NEW ZEALAND WAY OF LIFE

           New Zealand have a high standard of living. New Zealanders eat more butter and meat per person than do the people of any other country. The government’s medical program provides excellent health care. About 70 % of New Zealand people own their houses. Almost every family has a car.

           Most New Zealanders live in single family houses with a small vegetable gardens. In the larger cities, some people live in highrise apartment buildings. Almost in every New Zealand home there are refrigerators, wash machines, and other mo­dern electrical appliances. But air conditioning and central heating are rare because the weather rarely becomes extreme­ly hot or extremely cold. In summer, New Zealanders prefer to keep windows open. In winter, fireplaces or electric heaters keep the homes warm.

           Although about four fifths of New Zealand’s population live in urban areas, cities are uncrowded. Traffic jams seldom oc­cur, even in downtown areas. Large cities have excellent res­taurants, milk bars, theatres, concert halls, and other places of entertainment. City life in New Zealand tends to be rather quiet. However it is changing in larger cities, where interna­tional tourism is developing rapidly.

          Near a fifth of New Zealand’s people live in rural areas — in some of them, small settlements are linked by good roads. But in other areas, rancher’s nearest neighbours may live ki­lometers away. Some ranchers live almost in isolation. Never­theless, most farms and ranches have electricity. Many farm families run their farms with little or no hired help.

                QUESTIONS:

1.      Who pays for health care in New Zealand?

2.      How many New Zealanders own their houses?

3.      Where do the most New Zealanders live?

4.      Are central heating and air conditioning popular in New Zealand? Why?

5.      What does city life in New Zealand look like?

6.      How do New Zealand farmers live?

VOCABULARY:

New Zealander — новозеландец

standard of living — уровень жизни

government — правительство

to provide — предоставлять

health care — здравоохранение

to own — владеть

single-family — на одну семью

vegetable garden — огород

high-rise apartment building — многоэтажный жилой дом

refrigerator — холодильник

wash machine — стиральная машина

electrical appliances — бытовая техника

air conditioning — кондиционирование

central heating — центральное отопление

extremely — слишком

to prefer — предпочитать

fireplace — камин

electric heater — электрический обогреватель

urban — городской

uncrowded — малонаселенный

traffic jams — пробки на дорогах

downtown — центр города

entertainment — развлечение

to tend — иметь тенденцию, быть

rapidly — быстро

rural — сельскохозяйственный

settlement — поселок, деревня

to link — связывать

rancher — фермер

nevertheless — тем не менее

electricity — электричество

hired help — наемная рабочая сила