Today's picture: Two friendly staff members from the Student Learning Centre ready to welcome our new students

'Establish' is often used as a more formal way of saying ‘set up’ – in other words to start something new and get it going. The noun is 'establishment' and this is sometimes used to mean an organisation or, in a more general way, to refer to the people or organisations which have the power in a society. It can also be used with the meaning of 'find out' as in 'establish the causes of the tragedy'.

The company established a network of local agents to communicate directly with their clients.

The new interest in environmental issues led to the establishment of several political parties and pressure groups in the 1970's.

He decided not to follow his father into the banking business because he didn't want to become part of the establishment.

Click on this link for more examples and interactive exercises: http://www.academicenglishgenerator.com/set_up.htm

Kiwi Culture Quiz

Instead of giving you a test today, I'm giving you a quiz! How much do you know about New Zealand?

1) The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. Their name for New Zealand is "Aotearoa". This means "Land of the .....

hot pool
fire mountain
long white cloud
many sheep

2) How long ago (approximately) did the first human being set foot in New Zealand?

60, 000 years
10, 000 years
5, 000 years
1, 000 years

3) Apart from human beings and sea creatures, which were the first mammals to live in New Zealand?

kiwis
rats
moa
wallabies

4) Which of the following is true about New Zealand, but NOT about Australia?

People drive on the left (of the road)
The Head of State is Queen Elizabeth
There are frequent earthquakes and eruptions
Most major cities are named after British Lords, Dukes or Queens

5) It's difficult to see the Kiwi bird, New Zealand's national symbol, because ...

it's extinct
it's nocturnal
it's very small
it lives high up in trees

6) Which of these sports is NOT very popular in New Zealand

sailing
rugby
netball
baseball

7) The indigenous people of Australia spoke nearly 300 different languages at the time of the British colonisation. How many languages were spoken by the indigenous people of New Zealand?

one
twenty-five
fifty
one hundred

8) The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, is an important agreement between the British Government and the Maori tribes. It is considered the founding document of New Zealand. What did the British government promise the Maori in this treaty?

the right to carry guns
independence
ownership of their lands
free education

9) American navy ships are prohibited from entering New Zealand waters because ..

none of the ports in New Zealand are large enough to accept their ships
the USA doesn't recognise New Zealand's claims to the Antarctic
they may be carrying nuclear material
their sailors are too hot

10) One third of the New Zealand population ...

live in Auckland
have emigrated to Australia
were born overseas
have their own boat

11) The ‘waka’ is an important part of Maori culture – it’s often a feature of formal introductions, for instance. What is your ‘waka’?

family
canoe
tattoo
challenge

12) Which of these is NOT the nickname of one of New Zealand’s national sports teams?

The All Whites
The Flat Caps
The Tall Blacks
The Silver Ferns

13) New Zealand was the first country in the world to …

allow women to vote in general elections
end slavery
introduce free, compulsory education for children
apologise to its indigenous people

14) Which of these films was NOT shot in New Zealand?

Lord of the Rings
The Last Samurai
Gladiator
Narnia

15) Which of these sentences about New Zealand is NOT true?

The capital city is Wellington
The currency is the dollar
The national anthem is “God save the Queen”
The population is less than that of Sydney

You can listen and check your answers.