The Reading / Listening - Manuka Honey - Level 1

Manuka honey is famous for its quality. Bees make it from the nectar of the manuka tree. This tree grows in New Zealand and Australia. The two countries have battled over the word "manuka". New Zealand wanted to trademark it so only its beekeepers could use the word "manuka". However, an intellectual property agency decided that no one could trademark this word. This means Australian beekeepers can also use it.

The word "manuka" is from the Maori language. New Zealand said because of this, no other country could use it for honey. New Zealand's beekeepers were disappointed. They will continue to fight to protect their word. In Australia, the manuka tree is called the "tea tree". Australia's beekeepers were happy. They said: "Our product has a long history of being [known] as manuka honey. It is produced like the NZ product is."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Manuka Honey - Level 0 Manuka Honey - Level 2   or  Manuka Honey - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/22/new-zealand-loses-fight-over-manuka-honey-trademark
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-21/new-zealand-honey-producers-fail-to-secure-manuka-trade-mark
  • https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/132106630/battle-for-nz-to-have-trademark-rights-for-mnuka-honey-unsuccessful


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. famous
  2. quality
  3. countries
  4. battled
  5. word
  6. trademark
  7. decided
  8. Australian
  1. term
  2. fought
  3. Aussie
  4. excellence
  5. concluded
  6. well known
  7. brand
  8. nations

Paragraph 2

  1. language
  2. New Zealand
  3. disappointed
  4. protect
  5. happy
  6. history
  7. produced
  8. product
  1. upset
  2. background
  3. pleased
  4. merchandise
  5. Kiwi
  6. made
  7. tongue
  8. safeguard

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Manuka (1) ___________________ for its quality. Bees make it (2) ___________________ of the manuka tree. This (3) ___________________ New Zealand and Australia. The two countries have (4) ___________________ word "manuka". New Zealand wanted to trademark it so only its beekeepers could use the word "manuka". However, an intellectual property agency (5) ___________________ one could trademark this word. This means Australian beekeepers (6) ___________________ it.

The word "manuka" (7) ___________________ Maori language. New Zealand said (8) ___________________, no other country could use (9) ___________________. New Zealand's beekeepers were disappointed. They will continue (10) ___________________ protect their word. In Australia, the manuka tree (11) ___________________ "tea tree". Australia's beekeepers were happy. They said: "Our product has a long history of being [known] as manuka honey. It is (12) ___________________ NZ product is."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Manukahoneyisfamousforitsquality.Beesmakeitfromthenectarofthe
manukatree.ThistreegrowsinNewZealandandAustralia.Thetwocoun
trieshavebattledovertheword"manuka".NewZealandwantedtotrade
markitsoonlyitsbeekeeperscouldusetheword"manuka".However,an
intellectualpropertyagencydecidedthatnoonecouldtrademarkthiswo
rd.ThismeansAustralianbeekeeperscanalsouseit.Theword"manuka"
isfromtheMaorilanguage.NewZealandsaidbecauseofthis,nootherco
untrycoulduseitforhoney.NewZealand'sbeekeepersweredisappoint
ed.Theywillcontinuetofighttoprotecttheirword.InAustralia,themanu
katreeiscalledthe"teatree".Australia'sbeekeeperswerehappy.Theys
aid:"Ourproducthasalonghistoryofbeing[known]asmanukahoney.It
isproducedliketheNZproductis."

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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