I. Complete the passage with the words from the box. preserve for like belief iconic highly pouch home No one can resist the cuddly allure of koalas. These (1) __________ Australia animals are marsupials, a kind of mammal that is born undeveloped and is carried in a pouch. (2) __________all marsupials, including kangaroos, wombats, baby koalas are called joeys. Newborn koalas are called pinkies, born blind and about the size of a jellybean. After birth the pinkie immediately crawls into its mother’s (3) __________, where it’ll stay for6 to 7 months. At around 9 to 10 months the joey leaves the pouch for good, ready to munchon a variety of eucalypts. The leaves of these trees are (4) __________toxic and low onnutrition, requiring lots of energy to digest. This is why koalas spend so much time snoozing so as to (5) __________ energy - often sleeping up to 18 - 20 hours a day! Contrary to popular (6) __________, the koala is not a bear - though it’s certainly as cute as a teddy bear. One of the best places to see koalas in the wild is Kangaroo Island, anatural island sanctuary that is (7) __________ to many of Australia’s native animals. It’sthe ultimate Australia bucket list destination (8) __________animal lovers. II. Read the passage carefully and do the tasks. New Zealand is located in the south-west Pacific Ocean, 1,600 kilometres south-east of Australia. It consists of two main islands called the North Island and the South Island and a number of small islands. The Maori - Polynesian race - were the first people who settled in New Zealand before the year 750 A.D. The first European, a Dutch man called Abel Tasman arrived in New Zealand in 1642. Over a hundred year later, in 1769, Captain James Cook who belonged to the British Royal Navy discovered Fiordland in the South of New Zealand. Then came the navigators, sealers, whalers, explorers and miners. From 1840, New Zealand was a British Colony. It became an independent nation in 1947. New Zealand is as large as the United Kingdom or Japan, but it has a much smaller population, only about 4.9 million. Most people live on the North Island where there are two biggest cities: Wellington, the Capital City, and Auckland, the biggest City in terms of population. New Zealand is a beautiful country of snow-capped mountains, beaches and waterfalls. It’s also famous for its large population of sheep. There are about 45 million sheep living in farms all over the country. New Zealand has many special birds. The best known is the kiwi. This lightless bird is the national emblem of New Zealand. New Zealanders call themselves “kiwis”; it’s their nicknames! A. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F). 1. New Zealand is an island country in the Pacific Ocean. 2. New Zealand was first discovered by James Cook in 1642. 3. New Zealand used to be part of the United Kingdom. 4. The alternative name for a New Zealander, Kiwi, is named after a fruit. 5. The Capital of New Zealand also has the highest population. 6. There are more sheep than people in New Zealand. B. Answer the questions. 1. Where’s New Zealand? ___________________________________________________________ 2. Who were the first people to arrive in New Zealand? ___________________________________________________________ 3. When did Captain James Cook arrive in New Zealand? ___________________________________________________________ 4. How many people live in New Zealand? ___________________________________________________________ 5. What is the national icon of New Zealand? ___________________________________________________________ E. WRITING I. Write full sentences, using the words or phrases provided. You can add some words or make suitable changes. 1. English/ official language/ Singapore. ___________________________________________________________ 2. Australians/ native speakers/ English/ because/ they/ use/ it/ mother tongue. ___________________________________________________________ 3. the United States/ Thanksgiving/ celebrate/ the fourth Thursday/ November. ___________________________________________________________ 4. Scotland/ famous/ its rich culture/ as well/ its amazing natural beauty. ___________________________________________________________ 5. you/ ever/ see/ Scottish man/ wear/ kilt? ___________________________________________________________ 6. Canada/ first/ discover/ the French explorer, Jacques Cartier/ 1534. ___________________________________________________________ 7. Niagara Falls/ be/ popular tourist attraction/ over 200 years. ___________________________________________________________ 8. English/ speak/ the primary language/ many countries/ around the world. ___________________________________________________________