Read about Aotearoa New Zealand, then practise culture vocabulary and relative clauses.
Read the text, then answer the comprehension questions.
New Zealand is also known by its Māori name, Aotearoa, often translated as “land of the long white cloud”. Māori people arrived in the islands centuries before European settlement and developed rich traditions connected to family, land, navigation and storytelling.
Te reo Māori, the Māori language, is an official language of New Zealand. For a long time, its use declined because English dominated schools and public life. In recent decades, however, language nests, bilingual schools, television programmes and public campaigns have helped more young people learn and hear te reo Māori.
Māori culture is visible in many parts of national life. A marae is a meeting place where ceremonies, speeches and shared meals connect people to their ancestors. The haka, a powerful performance with movement and voice, can express welcome, pride, grief or challenge, depending on the occasion.
Environmental ideas are also important. Kaitiakitanga means guardianship: the responsibility to care for land, water and living things. For many New Zealanders, protecting the landscape is not just about tourism; it is about respect for a place that carries memory and identity.
Choose the best word to complete each sentence.
1 A school teaches students in two languages.
2 A wedding, welcome or memorial can be called a .
3 An is a family member who lived before you.
4 A protects or looks after something important.
5 The growth of te reo Māori is sometimes described as a language .
6 Visitors show when they follow local rules and listen carefully.
7 The Treaty of Waitangi is an important in New Zealand history.
8 New Zealand’s mountains, forests and coasts form a dramatic .
Choose the best relative pronoun or adverb.
1 A marae is a meeting place people gather for ceremonies.
2 Te reo Māori is a language has become more visible in public life.
3 Kaitiakitanga is an idea means guardianship of the environment.
4 The Treaty of Waitangi, was signed in 1840, remains important today.
5 The haka is a performance can express welcome or challenge.
6 Rotorua is a city visitors can learn about Māori culture.
7 An ancestor is a person lived before the current generation.
8 A speaker language carries family history may feel proud to use it.
Write 90–120 words about a place, language or tradition that is important for identity. Use at least three relative clauses.
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