TALKS ON MALI CRISIS

1. Read the article, choose the best option to complete the sentences. 2. Listen to the report and check up your answers. http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/high-level-delegations-meet-for-talks-on-mali-crisis/1530010.html3. Translate the text into Russian. 4. Summarize the report.

High-Level Delegations Meet for Talks on Mali Crisis

High-level delegations met in Bamako, Mali for talks about/on/of the crisis in the country’s north.  Representatives from/of/in the United Nations, African Union and the Economic Community of West African States met with Malian leaders to develop a plan. 

Mali’s temporary president Dioncounda Traore urged representatives to act immediately to deal with the situation. He promised that the government will cooperate/must cooperate/would cooperate and work together with forces assisting in ousting the Islamic militants from the north. 

Mali felt/has fallen/fell into a crisis in March, 25, after the military ousted President Amadou Toumani Toure.  Shortly after, Islamic militants with ties to al-Qaida seized control of the north. The militants want enforce/to enforce/enforcing a severe version of Islamic law there.  Recent reports from the north documented/were documented/have documented human rights abuses by/of/from the militants.  They perform public executions, use children as soldiers and force women into sex work.  Women in many towns force/forced/ are forced to cover their faces and ban/banned/are banned from appearing in public with men.  Smoking and music are also prohibited.

The U.N. has been calling on ECOWAS to provide a/the/-- more detailed plan for its propose/proposed/proposing military action in northern Mali.  Last week, the U.N. Security Council passed/has passed/would pass a resolution clearing the way for/of/from deployment of the ECOWAS force.  It gave African leaders forty-five days to create a military intervention plan. 

The newly appointed chairperson for/of/from the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, said she will deal/dealt/would deal first with Mali after being sworn in. In Bamako, she said it is/was/has been her first official trip as a messenger of solidarity from/of/for the African continent to the Malian people.

“I also want to highlight the AU's deep concern about/of/for the prevailing situation and the AU's determination to do everything in our power to help the people of Mali to find a speedy resolution of the overlapping crises in their country." 

--/The/ A U.N. Security Council holds/will hold/has held a second vote to approve or disapprove a/the/-- military intervention plan once it will be/is created/created.   However, many people in Mali oppose to/with/-- foreign intervention. 

Hundreds of Malians marched in Bamako this week to protest the idea of ECOWAS’ military deployment. 

The protest was organized by supporters of former army members who ousted the government.   Many Malians say they concern/were concerned/are concerned that the army is disorganized and poorly equipped to take back the north alone. 

Last week, thousands/thousand of Malians marched in support of ECOWAS troops in Mali.  A Malian living in the northern city of Gao says military intervention is necessary. 

He also says the people in the north suffer/suffered/have suffered enough, and it is time for war in order to clear the path.

There is also concern that military intervention must/could push Islamic militants and more refugees into/to/in neighboring countries.

GRAMMAR: TENSES IN NEWS ITEMS

Read the news item, open the brackets using the correct verb-forms. Translate into Russian. A Palestinian boy (kill) by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources say. The boy, reportedly aged 13, (hit) by shots from an army helicopter, the sources said. It is still unclear how the boy (hit) in Thursday's incident, but one report said soldiers (find) explosive devices near a border fence east of the town of Khan Younis and (open) fire. Another report said the boy (fatally, wound) during a clash involving militants and Israeli helicopters. The Israeli army said that at the moment it (check) the report. The latest incident follows a recent spate of rocket attacks from Gaza and Israeli air strikes which (leave) six militants dead and at least five Israelis hurt. Earlier this week, three Israeli soldiers (also, wound) in a blast on the Israeli side of the border.

TRANSLATION PRACTICE_NEWS-STORIES

Translate into Russian. Pay attention to "newspaper words". David Cameron reaffirms UK aid pledge at United Nations David Cameron has reaffirmed his commitment to increase Britain's aid spending, despite opposition from within his own party. The prime minister underlined the pledge in New York, while attending the United Nations General Assembly. Israeli parliament dissolves ahead of early election Israel's parliament has voted to dissolve itself and to hold an early general election on 22 January. The unanimous vote followed a debate lasting more than eight hours. Last week PM Benjamin Netanyahu said he was bringing forward elections due in a year's time because parliament could not agree on a new budget. EU imposes new sanctions on Iran Foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg "significantly broadened EU restrictive measures", focusing on Iranian banks, trade and gas exports, officials said. The ministers reiterated their "serious and deepening concerns" over Iran's nuclear activities and their commitment to "work for a diplomatic solution". They suspect Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, something it denies. Analysts say the unilateral sanctions announced by the US and EU, as well as those imposed by the UN Security Council, have done significant damage to the Islamic Republic's economy. Earlier this month, riots broke out when Iran's currency, the rial, plunged to new lows against the dollar, according to local currency exchange websites, having lost 80% of its value since the start of the year. EU member states have announced a new package of sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme. 9/11 Guantanamo hearings resume after five months Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others accused over the 9/11 attacks have appeared at a US military tribunal for the first time in five months. The week-long pre-trial hearing at Guantanamo Bay will largely focus on issues of secrecy. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is accused of masterminding the attacks while the others are implicated for providing support for the co-ordinated hijacking. In May, a chaotic hearing in the case lasted 13 hours. Twitter blocks neo-Nazi account to users in Germany Twitter has blocked access to a neo-Nazi account at the request of the German government. The tweets will no longer be visible to users in Germany although the rest of the world will be able to view them. It is the first time the social networking site has implemented its local censorship policy, which came into force in January. That policy allows it to block content in specific countries if tweets violate local laws. Jordan sets date for early parliamentary elections Jordan's electoral commission has announced that early parliamentary elections will be held on 23 January. The commission revealed its decision a day after voter registration ended. Earlier this month, King Abdullah dissolved the House of Representatives half-way through its term and appointed a new caretaker prime minister. The Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, the Islamic Action Front, has threatened to boycott the polls unless the electoral system is changed. As many as 15,000 people took to the streets of the capital, Amman, 11 days ago to show their support for the IAF's demand. It was the biggest opposition protest seen in the kingdom since the start of the Arab Spring.

PHRASAL VERBS & NOUNS IN THE NEWS

1. Read the definitions and write a phrasal to express the same. to stop being part of a group because you disagree with them, to cause to fall, to escape (from prison), to escape for a holiday, to advance (in spite of opposition), to cancel, to delay/to postpone, to interfere, to ask smb to do smth, to think of a solution or idea, is used when a mechanism stops working, to progress, to recover from an illness, to enter a small closed vehicle, to wait for a short time, to refuse, to suddenly go on strike, to begin suddenly, not to say or do smth, to leave some public transport, to apply for smth\to ask for smth, to go to watch or to participate in an event, to assist\to support, to increase, to order to come, to resign, to reduce in size and amount. 2. Give the Russian equivalents to the following phrasals. to walk out, to turn down, to turn up, to put in, to hold back, to hold down, to hold out for, to hold on, to get over, to get on, to get out of, to get in, to get away, to cut back, to call on smb, to bring down, to break down, to break away, to come up with, to go ahead, to put off smth, to put smb off, to press for, to step in, to step down, to step up. 3. Fill in the gaps with missing prepositions. Translate into Russian. 1. Hundreds of patients turned _____ to demand more funding to save the constituency surgery which is under threat of closure as its debt steps ______. 2. Prime minister called _____ the government to work "harder and faster" to bring _____energy bills. 3. Officers have not ruled _______the possibility that the fire broke _____accidentely. 4. The debate around the environment has become so vigorous that now it has the power to bring _______ party leaders. 5. But there is no sign the government fighters have a plan to break ______. 6. If you don't turn up for work then you can expect to have your benefits cut ______. 7. The trade unions are pressing _____ longer holidays without longer working hours. 8. Workers at the Fiat plant put ____ a new claim to step ____their wages. 9. The claim to cut ____ energy bills was turned _____. 10. Col Gaddafi supporters called ____ thousands of Libyans to turn ____ into the streets. 11. The negotiations between the Israeli and the Palestinians broke____ in just a few hours. 12. The government threatened to step ____ its forces if the demonstrators didn’t come ____ with more reasonable claims. 13. The interim government had to call ____ the UN to step ___ and back ___ the efforts to settle the dispute. 14. The unions called ___ their demand for a new strike because there was a break_____ in the talks.

GRAMMAR IN NEWS-STORIES: PREPOSITIONS, QUESTIONS

I. Complete the sentences with correct prepositions. The Emir of Qatar arrived (1)_____the Gaza Strip (2)_____ Tuesday (3)_____ a visit officially aimed (4)_____ launching a $254m construction project to help rebuild the war-torn Palestinian territory. Qatar has become one of Hamas's main benefactors since it fell (5)___ with Syria and relations cooled with Iran. Sheikh Hamad flew (6)____ Egypt and crossed into Gaza (7)____ car amid tight security. The emir and his large delegation were greeted (8)____ a Hamas honour guard and Palestinian and Qatari flags decorated the route (9)_____ the main road north to the city of Gaza, a key highway that Qatar will rebuild. A spokesperson (10)_____ Mr Abbas said the Palestinian Authority welcomed Qatar's efforts to help the people in Gaza but also stressed "the necessity to preserve the legitimate representation of the Palestinian people". II. Render the article in Task I into Russian. III. There is a mistake in the construction of the questions which were asked by journalists after the emir’s visit to the Gaza Strip. Correct the mistakes. Check up the use of tenses in reported questions. 1. Who by the emir was met? 2. How long the visit lasted? 3. Where the emir’s speech had been scheduled to take place? 4. The journalists wondered why was the event called off. 5. The reporters asked why did Hamas’s political leadership move from Syria to Egypt and Quatar. 6. One of the reporters asked is Qatar one of America’s key Arab allies. 7. Does Hamas recognized internationally as a terror group? 8. When did Hamas won Palestinian elections? 9. They want to know has the sheikh’s trip broken Israel’s economic and political blockade of Gaza. 10. The journalists asked how much has Qatar promise for construction projects.

POLITICAL VOCABULARY: US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

вступить в гонку за президентство собрать достаточно денег согласно 22 поправке конституции Make up a list of vocabulary to speak about the text: is How US President Chosen? предварительные выборы; простое большинство; по традиции; кандидат в президенты; утверждаться делегатами съезда; браться в расчет; вести предвыборную кампанию за президентство; Увеличиваются штаты (сотрудников); Разрабатываются расписания выступлений; Устанавливаются бюджеты; Выпускается телереклама; Чтобы оценить сильные и слабые стороны, проводятся опросы общественного мнения; Формируются группы граждан, чтобы привлекать независимых; Рассылаются добровольцы, чтобы распространять лит-ру предвыборной кампании, ходить по домам, созывать митинги; пересекать страну; профсоюзы; рассчитывать на поддержку; раскрытие карт; выиграть больше народных голосов, чтобы получить большинство и право на место; президента США; коллегия выборщиков; отцы-основатели; создать систему; защитить от народных пристрастий; отдать голос за кандидата в президенты; заказной почтой; исполняющий обязанности вице-президента; абсолютное большинство; присягать, давать клятву. to start running for president; to raise enough money; under terms of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution; primary elections = primaries; a simple majority; by custom; the presidential nominee; to be confirmed by convention delegates; to come into play; to campaign for presidency; Staffs are enlarged; Speaking schedules are roughed out; Budgets are fixed; TV commercials are produced; Polls are taken to assess strengths and weaknesses; Citizen groups are formed to attract independents; Volunteers are sent out to distribute campaign literature, ring doorbells, drum up rallies; to crisscross the country; labor unions; to count on the backing; the showdown; to win more popular votes to win the right to the office of President of the USA; electoral college; the founding fathers; to devise a system; to protect the country against ‘popular passions’; to cast a vote for a presidential nominee; by registered mail; the incumbent Vice President; an outright majority; to be sworn in. Say how the presidential nominees campaign for two or three months before Election Day, using the following words: Staffs______________; Speaking schedules______________; Budgets ____________________; TV commercials______________ ______________________; Polls ____________________; Citizen groups __________________; Volunteers ____________________; The presidential nominees ________________.

PHRASAL VERBS

Look for phrasals in the following sentences. Explain their meaning in English and give a Russian equivalent. Write the translation into Russian. 1. A former journalist who worked at the Daily Mirror, criticised media managers for cutting back on staff. 2. King Abdullah was the first Arab leader to say President Assad should step down. 3. The head of the Royal Air Force has acknowledged that civil war could break out in Afghanistan. 4. It has dragged on for more than three years and I don't think we will ever get over it. 5. US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta calls on Israel to work with Turkey and Egypt. 6. "I don't believe it will be the truth because they have covered it up for years. 7. We did offer concessions, but in the end they chose not to hold anything back," he added. 8. The Scottish government has said it intends to extend a scheme designed to bring down the cost of ferry travel. 9. India's government is reported to have put on hold plans to open up the retail market. 10. The people stepped in and said no," said one of the activists.

GRAMMAR: TENSES IN NEWS-STORIES

Read the article, open the brackets using the correct verb-forms. Write 7 questions to the article. Translate the text into Russian in writing. Georgia election: Rival leaders agree on Nato goal The president of Georgia and the incoming prime minister have agreed Nato membership remains a strategic goal, despite their differences. Mikheil Saakashvili, whose party (1 defeat) at last week's election, (2 shake) hands with Bidzina Ivanishvili for the cameras but (3 show) little warmth. It is the first time the two officials (4 meet) since last year, when Mr Ivanishvili (5 vow) to oust the ruling party. Under Mr Saakashvili, Georgia (6 become) a strong partner of Nato. It (7 send) troops to serve alongside Nato forces in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr Ivanishvili, a tycoon who (8 make) his fortune in Russia, (9 portray) by the ruling party during the election campaign as being pro-Moscow. Russia (10 not have) diplomatic ties with Georgia since the two countries' brief war over the breakaway Georgian territory of South Ossetia in August 2008. Mr Ivanishvili said that Georgia (11 definitely, be able) to become a member of Nato soon. He added that during the meeting they (12 talk) about foreign policy and their visions. Mr Saakashvili said that he, as president, (13 ensure) that the transfer of government functions (14 go) "without any excesses". Georgia's chances of joining Nato (15 damage) by the war with Russia. The alliance (16 not want) to accept a new member that might drag it into an armed conflict with Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow that while Russia (17 hope) for a normalisation of relations with Georgia, the status of South Ossetia and fellow breakaway territory Abkhazia (18 not be) negotiable. Russia (19 recognize) both territories as independent states. The new Georgian government is expected (20 take) office later this month.