Reality TV contestant kills and eats protected New Zealand bird
Listen to the story (British accent)
In a reality show called “Race to Survive: New Zealand,” a contestant named Spencer “Corry” Jones ate a protected bird called a weka.
The show is a tough race across New Zealand where teams have to find their own food and water. The prize is $500,000.
The weka is a large bird that cannot fly. It is protected in New Zealand because its population is decreasing. If someone kills a weka, they could go to jail for two years or pay a fine of $60,000.
Jones said sorry on the show. He knew it was wrong to eat the weka, but he was very hungry. After this, Jones and his teammate Oliver Dev were told to leave the show.
The New Zealand government decided to give Jones and the show’s producers a warning. They said the contestants were very tired and hungry, and the situation was unusual. But they also said it is not okay to kill and eat a protected bird.
The people who make “Race to Survive” had permission to film on land that is protected for conservation. They knew they were not allowed to catch or eat protected animals or plants.
The show said all the contestants were told about New Zealand’s wildlife rules. Because Jones broke a rule, he and his teammate were disqualified.
Before they were disqualified, Jones and Dev were doing well and could have won the race.
New Zealand has many unique plants and animals because it has been separated from other lands for a long time.
Vocabulary25 words
- Reality show
- A TV program that shows real people, not actors, doing things
- Contestant
- A person in a competition; a person playing a game or in a contest trying to win
- Protect
- To keep something safe; to defend something
- Tough
- Difficult to do or deal with; hard; not easy
- Prize
- A reward or gift that you get for winning a competition
- Population
- a community of animals, plants, or humans; all the living things of a particular type or group which live in a particular area or environment.
- Decrease
- to go down; to become less; become smaller
- Jail
- a place where people are held/kept as punishment for a crime; a building for bad people
- Fine
- a penalty or punishment you have to pay with money
- Teammate
- a member of the same team in a sport; a person on the same team
- Government
- the group of people who have the authority to make and enforce laws and manage a country or region; the people/group that manage and operate a country
- Producer
- someone who is in charge of and manages the production of a TV series or movie, including financial and creative points
- Warning
- a statement that tells someone they did something wrong and to not do it again
- Situation
- What is happening at a certain place/time; circumstance; state of affairs; the way it is; event; occurrence
- Unusual
- not normal or typical; strange
- Permission
- allowed to do; authorization; approval; it’s OK to do
- Film
- To record video with a camera
- Conservation
- The act of protecting and saving the environment
- Catch
- To capture or trap something; Grab something or someone
- Wildlife
- Animals and plants that live in nature, not in cities or homes
- Rule
- A guideline or regulation; sometimes a law; A guide that tells us what we should or shouldn’t do
- Break a rule
- To do something that a rule says you should not do; to not follow the rules; to go against the rules
- Disqualified
- When you are not allowed to take part in something because you broke a rule; Not allowed to continue in a game or contest
- Unique
- One of a kind or different from everything else; special
- Separated
- To be set apart; not together;
Quiz
Answer key
1. Race to Survive: New Zealand 2. Both 'A' and 'B' 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
In a reality show _____ “Race to Survive: New Zealand,” a contestant named Spencer “Corry” Jones ate a _____ bird called a weka.
The show is a tough race _____ New Zealand where teams have to find their own food and water. The prize is $_____.
The weka is a _____ bird that cannot fly. It is protected in New Zealand because its population is _____. If someone kills a weka, they could go to jail for two _____ or pay a fine of $_____.
Jones said sorry on the _____. He knew it was wrong to eat the weka, but he was very _____. After this, Jones and his teammate Oliver Dev were told to _____ the show.
The New Zealand government decided to _____ Jones and the show’s producers a warning. They said the contestants were _____ tired and hungry, and the situation was unusual. But they also said it is not _____ to kill and eat a protected bird.
The people who _____ “Race to Survive” had permission to film on land that is _____ for conservation. They knew they were not allowed to _____ or eat protected animals or plants.
The show said all the contestants _____ told about New Zealand’s wildlife rules. Because Jones broke a rule, he and _____ teammate were disqualified.
Before they were disqualified, Jones and Dev were _____ well and could have won the race.
New Zealand has many _____ plants and animals because it has been separated from other lands for a long _____.
Discussion questions
- Do you think the contestant should have been punished more harshly for eating the weka? Why or why not?
- What could the show's producers have done differently to prevent this from happening?
- Should reality shows be allowed to film in places where they might harm the environment?
- What do you think about the penalties for harming protected wildlife in New Zealand?
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