes tourists who climbed Uluru had no respect. Another resident said he would not be allowed to climb Australia's parliament.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Uluru - Level 5 or  Uluru - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50064572
  • https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6456290/ulurus-owners-face-future-without-climb/
  • https://www.sbs.com.au/news/a-controversial-chapter-in-uluru-s-long-history-will-close-this-weekend-for-good


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. in the
  2. indigenous Australian
  3. It is now off-
  4. ts cultural importance
  5. It has attracted tourists
  6. Tourists went there in
  7. a sacred site in
  8. people campaigned
  1. for decades
  2. for the ban
  3. desert
  4. limits to climbers
  5. Anangu culture
  6. culture
  7. large numbers
  8. to the local people

Paragraph 2

  1. Most visitors respected
  2. Only 16 per cent of visitors
  3. A local
  4. grew up in a
  5. That place is a very
  6. We don't want you to
  7. All of our stories are
  8. tourists who climbed Uluru
  1. tiny village
  2. on the rock
  3. climb the rock
  4. man
  5. an initial ban
  6. had no respect
  7. sacred place
  8. climbed it

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Climbing Uluru in (1) ___________________ Australia's Northern Territory is now banned. Uluru is a (2) ___________________ indigenous Australian culture. It is the world's largest rock and used to be called Ayers Rock. It is (3) ___________________ to climbers because of its cultural importance to the local people. It has (4) ___________________ decades. Tourists went there (5) ___________________ to climb the rock. However, it is a sacred site in Anangu culture. The Anangu people (6) ___________________ ban.

Most visitors respected (7) ___________________ in 2017. Only 16 per cent of visitors climbed it. A local man who (8) ___________________ a tiny village near Uluru spoke (9) ___________________. He said: "That place is a very sacred place. That's like our church." He added: "We don't want you to climb the rock. All of our (10) ___________________ the rock." He believes tourists who climbed Uluru (11) ___________________. Another resident said he would not be (12) ___________________ Australia's parliament.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ClimbingUluruinthedesertofAustralia'sNorthernTerritoryisnowbann
ed.UluruisasacredsiteinindigenousAustralianculture.Itistheworld'sl
argestrockandusedtobecalledAyersRock.Itisnowoff-limitstoclimber
sbecauseofitsculturalimportancetothelocalpeople.Ithasattractedto
uristsfordecades.Touristswentthereinlargenumberstoclimbtherock.
However,itisasacredsiteinAnanguculture.TheAnangupeoplecampai
gnedfortheban.Mostvisitorsrespectedaninitialbanin2017.Only16per
centofvisitorsclimbedit.AlocalmanwhogrewupinatinyvillagenearUlu
ruspokeaboutitsimportance.Hesaid:"Thatplaceisaverysacredplace.
That'slikeourchurch."Headded:"Wedon'twantyoutoclimbtherock.All
ofourstoriesareontherock."HebelievestouristswhoclimbedUluruhad
norespect.AnotherresidentsaidhewouldnotbeallowedtoclimbAustral
ia'sparliament.

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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