Skip to main content
Sensations English Logo
LEVEL B2

Shadowing the newsreader

Listen to the newsreader read out each line and then practise saying it. Record your own voice line by line and submit your voiceover.

Hide View

The Golden Shears is the world's leading sheep shearing competition.

Held in Masterton, New Zealand for over six decades, it has international appeal, with competitors coming from far and wide.

Once regarded as a simple farm task, sheep shearing has now been recognised as an exclusive sporting event.

Keryn Herbert comments on the physical challenges.

For shearer Joel Henare, the art of sheep shearing needs a combination of both physical and mental strength.

Groups of six shearers compete against their opponents in this yearly, three-day long contest.

Their task - to expertly shear 20 sheep each - is assessed by the judges, a packed stadium, and 70,000 spectators on live stream.

It's vital that the Bowen technique is used, which ensures that a sheep's fleece is removed without any damage to the wool fibre, the animal or the shearer.

Gavin Mutch, originally from Scotland, is taking part.

Wool handling is another key element in the competition and is of real importance in the presentation and marketing of wool worldwide.

Here, however, there's no standard technique because of the different breeds of sheep and the diverse ways of processing which are used around the world.

The competitors tackle this with power and speed, driven on by the desire to win the Golden Shears.

REGISTER NOW

Get videos, articles, games and study tools!

Learn at six levels from A1 to C1
Or sign up with your Email
By clicking “Sign Up” above you are accepting our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign in

Sign up with email

Enter the following information to create your account.
All sign up options

Log in Or create an account

or

Forgot password?

reset password or login

Crop Image

Crop preview
Add to homescreen