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Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. the backbone of (something)
    • ex. Farmers are the backbone of the country because they grow our food.
  2. boom
    • ex. Online shopping boomed during the pandemic because people couldn’t do their shopping in stores.
  3. diminish
    • ex. The pain started to diminish after she took some medicine.
  4. scant
    • ex. The team made progress, but with scant resources, it was difficult.
  5. catch up
    • ex. The new student studies hard to catch up with the rest of the class.

Article

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Data show that as of May, New Zealand still has more sheep than humans. It has 23.6 million sheep and 5.3 million people. However, the number of sheep in the country is actually decreasing. In the past, sheep farming was the backbone of New Zealand’s economy. In 1982, the country had over 70 million sheep.

But things have changed. Wool prices have fallen. And many farmers are using their land in new ways, according to New Zealand’s largest farming group. Some have moved to dairy farming, which is now the biggest part of the farming industry. Other farmers are turning farms into pine forests to sell carbon credits. This change started as demand for artificial fabric began to boom around the world, and the need for natural wool began to diminish.

The government is trying to help the sheep farming industry. In April, it asked public buildings to use New Zealand wool. It also placed rules on turning farms into forests. Still, some say these efforts are scant. Some people believe that the number of sheep will continue to fall, while other industries will catch up and grow.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

New Zealand and Sheep Farming

  • In New Zealand, there are more sheep than people. What kind of life do you think people have there (ex. peaceful, boring)? Discuss.
  • The need for natural wool began to diminish, so many New Zealand farmers are using their land in new ways. In your opinion, what would happen to sheep farming in New Zealand in the future? Discuss.
  • The New Zealand government has asked public buildings to use New Zealand wool to help the sheep farming industry. What more can be done to help the industry? Discuss.

The Backbone of a Country’s Economy

  • Sheep farming was the backbone of New Zealand's economy. Now that things are changing, what do you think would happen to the country's economy? Discuss.
  • What is the backbone of your country's economy? Discuss.
  • What do you think are the possible threats to the backbone of your country's economy (ex. the rise of another industry)? Discuss.