Le Commonwealth

Document 1. Extract from the website of Wellington High School, New Zealand.
« Last week, our school hosted three students from Kingston, Jamaica, for an exchange programme organised by the Commonwealth Youth Council. Although Jamaica and New Zealand are 15,000 kilometres apart, the visitors felt at home very quickly: we drive on the left, we love cricket and we share the same head of state, King Charles III. On Wednesday, the Jamaican students gave a talk about their country. Jamaica became independent in 1962 and has been a member of the Commonwealth ever since; its motto, « Out of Many, One People », celebrates the diversity of its population. Our visitors were surprised to learn that the Māori language is official in New Zealand, next to English. At the end of the week, we all took part in a Commonwealth quiz — and the Jamaican team won. »

1. Who visited the school, where did they come from and who organised the exchange?
2. Quote two things that the two countries have in common, according to the text.
3. When did Jamaica become independent? What does its motto celebrate?
4. What surprised the visitors? Answer with a full sentence in your own words.

Document 2. Six Commonwealth members.

1. Which country joined most recently, and what is special about its history compared with the other five?
2. How many of these six countries are republics? Name them.
3. Write two sentences with « there are » to compare the populations of India and Tuvalu (use the figures).
4. Write one sentence in the preterite about Nigeria, using the table and the verb « to join ».

1. Complète avec there is, there are, there was ou there were : « In 1949, ___ only eight members. Today ___ fifty-six. »
2. Mets au prétérit : « The Queen (reign) ___ for seventy years and (hold) ___ the role of Head of the Commonwealth. »
3. Transforme en question commençant par How many : « There are fifteen Commonwealth realms. »
4. Corrige les deux erreurs de la phrase et explique en français la première : « In 1961, South Africa leaved the Commonwealth because it has a lot of problems with the other members. »

1. Donne la nationalité (adjectif) pour : Australia, Bangladesh, Singapore, the United Kingdom.
2. Traduis en anglais : « obtenir l'indépendance », « une association volontaire », « le siège », « accueillir les Jeux ».
3. Explique en anglais, en une phrase chacune, la différence entre to rule et to join.
4. Complète avec le bon mot : heritage, mother tongue, summit, republic — « a) Hindi is her ___ ; b) Barbados became a ___ in 2021 ; c) the leaders met at a ___ in Samoa ; d) cricket belongs to our shared ___. »

Your school is organising Commonwealth Day. Write the short speech (80 words minimum) that you will read in front of the pupils. Follow the four steps.

1. Explain what the Commonwealth is (number of members, when the modern Commonwealth was born, what the members share).
2. Describe its Head and explain why this role is symbolic.
3. Present one member country that is NOT the United Kingdom (continent, nationality, date of independence or of joining), using the preterite.
4. Conclude with your opinion on cultural diversity, using at least one sentence with « there is » or « there are ».