The Reading / Listening - Maori Haka - Level 1

The Maori war dance (the haka) and being bilingual may help to keep dementia away. Researchers in New Zealand say doing the haka and speaking two languages might help Maoris avoid dementia. A study compared dementia among people in their 80s and 90s. 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 an old war cry. People chant and do an energetic dance. They stamp their feet. Warriors did it before battles to show their strength to their enemy. The famous All Blacks rugby team started using it before their matches in 1905. The All Blacks now do it before all the games they play. A Maori professor said that the thinking about the difficult dance routines of the haka helps to keep the brain healthy.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Maori Haka - Level 0 Maori Haka - Level 2   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 Maori war
  2. being
  3. speaking two
  4. compared dementia among people
  5. Maoris have less health
  6. less
  7. more heart
  8. researchers found
  1. care
  2. in their 80s
  3. diseases
  4. languages
  5. dance
  6. no differences
  7. bilingual
  8. income

Paragraph 2

  1. The haka is an old war
  2. do an energetic
  3. They stamp their
  4. Warriors did it
  5. show their strength
  6. do it before all the games
  7. difficult dance
  8. keep the brain
  1. healthy
  2. before battles
  3. dance
  4. they play
  5. cry
  6. routines
  7. to their enemy
  8. feet

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The Maori war dance (the haka) and (1) ___________________ may help to keep dementia away. Researchers in New Zealand (2) ___________________ haka and speaking two languages might help Maoris avoid dementia. A (3) ___________________ dementia among (4) ___________________ and 90s. Maoris have less health care, (5) ___________________ and more heart diseases than non-Maoris. However, researchers found (6) ___________________ between Maoris and non-Maoris.

The haka (7) ___________________ war cry. People chant and do an energetic dance. They (8) ___________________. Warriors did it before battles to (9) ___________________ to their enemy. The famous All Blacks rugby team (10) ___________________ before their matches in 1905. The All Blacks (11) ___________________ all the games they play. A Maori professor said that thinking about the difficult dance (12) ___________________ haka helps to keep the brain healthy.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheMaoriwardance,thehaka,andbeingbilingualmayhelptokeepdem
entiaaway.ResearchersinNewZealandsaydoingthehakaandspeakin
gtwolanguagesmighthelpMaorisavoiddementia.Astudycomparedde
mentiaamongpeopleintheir80sand90s.Maorishavelesshealthcare,le
ssincomeandmoreheartdiseasesthannon-Maoris.However,resear
chersfoundnodifferencesbetweenMaorisandnon-Maoris.Thehakaisa
noldwarcry.Peoplechantanddoanenergeticdance.Theystamptheirfe
et.Warriorsdiditbeforebattlestoshowtheirstrengthtotheirenemy.Th
efamousAllBlacksrugbyteamstartedusingitbeforetheirmatchesin19
05.TheAllBlacksnowdoitbeforeallthegamestheyplay.AMaoriprofess
orsaidthatthinkingaboutthedifficultdanceroutinesofthehakahelp
stokeepthebrainhealthy.

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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