Reading newspapers: educational manual 9786010400863

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AL-FARABI KAZAKH NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Mariash Makisheva Leyla Duiseyeva

READING NEWSPAPERS Educational manual

Almaty «Kazakh university» 2013

UDC 811.111 BBK 81.2 Англ-923 M 14 Recommended by the Academic Council of the Faculty of Philology, Literature and World Languages and Editorial and Publishing Council of KazNU Reviewers: Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor M.Sh. Gubaidullina Professor N.M. Ismail Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Zh.S. Kanlybayeva

Makisheva M., Duiseyeva L. M 14 Reading newspapers: educational manual. – Almaty: Kazakh university, 2013. – 80 p. ISBN 978-601-04-0086-3 This manual is for senior students of the International Relations Faculty. It helps students to expand their political and social vocabulary, read different newspaper articles, of different character expressing their own points of view and to discuss and analyze the problems arisen in them. Бұл оқу құралы халықаралық қатынастар факультетінің жоғары курс студенттеріне арналған.Ол қоғамдық-саяси лексиканы меңгеруге, саяси сипаттағы газет мақалаларын оқып, онда көтерілген мәселелерді талқылауға және оларға талдау жасау дағдыларын қалыптастыруға бағытталған. Оқу құралындағы мақалалар шетелдік басылымдардан алынған.

UDC 811.111 BBK 81.2 Анг.

ISBN 978-601-04-0086-3

© Makisheva M., Duiseyeva L., 2013 © KazNU al-Farabi, 2013



SECTION I

Why to read English newspapers? Reading English newspapers helps you x to get many new things; x to raise your reading skills; x to increase your reading speed; x to make you knowledgeable about current events; x to learn a lot of vocabulary; x to upgrade your language ability; x to improve vocabulary, reading and writing skills; x to grow with your wisdom; x to get useful information to make right decisions. What newspapers to read? Choose the right newspaper to read and don’t read some tabloid newspapers which contain gossips and poor language; How to expand newspaper vocabulary? x pay attention to current events by reading foreign newspapers; x watch television programs as well as news analysis in English; x tune into speeches and debates in English, which you can find on the Internet; x join a local political group of interested people with whom you can converse on national politics and history; x read English newspapers, try to guess meanings between sentences, x do not look up every encountered word in dictionary as it can influence your reading speed; x remember words through context, and once they appear several times, you will remember them easily; x keep reading English newspapers as your daily habit.

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How to read newspapers? x choose a formal newspaper; x read headlines as we can learn a lot from headlines; x read first or second paragraph of each article from which you’ll know what, when, how, why, and who the information about news; x read only the articles which are really interesting for you, so you may get good mood reading them; x read the articles thoroughly; x translate the newspaper articles; x find the writing pattern in article i.e. what is the author’s personal idea; Gradually, you are able to absorb many kinds of new information and have good storage of vocabulary. Analysis of a Newspaper Article Title: include the full title (headline) of the article; Author: give the author's full name; if there is no author given, indicate if the article is an editorial or from a foreign news source; Newspaper: the full name of the newspaper from which the article is taken; Date: the day the article appeared in the newspaper; Subject: the topic that the article is describing, for example, "Syrian attack on Turkey kills five" or "UN makes landmark decision on Palestine"; Thesis: identify what the article is proving or arguing about the issue. Is it trying to convince readers to take a side? If so what opinion is it encouraging? Evidence: list examples in the article that help to convince the reader or inform them of the issue; Significance: explain why this issue is important and whom it may affect. Questions for analyzing the article: a. What is the purpose of this article? What does the author intend to convey? b. What is the main idea of the article? c. Select several arguments/facts which support the main idea.

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d. Does the author provide enough evidence to support his ideas (quotes witnesses, provides statistics, etc.) Was he an eyewitness to events; or was the information obtained through a news service? e. Is the article true, balanced or biased (unfair)? f. Are different viewpoints presented? g. Is this article an editorial (author’s own ideas), is it informative, is it convincing? h. What do you think of the article and its point of view? Explain. Plan of rendering newspaper articles I. The International Herald Tribune in its issue of May 31st, 2013 carries an article entitled --------------- by -------------- . II. The author of this article gives a full coverage of the events that are going on in Northern Africa / that took place in Cairo…

III.

Further the author notes that… Further the author emphasizes that… Further the author exposes that… Further the author condemns that… Further the author underlines that…

IV.

Then the author (any verb from the list)…

V. Besides, the author gives some facts about ….

VI.

Moreover, the author…

VII. In addition, the author…

VIII. a) Finally (in conclusion), the author sums up that… b) In conclusion, I’d like to express my own point of view on this issue.

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SECTION II VOCABULARY REVISION A. Translate the following phrases into Kazakh/Russian and speak on the geographical position of the RK: to become an independent state; to be a densely populated country; to form CIS (the Commonwealth of Independent States); to respect indigenous people; to be a multinational state; to gain sovereignty; to ensure the integrity, inviolability and inalienability of the territory; to be rich in natural resources; to be washed by; to have an outlet to the open sea; to occupy /to cover an area; to border on/upon powerful countries; to have vast deposits of oil and gas; to live in urban/rural areas, to be surrounded by great waters; to be separated from the mainland; to/in the north/south/east/west.

B. Translate the following phrases into Kazakh/Russian and speak on the political structure of the RK: to be a democratic, secular state; to adopt a tax law; to take an oath; to establish diplomatic relations with G8; to declare independence; to dissolve the Parliament; the Upper House/Chamber-the Senate; the Lower House/Chamber-the Majilis; an executive body/ a legislative body; to claim peaceful use of nuclear energy; to lead to collapse of the USSR; to summon the Parliament; to remain/ to be in office; to hold midterm elections; to lose an election; to go to the polls; to vote/ to poll for or against somebody; to appoint somebody; to nominate somebody for presidency; to ban nuclear tests; to guarantee safety and peace; to promote international security.

C. Translate the following phrases into Kazakh/Russian and speak on the role of Mass Media in the RK: to subscribe to (a weekly, a monthly, a national paper); news round-up; to publish; the latest events at home and abroad; to be worth watching; to cover latest events; to report on /to inform of; to follow the current events /developments; to supply information; to comment on something; to picture/ to feature; to give a full coverage of something; to publish/to carry; to show political bias; to broadcast; to prefer a broadsheet to tabloid; censorship; a commercial /an advertisement; to be of no use; to look through something; to provide the public with information; to make a contribution to something; an annual message of the President to…; to fight for. 6

D. Translate the following phrases into Kazakh/Russian and speak on the recent paid visit of any world leader to the RK: to be on an official visit (to); to make /to pay a courtesy visit (to); to fix/to set the date of the visit; to come by /at somebody’s invitation; to postpone /to put off a visit; to cut short a visit; to extend/to convey the invitation to somebody; to reject an invitation; to accompany a delegation; to delegate somebody to do something; to delegate rights to somebody; to promote contacts; to enliven trade and economic relations; to disrupt/to break off contacts; to build up ties/links with somebody; to be a host country; to express gratitude (to); to rename something in honour of something; to speak on behalf of somebody; to receive a delegation.

E. Translate the following phrases into Kazakh/Russian and speak on the recent conducted negotiations/talks between two countries which were a success: to resolve a burning/vital/urgent question; to discuss something in the course of summits/top-level talks; to hold/to have/to conduct negotiations; to resume /to renew arms limitation talks; to interrupt / to break arms control talks; to hold bilateral talks; to initiate multilateral talks; to complete all-round talks; to make a contribution to something; to hold preliminary talks; to have diverse positions; to condemn somebody; to conclude a treaty; to ratify a treaty; to violate a treaty; to come/to enter into force; to cancel a long-term agreement; according to/in accordance with/in conformity with; to result in; the talks were a success.

F. Translate the following phrases into Kazakh/Russian and speak on general procedure of conferences:

to convene/to summon annual conference; to hold/to conduct forums; to withdraw a proposal; dis/approve (of) a proposal; to introduce a proposal; to have /to take the floor; to face/to confront a question; to adopt a proposal; to argue a question; to amend a resolution/to make amendments in (to) a resolution; to abstain from; to sponsor a (forth)coming conference; to remove an item from the agenda; to give /to deliver a report; to chair the meeting; to give the floor; to deliver/to give/to make a speech; to make/to advance/to put forward a proposal; to carry/to pass a resolution; to adopt the agenda. 7

G. Translate the following phrases into Kazakh/Russian and speak on the main challenges of contemporary world:

to spring to life/to take shape; to conduct/to wage an election campaign; to link up/to unite; to combat terrorism; to eliminate /to remove terrorist groups; to undermine a regime; to install a dictatorship; to adhere to a sound policy; to pursue a peaceful policy; to retain/to preserve the dignity and independence; to dominate (over) somebody; to oppress the minorities; to proclaim independence; to abolish Death penalty; to support pro-western position; to have reliable allies; to resort/to take to military actions; to overcome obstacles; to stage a coup (d’etat); to impose economic sanctions; to deprive somebody of his rights.

H. Translate the following phrases into Kazakh/Russian and speak on the issue of new world order: to accumulate/to stockpile arms; to deploy nuclear weapons; to liquidate hotbeds (seats) of tension; to launch /unleash a war; to remove threat/menace/danger; to set/impose a moratorium on Death penalty; to hold international verifications/inspections; to aggravate international tension; to outlaw war; to curb the arms race; to relax/to lessen /to ease/to reduce international tension; to end/to stop terrorist acts; to undertake armed aggression (against); to abolish weapons of mass destruction; to sign the treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons; to prevent/to avert war; to eliminate medium-range nuclear missiles; to limit the country’s defensive capacity; to upset military balance between countries; to build up conventional arms.

I. Translate the following phrases into Kazakh/Russian and speak on the importance of international cooperation: to establish close cooperation; to extend/ to expand/ to broaden cooperation in the political/economic fields; to promote cooperation; to encourage scientific/cultural cooperation; to set up good-neighborly relations; to maintain extensive and steady economic relations; to develop long-standing relations; to train national personnel; to give assistance/to render help/aid; to offer disinterested assistance; to strengthen ties/links; to define the volume of trade turnover; to provide the competitiveness of the market; to introduce market economy; to purchase/to buy consumer goods; to draw up /to work out a contract; to take advantage of something; to establish joint enterprises. 8

J. Translate the following phrases into Kazakh/Russian and speak on people’s well-being/welfare in contemporary world:

to hold/to stage demonstrations against the new tax; to disperse/to scatter demonstrations; to satisfy/to meet somebody’s demands; to call/to declare/to stage a strike; to go on a hunger strike against a cut in salary; to prohibit strikes; to demand a wage rise/increase; to lead to dismissal/sacking/firing; to be dismissed/to be fired/to get a sack; to claim for an unemployment benefit; to pay income taxes; to accelerate/to speed up the development of the science; to persecute political dissidents; to fulfill /to complete/to carry out a plan; to overfulfil a plan; to implement the main goals; to fulfill/to complete pledges; to eliminate the gap between the word and the deed; to grant the right (to); to raise the people’s wellbeing(welfare.

SECTION III

World order A New Bipolar World Order Russia, RIA Novosti Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the phrase “World Order”. x Dwell upon the statement using the words you’ve jotted down: “All the world is a stage, and all the men and women are merely players” W.Shakespeare. The Great Danish physicist Niels Bohr, founder of quantum theory loved to repeat a paradox he himself had coined: “The opposite of a propound truth may be another profound truth.” Today’s sharp aggravation of relations between the West and the Islamic world is extremely alarming and perilous; yet there could be some positive aspects to this conflict. First, election results in Iran and Palestine, in addition to the cartoon scandal, should dispel any illusions about the possibility of maintaining peaceful and good neighbourly relations between the West and the Islamic nations. There is no sense in putting the blame on anyone for that: we only need to see that relations between those two sides are in deep crisis. Sadly, this crisis will probably worsen. Moreover, the Muslim world’s centers of resistance to Western values may happen to be not only Palestine and Iran, for extremist forces could soon come to power in some countries, too. Apart from that, it has become clear that the majority of Muslims denounce not only the United States (which is understandable in view of the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq), but also the European states. It should be noted that it is the vast majority of Muslims – and not individual religious fanatics as it was generally believed – who harbor anti-American and anti-European sentiments. Therefore, the western leaders would do well to acknowledge the fact that for the first time since the end of the Cold War, the world has become bipolar once again. What is more, this transformation has positive as well as negative aspects. But whatever our view on the issue, we must realize that the Muslim leaders represent a real force, and that diplomatic relations must be established with them, even if we take a tough attitude toward them. Relations with the Muslim world could resemble those that once existed between the USA and the USSR. It is also important to avoid using labels like “axis of evil” when talking about Iraq or Palestine or other hot spots, as American political scientists are in the habit of doing. 10

Secondly, hopefully, over time, the Islamists will see the uselessness of perpetrating such monstrous acts of terrorism as the attacks on New York, Madrid, and London. Once the Islamists feel sure that they are not alone in their fight against the “hateful West” and that in this fight they have the backing of the Muslim population at large, their resistance, though tough and aggressive, will not be as inhuman as before. But then, if we don’t want the Muslim resistance to be inhuman, we must by all means prevent US invasion of Iran. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. Why is today’s sharp aggravation of relations between the West and the Islamic world extremely alarming? b. Is there any possibility of maintaining peaceful and good neighbourly relations between the West and the Islamic nations? c. Why do the majority of Muslims denounce the USA? d. Can you give some facts in order to show that the Muslim leaders represent a real force? e. Why is it important to avoid using labels like “axis of evil” when talking about hot spots? x Match the words with their definitions: 1. perilous 2. to perpetrate 3. to harbor negative sentiments 4. to dispel 5. aggravation 6. to denounce 7. to prevent 8. to resemble

a. worsening of the situation b. to blame/to accuse smb openly c. to stop smth happening d. very dangerous e. to commit (a crime) f. to be similar to g. to keep a gouge against h. to clear away

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: world

politics

peaceful

e.g Peaceful resolution of conflicts is one of the main goals in world politics.

universal justice humankind importance responsibility join play capture role maintain relations good neighbourly inhuman resistance backing 11

perpetrate terrorism back resistance values happen x Discussion questions: a. What role does the Republic of Kazakhstan play in the world community? b. Does the Republic of Kazakhstan have its own stance towards the events that are going on in the world? c. Express your own point of view on the problems discussed in the article? d. What proposals has Kazakhstan made for resolving the acute situation in the Middle East (if it has?) e. What world events do you consider to be of paramount importance? Speak on them. x Give a brief analysis of the article.

A World to the Wise by Kofi Annan (The World Summit on Sustainable Development) Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words associated with the phrase “Sustainable Development” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: Do you remember any World Summits on Sustainable Development? Can you name any program of the UN devoted to sustainable development? For more than two centuries, ever since the industrial Revolution generated advances in living standards such as the world had never seen or even imagined, economic development has rested in no small part on some irresponsible activities and assumptions. We have filled the atmosphere with emissions that now threaten havoc in our lifetime in the form of global climate change. We have felled forests, depleted fisheries and poisoned soil and water alike. And all the while, as consumption and production continued at fever pitch, too many people – in fact, the majority of humankind-have been left behind in poverty, squalor and despair. The summit is an attempt to change course before it is too late. It aims to bring an end to wanton acts of destruction and the blithe self-delusion that keeps too many from seeing the perilous state of the Earth, and its people. It hopes to bring home the uncomfortable truth that the model of development that has prevailed for so long has been fruitful for the few, but flawed for the many. And 12

it seeks to impress upon political leaders in particular that the cost of inaction is greater than the cost of conservation – and that they need to stop being so economically defensive and start being more politically courageous. Some say we should just rip up the fabric of modern life, and with it the unsustainable practices as its core. I say we can and must weave in new strands of knowledge and cooperation. Sustainable development need not wait for tomorrow’s technological breakthroughs, green technologies renewable sources of energy and other alternative solutions available today can begin to do the job. Governments have barely begun to fund research and development on an adequate scale, or to put in place the tax changes and other incentives that would give the right signals to entrepreneurs and the business community. But with concerted action in five key areas-water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity – progress could be far quicker than is commonly thought possible. Action starts with governments. They bear the primary responsibility for fulfilling commitments they made at the 1992 Earth summit and since. But the richest countries must lead the way. They have the wealth and the technology, and they contribute disproportionately to global environmental problems. Developing countries, which naturally aspire to share the benefits enjoyed by the industrialized world, must do, of course, their part. Governments cannot do the great job alone, however. Citizens’ groups have a critical role, as partners, advocates and watchdogs. So do commercial enterprises. I hope corporations understand that the world is not asking them to do something different from their normal business: rather, it is asking them to do their normal business differently. The more progressive and dynamic among them are already seizing the opportunities of an alternative, sustainable future; I hope this can grow to become a new norm. The choice is not between development and environment, as some have framed the issue. Development that does not sensibly manage the environment will prove shortlived. Nor should this be an issue of rich versus poor. Both depend on resources and other environmental capital. One in every two jobs worldwide - in agriculture, forestry and fisheries – depends directly on the sustainability of ecosystems. It is said that to everything there is a season. The world today, facing the twin challenges of poverty and pollution, needs to usher in a season of transformation and stewardship – a season in which we make a long overdue investment in a secure future. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a) What is the main concept that embodies everything the United Nations hopes to achieve? b) Can you give some reasons why the majority of humankind have been left behind in poverty, squalor and despair? 13

c) How will you comment on the statement that political leaders need to stop being economically defensive and start being more politically courageous? d) Why do five key areas need concerted actions of all governments? e) Can governments do the job alone? f) What are those twin challenges that the world is facing today? g) Do the richest countries contribute proportionately to global environmental problems? x Match the words with their definitions: 1. emission 2. squalor 3. consumption 4. havoc 5. concerted 6. hazardous (adj) 7. to deplete 8. to aspire 9. overdue (adj)

a. serious damage b. dangerous/risky c. to run down d. act of emitting /sending out e. to have the ambition to do smth f. which has not been paid at the correct time which is late g. dirty/poor state h. act of using up (eating or drinking) i. effort done or planned jointly

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: solutions available alternative problems global environmental responsibility commitments fulfill depend capital resources change threaten climate development sustainable generations benefits share countries political courageous inaction

x

Give a brief analysis of the article.

Kazakhstan in the world arena President Nazarbayev’s Visit to the UN General Assembly October 2011 Y.Idrissov Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “The UNO” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: What is the UNO? What is the role of it in the world? Name 6 main bodies of the UNO. Is Kazakhstan a UN member? September is always a busy time for diplomats as they prepare for their leaders’ trips to New York for United Nations General Assembly. It has been the case for us as well, because we have been preoccupied with the arranging the visit of President Nazarbayev to New York on September 20-22, 2011. The visit was especially important as it coincided with Kazakhstan’s 20th anniversary of independence and 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations with many countries including the United States. While in New York, President Nazarbayev was very busy, meeting world leaders, addressing the General Assembly and attending an event on nuclear nonproliferation. At the General Assembly’s general debates, President Nazarbayev delivered an impressive speech highlighting Kazakhstan’s major achievements over its 20 years of independence. Kazakhstan’s leadership role in non-proliferation, particularly the historic closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, was highlighted. President Nazarbayev called on world leaders to draft a Universal Declaration of a Nuclear Weapons Free World. He urged the de-facto nuclear states to join comprehensive treaties. Kazakhstan is very proud of its leadership role in a number of international organizations. His initiative to convene CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building in Asia) has emerged as an important platform for its 22 member countries in Asia and Europe. Kazakhstan’s highly successful chairmanship in the OSCE in 2010 culminated in a historic summit, the first since 1999. This year, Kazakhstan as the chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, is building bridges between the Islamic world and the West, advancing religious tolerance in the world and world peace. President Nazarbayev also shared his view on how to overcome the global recession. He believes that efforts should be made to avoid new violent waves of the crisis and instability. The President sees the introduction of a new global currency and a tight 15

control over speculative capital as one ways to address the flaws of the global trade and economic regulation mechanism. President Nazarbayev also delivered a keynote address at the High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Safety and Security. He said the goals of nuclear security are threefold: protecting humankind from nuclear weapons, countering potential nuclear terrorism and ensuring safety of atomic energy. On the sidelines of the General Assembly, President Nazarbayev held a number of important meetings with world leaders. At a meeting with President Obama, the two leaders discussed ways of strengthening the Kazakh-U.S. strategic partnership. The discussion included key issues such as Afghanistan, Kazakhstan’s accession to the World Trade Organization. The warm and frank meeting between the two likeminded statesmen provided a powerful boost to bilateral cooperation between the two countries. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. Why was the visit of President Nazarbayev to New York considered especially important? b. What issues were highlighted in President’s speech? c. What did he call world leaders and de facto nuclear states to do? d. What is CICA? e. What were the great achievements of Kazakhstan during the 2011-2012 period? f. What issues did the meeting of the Kazakh President with Barack Obama cover? x Match the words with their definitions: 1. prosperity 2. to coincide 3. recession 4. to boost 5. preoccupied (adj) 6. to highlight 7. de facto (adj) 8. to urge

a. to happen at the same time as smth else b. to advise strongly c. the state of being financially successful d. actual, even though not official e. to increase smth in number or value f. a period when the business is not successful g. to give special attention to smth h. the state of thinking about smth so much

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x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: economy boost local prosperity country strategy government preoccupied recognition IL de facto importance states highlight views coincide political recession CIS unemployment UNO urge peace treaty x Discussion questions: a. Do you think the role of Kazakhstan in the UN is praiseworthy? Why? b. Why did President put forward the draft of a Universal Declaration on Nuclear Weapons Free World? c. What countries in the world are posing a real nuclear threat? d. What security problems were resolved during Kazakhstan’s OSCE chairmanship? e. What problems are key issues to Kazakhstan itself? f. What kind of global currency, as President believed, do you think can overcome global economic recession? g. What is the main idea of the article? x Give a brief analysis of the article.

Kazakhstan is ripe for US advice and assistance by Martha Brill Olcott Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the phrase “the Carnegie Endowment” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: What do you know about the Carnegie Endowment? What is its contribution to international peace? Is the United States government really interested in supporting democracy around the world? The answer is no if you look at the Kazakhstan elections held on Sunday. The victor has never been in doubt. The newly reelected president Nursultan Nazarbayev, finds election-rigging easier than political reform. The US leaders are content to let him off with a scolding though their interests in Central Asia are longterm. The Caspian Sea energy reserves are to meet 21st century needs, and the hope is that by the time big oil comes gushing in 10 to 15 years – the next generation will have created a more democratic environment. This thinking is dangerously flawed. The claim of limited influence is disingenuous. Kazakhstan need for direct foreign investment makes the country ripe for US advice and assistance. The country’s economic reform program already strongly reflects US preferences, and Russia’s crisis will only strengthen the potential US role. The truth is senior administration officials don’t believe that political reform really matters in Kazakhstan. To them, democracy-building is less important than maintaining short-term stability. The West understands we should not expect too much too soon. We should expect more of Kazakhstan if we want the state to survive and prosper. Look at the record. President Nazarbayev barred all serious rivals from the ballot, squandering his country’s best opportunity to transfer power peacefully. The Kazakh people will pay the price for this, and some time later the US administrations may face some unpleasant choices as well. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan boosters have paid for an advertising blitz in major US newspaper. The ads hide the truth: Kazakhstan’s press in less free today than it was seven years ago and rights of assembly and free association are more restricted. Privatization has occurred, but the transfer of property from state to private hands has created ever growing gulfs between the privileged few and the poverty-stricken masses. The social needs of the population are shifting from the public to the private sector, so that treatment facilities are being shut down despite near-epidemic incidences of tuberculosis and other contagious diseases. Layers of corruption insulate the governors from the governed. 18

No wonder President Nazarbayev removed his only real opponents. Now he has the time to solidify control by the current ruling elite. And Nazarbayev seems ever more imperial than presidential. The president already has two palaces and two vacation retreats, while over 90 percent of the population lives on less than $100 per month. The Kazakh leader even has pretentions to influence affairs in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, as shown by the marriage of his daughter to the son of that country’s president. There is a flurry of rumors that President Nazarbayev would soon declare himself King, or at least President for life. While the population grows increasingly more disaffected, there is little that they can do. Many have left the country, including more than 1 million Russians. The lingering economic crisis and deteriorating education system means that most young Kazakhs , who live in the countryside, will find the regime’s trumpeted advantages of independence to be little more than hollow words. For the next few years at least, global financial crises and low oil prices seem certain to mean new hardships for Kazakhstan’s population. Yet US policy makers offer optimistic prescriptions that the next generation of leaders are likely to be more democratic than the men they replace. Why would the next election be any better when a free and fair process would almost certainly lead to a vote of no confidence against the current regime? The Kazakhstan’s governing elite won’t be asking the United States for civics lesson any time soon. But only day, they may be asking for fire power to help retain control and stability. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. b. c. d.

Is the USA really interested in building democracy around the world? Why does N.Nazarbayev find election-rigging easier than political reform? What period of Kazakhstan’s independence does the author describe? How will you explain the correlation of the US preferences and Russia’s crisis of that period? e. What did privatization give to the poverty-stricken masses? f. Do you support the same point of view that N.Nazarbayev seems more imperial than presidential? g. Do you believe that the next election will be much better and fair?

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x Match the words with their definitions: 1. to rig 2. a rival 3. gulf 4. to flaw 5. disingenuous 6. to boost 7. to deteriorate

a. false, lacking frankness b. to help, to promote c. to go bad/to get worse d. wide difference e. a person who competes f. to spoil/damage g. to arrange a dishonest result

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: democracy building to interested energy reserves limited accept transfer power oil price gushing boosters rights advertise stability maintain important privilege gulfs create

be

x Discussion questions: a. What is the role of the Head of state in general? b. Why is it difficult for the general public to get to know who they really vote for? c. What kind of sinful acts are politicians most frequently blamed for? d. Why do ordinary people elect dishonest politicians to represent them? e. Comment on the statement: “The basis of effective governance is public confidence” x Give a brief summary of the article.

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Globalization The globalization of work and people February 2013

Lynda Gratton

Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “globalization” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: What can be a perfect definition of globalization? What are the benefits and costs of globalization? What impact does globalization have on our society? What factors help make some countries more globalized than others? In the near future, at least five billion people around the world will use some form of mobile device to download information, access knowledge and coach and teach each other. Some will have the intellectual capacity and motivation to really make something of this opportunity, wherever they happen to be born. These people will want to join the global talent pool and, if possible, migrate to creative and vibrant cities. By doing so, this vast crowd of talented people will increasingly compete with each other; continuously upping the stakes for what it takes to succeed. As a result of connectivity and globalization millions of jobs across the world are disappearing. This hollowing out of work is seeing the disappearance of middlewage, middle-skilled jobs such as managers, secretaries, or assembly line workers. These jobs are at risk because they can either be outsourced to a region with lower wages, or they can be replaced by technology. At one end there are high-skill, highwage jobs - like investment bankers, lawyers, engineers, or IT specialists - which need complex knowledge and expertise and cannot (yet) be substituted by technology. You can expect these jobs to be paid increasingly well. At the other end are the low-skilled, low-wage jobs like hairdressers, waiters, bank tellers and shop assistants. The jobs are difficult to automate because you have to be there to do them. But because many of these jobs require limited training, there is always a willing supply of workers - so wages will always be highly competitive. Being educated is one part of the work equation, but there is also the question of jobs. What will a highly-educated person in an Indian village actually do? It seems that in the coming decade even people in the remotest parts of the world will be able to work on online global tasks and projects. So in principle, whether you live in Uzbekistan,

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Uruguay or Uganda, the state of your national economy will not necessarily affect your ability to find work, as the virtual market transcends national economies. The implications of the globalization of education and job market are the rise of what we might call "transnationals". In the past this was a word to describe corporations now it's a word to describe people. These are a worldwide group of people who are able to relocate at any time, making decisions based on relative global employment and investment opportunities. This global elite, with hybrid associations among multiple cultures and societies, will build competencies that bridge societies in terms of their management style, cultural sensitivities and social networks. Transnationals, able to speak more than one language and often carrying dual citizenship, will be able to adapt to the sort of crosscultural communication that is so important for global organisations. In the past, people with these transnational capabilities predominately came from the developed West. Now, they are emerging in many countries around the world, amid clear signals that this re-balancing will continue. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings x Comprehension questions: a. What is the prediction about the employment in the near future? b. How possible are they to happen in our country? c. Will they cause any problems in the society? d. How is the process of globalization affecting people’s jobs? e. Why are the jobs at risk? f. How much has the meaning of “transnationals” changed? g. What is the main idea of the article? x Match the words with their definitions: 1.to coach 2. vibrant (adj) 3. to up 4. to hollow out 5. to outsource 6. to substitute 7. to transcend 8. dual (adj) 9. to emerge

a. to appear b. to put a person/thing in the place of smb/smth else c. to train/to teach d. having two parts, double e. to increase an amount f. to take the inside of smth in order to make smth else g. to arrange for work to be done by people from other company or organization h. to go beyond the limits of sth i. lively and exciting 22

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: public speech coach school vibrant youth city up protest taxi fare amphitheatre hollow out hillside job cause loss outsource instead computers substitute mediation fear transcend EU dual citizenship regime imagine never remotest visit x Discussion questions: a. In which countries are the predictions made in the article likely to happen? b. Can you give examples of how globalization has helped or harmed individual nations and the world economy? c. How can you argue that globalization is bad for developing countries? d. Are there more negative effects of globalization than positive ones? e. What are the benefits of having foreign workers in a country? f. What is your reaction to personality testing for employment? g. Does globalization influence the language of the countries? h. Why has English become a lingua franca in our globalized world?

x Give a brief analysis of the article.

WTO membership will challenge Russia, but also offer opportunity The Moscow News, January, 2013 Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “WTO” x Answer the questions using the words you ‘ve jotted down” What is the WTO? What is its role in the world? Is Kazakhstan a member of the WTO? Russia’s accession to the WTO was arguably the most discussed subject of the final months of 2012. It is hard to be original in the bizzard of opinions and views about the consequences of the country’s accession to the WTO. Negative assessments of Russia’s accession to the WTO, as a rule, are based in the unpreparedness of Russian industries for the escalation of competition on the Russian market, in connection with the lowering of access barriers to foreign products and services. It is hard to dispute that, having become a member of the WTO and taken upon its obligations in regulation of external trade activity, Russia will have to abandon the use of some protectionist measures for domestic producers. In particular, it will be barred from establishing higher rates for import customs fees, than are fixed in the accepted obligations. But this does not completely mean that Russia cannot use any less effective measures for the protection and support of domestic industries on its own initiative. These are more complicated procedures, they require more detailed development, economic analysis, and – in the case of the establishment of protective measures - public consultations. However, it is hardly inevitable that the higher degree of state administration for observing WTO rules could lead to negative consequences. The positive assessments for expectations of Russia’s accession to the WTO are related to the higher activity of economic processes, including the growth of external trade turnover, the broadening of export markets for Russian goods and motivation for the growth of competitiveness of Russian goods and services. Among these are: 1. Russia’s participation in the development and adoption of international rules of external trade in the framework of the WTO; 2. The realization of the principle of transparency of rules of external trade, which intend first, that proposed trade rules be published in advance, and second, that any interested party has the right to present his opinion to the state agency in charge of such proposals; 3. The positive influence of generally accepted international rules on internal legislation and its enforcement, namely, the rules adopted in Russia are already based on the provisions of the agreement of Article VII of the GATT of 1994; 4. Reducing expenses on the completion of customs formalities in connection with the import and export of goods; 24

5. New possibilities for the protection of the interests of Russian exporters on external markets. The rules of the WTO are not just an obligation for Russia to observe several restrictions, but also the right to require more favorable treatment for Russian goods from trading partners. On the whole, despite the extended procedure of preparation and accession of Russia into the WTO, the preliminary steps bringing Russian legislation into line with the principles, requirements and norms of the WTO agreement, the scrutiny of Russia’s new legal obligations and the first professional discussions related to their use, allow for the conclusion that the country has encountered a high level of standards of legal and economic regulation. A lot of questions are subject to rethinking: from the competence of national courts to assess the correspondence of legal acts with international obligations, to the realization of the principle of transparency. These are new challenges for the state administration and new prospects for development. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings x Comprehension questions: a) Why was Russia’s accession to the WTO the most discussed subject last year? b) What factors are negative assessments of Russia’s accession to the WTO based on? c) Will Russia have to abandon the use of some protectionist measures for domestic producers? d) Will Russia preserve the right of establishing higher rates for import customs fees? e) Can Russia use any effective measures for the protection and support of domestic industries on its own initiative? f) What are the positive assessments for expectations of Russia’s accession to the WTO related to? g) Why is it hardly to avoid negative results from following WTO rules? x Match the words with their definitions: a. outside, foreign 1. inevitable b. obvious, what you can see through 2. obligation c. making sure a law is obeyed 3. escalation d. suggestion/thing which is suggested 4. to assess e. getting worse, bigger 5. external f. which cannot be avoided 6. enforcement g. one’s duty to do smth 7. transparency h. to value, to estimate 8. proposal x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: restrictions several to observe 25

regime trading differentiation interests entrenched development threat competitive success perception joyous competition government foreign-operated finance privately ownership permit existence owe economy x Discussion questions: a) b) c) d) e)

Do you think that WTO membership can help KZ economy? Is KZ ready to compete in international markets? Can success be achieved by KZ being next door to China? What are the first results of the work of the Common Economic Space? Why are negative results from following WTO rules considered to be hardly inevitable? f) When did Russia become a member of the WTO? x Give a brief analysis of the article.

Human rights. Women and politics. More journalists are held in the world's jails than ever before December 2012 Roy Greenslade Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “Mass Media” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: What type of Mass Media do you prefer? Do you remember the last time when you read a newspaper or a magazine? What did you read? What newspaper do you prefer to read: tabloids or broadsheets? Have you ever come across the fact of journalist imprisonment? The imprisonment of journalists worldwide reached a record high in 2012, according to research carried out by the New York-based press freedom watchdog, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Large-scale imprisonments in Turkey, Iran, and China lifted the global tally to its highest point since CPJ began conducting worldwide surveys in 1990, surpassing the previous record of 185 in 1996. Overall, anti-state charges such as terrorism, treason, and subversion were the most common allegations brought against journalists in 2012. Eritrea and Syria ranked among the world's worst, each jailing numerous journalists without charge or due process and holding them in secret prisons without access to lawyers or family members. Turkey has 49 journalists behind bars, with dozens of Kurdish reporters and editors held on terror-related charges. A number of other journalists are detained on charges of involvement in anti-government plots. Iran has 45 journalists behind bars following a sustained a crackdown that began after the disputed 2009 presidential election. The authorities have followed a pattern of freeing some detainees on six-figure bonds even as they make new arrests. China has made extensive use of anti-state charges to jail online writers expressing dissident political views and journalists covering ethnic minority groups. Nineteen of the 32 journalists held in China are Tibetans or Uighurs imprisoned for documenting ethnic tensions that escalated in 2008. At least 15 journalists are held by President Bashar al-Assad's authorities, making the country the fifth-worst jailer. None of the detainees have been charged with a crime, and the authorities have been unwilling to account for the detainees' whereabouts or well-being. With 14 journalists behind bars, Vietnam was the sixth-worst jailer of the press. In each of the past several years, Vietnamese authorities have ramped up their crackdown on critical journalists, focusing heavily on those who work online. 27

Azerbaijan, the world's seventh-worst jailer, viciously cracked down on domestic dissent while hosting two major international events - the Eurovision 2012 song contest and the Internet Governance Forum. The authorities imprisoned at least nine critical journalists on a variety of retaliatory charges, including hooliganism, drug possession, and extortion. CPJ concluded that the charges were fabricated in reprisal for the journalists' work. Uzbekistan has four journalists in jail. They include Muhammad Bekjanov and Yusuf Ruzimuradov - the two longest-imprisoned journalists on CPJ's survey - who were jailed in 1999 for publishing a banned newspaper. Saudi Arabia also has four journalists in jail. One of them, newspaper columnist Hamza Kashgari, faces a potential death penalty on religious insult charges stemming from Twitter postings that described a fanciful conversation with the Prophet Muhammad. NB: CPJ's list is a snapshot of those incarcerated at 12:01am on 1 December 2012. It does not include many journalists imprisoned and released throughout the year. And journalists who either disappear or are abducted by non-state entities, such as criminal gangs or militant groups, are not included in the census. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. What countries reached a high record in imprisoning journalists in 2012? b. What are the most common claims brought against journalists? c. Which of these claims are more reasonable? d. Do you think the journalists are more concerned about the political life of their country? e. According to the article, in some countries the rate of journalist imprisonment is high while in others it is low. What does this difference show? f. What are the allegations brought against the journalists of Central Asian countries? Are they as serious as in the other parts of the globe? g. Have you changed your opinion about journalists after reading the article? h. What is the main idea of the article?

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x Match the words with their definitions: 1. a tally 2. a charge 3. treason 4. subversion 5. to incarcerate 6. to ramp up 7. to escalate 8. to abduct 9. to fabricate 10. reprisal

a. to increase a rate or level b. to put someone in prison c. a record of the number of things that someone has done d. to make up a story to make someone believe e. an official statement accusing smb of committing a crime f. punishment for harm that one group does to another g. the crime of helping your country’s enemies h. to take someone away using force i. process of trying to destroy a government by attacking it j. to become more serious

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: company tally cases police officers charge investigation treason death penalty expell subversion country a plot accuse terrorist acts ramp up production demands attack viciously government evidence fabricate police civilians reprisal against abduct ransom politician disputes escalate period x Discussion questions: a. Why are more journalists held in the world’s jails than ever before? b. What do you think the reason of large-scale imprisonment taking place in Turkey, Iran and China? c. Do you also think that journalists are involved in terror-related anti-government plots? d. To what extent are the allegations against journalists true taking into account their professions? e. Who do you think should protect journalists: themselves, their governments or international organizations? f. Have you ever heard about Kazakhstani journalists involved in such situations? x Give a brief analysis of the article.

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Women hold just 20% of World's political power, report says October 2012 Lindsey Rupp Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “politics” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: Is politics for women or men? How effectively can women handle the political situation? What kind of female politicians of Kazakhstan do you know? What is the overall index of women in Kazakhstan’s politics? Women have gained little ground in political leadership around the world, with men still in about 80 percent of key elected and appointed positions, according to the World Economic Forum's annual Global Gender Gap Report. "Some countries are moving in the right direction, but very slowly," said Saadia Zahidi, head of the WEF's Women Leaders and Gender Parity program, in an interview before the release of the 2012 report. "We're talking about very small and slow changes." The survey found that 20 percent of the political decision-making gap has been closed, Zahidi said. Last year, the report showed 19 percent of it had narrowed. Overall, Nordic nations were once again the most equal, according to the report. Iceland claimed the No.1 position for the fourth year in a row, followed by Finland, Norway and Sweden. The rankings are determined through 14 indicators of access to resources and opportunities, looking at variables such as maternal death rates, life expectancy and the number of female government ministers, in 135 countries. The Geneva-based WEF issued its first gender gap index in 2006. The disparity in health and education categories has been shrinking faster than others, according to the report. About 96 percent of the differences in health outcomes between men and women have disappeared, and 60 percent of the gap in labor force participation, job advancement and wages has closed. In political empowerment, measured by the ratio of women to men in minister-level and parliamentary positions, progress has been halting. In the United States, for example, 17 percent of Congress is female, relatively unchanged from 2005. The U.S. slipped to No. 22 in the overall index in 2012 from No. 17 last year, in part because of the decrease in the percentage of women in cabinet-level positions. The WEF this year is starting pilot projects in Mexico, Turkey and Japan to try to close what the organization calls the "economic participation gender gap" in those countries by 10 percent over three years. WEF task forces will work with government agencies and private companies to establish different programs in each country, Zahidi said. 30

At the conference, Zahidi said the small but persistent gap between women and men in the health and education categories is still problematic in countries like India, China and Afghanistan. Still, changes in political empowerment and economic participation tend to drive movement in the rankings, she said. "The next set of changes need to be made in ensuring that women have equal access to positions of decision making and ensuring that both women and men can combine work and family so that we do see higher numbers of women participating in the economy," she said in an interview before the release. Most Arab nations are in the bottom quarter, with persistently low marks for political empowerment and economic participation. Those with the highest rankings in the region, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, have made significant increases in women's education levels, according to the WEF report. At this year's WEF annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, women accounted for about 17 percent of the government officials, executives, economists and others who attended. The proportion increased from 9 percent in 2006 after an effort to attract more women. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. What does the WEF deal with? b. What changes is the WEF planning to set? c. What information is given in the article about Norway, Iceland, Finland and Sweden? d. Do the statistics given in the article demonstrate the gap between men and women in politics is disappearing? e. What is the overall index of women in minister-level and parliamentary positions? f. How sizeable is the women’s political contribution in Arab states such as Qatar and the UAE? g. Is women’s role in political power of great significance? h. What is the main idea of the article?

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x Match the words with their definitions: 1. survey 2. disparity 3. wage 4. to empower 5. to halt 6. to slip 7. pilot 8. persistent

a. to stop for a short time b. lasting for a long time c. a study of something d. done as an experiment or to test something e. a difference between things f. the amount of money paid g. to give somebody a power or authority h. to become gradually less strong

x Connect the below ideas to make sentences: survey unemployment high disparity salary cause protest sailors wage empower talks Ambassador traffic halt country profits slip company pilot study scientists refusal persistent anger x Discussion questions: a. Why is the position of women in political life too low? b. Does it show women’s inability or reluctance to participate in politics? c. Is Kazakhstan facing this problem? d. Do you also share the WEF’s further intentions of involving more women in economic and political challenges? e. What is the WEF striving for? f. According to the article, are there any countries in the world trying to meet WEF’s demands? g. Do you think the ratio of men to women in politics will reach 1:1? If yes, when? If not, why? h. How can this situation look like in strongly religious countries? i. What female political leaders of the world do you know? j. Is this problem really worth worrying? Why? x Give a brief analysis of the article.

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Worldwide threats The next wave? February 2013 The Economist Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “migration” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: What is the difference between the words “a migrant, an immigrant, and an emigrant? Does the process of migration pose a real threat to a country? Rich EU countries fret over all the Romanians and Bulgarians heading their way.

The Bulgarian foreign minister and the Romanian ambassador in London are not amused about Britons’ hostility to immigration from their countries. Britain would not be the primary country of choice for Bulgarians to go and work, sniffed Nikolay Mladenov, adding that his country’s economy is most closely connected to Germany’s. According to the Romanian envoy, his compatriots tend to migrate to Spain, France and Italy rather than Britain because of linguistic proximity. Moreover, he said, Britons should be grateful to Romanian construction workers without whom London’s Olympic Village would not have been built last year. No European Union country is as worried as Britain about the uncontrolled mass immigration that a few predict could be unleashed next year when all 25 EU countries are obliged to open their labor markets fully to Bulgarians and Romanians who joined the union in 2007.This has to do with the country’s Eurosceptic mood, its experience of a big increase in immigration from Poland and other Eastern European countries in 2004 – and general ill will towards immigration. Yet Britain is not the only EU country with these concerns. German cities are on high alert due to the increased numbers of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants. “The social balance and social peace is extremely endangered,” says a recent internal paper of the German Association of Cities. They are especially worried about so-called poverty migration and the influx of Roma. In the Netherlands, the PVV, an anti-immigrant party, set up a website early last year where Dutch citizens could lodge their complaints about immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe. The site featured questions like “Do you have a problem with people from Central and Eastern Europe?” and “Have you lost your job to a Pole, Bulgarian, Romanian or other Eastern Europe?” The site received around 40000 complaints about Eastern Europeans’ public drunkenness, noise and poor parking (as well as a relatively small number of gripes about criminal behaviour) but 135000 other complaints, many of them about the xenophobia of the PVV. Romanian and Bulgarian policymakers are trying to do their best to dispel at least some of these worries. They argue that in 2004 Britain was the only big EU country to open its labour market without restrictions to Poles and other Eastern Europeans – and its economy was booming. This time, Britain is one of 25 countries and its economy is in dire straits. 33

As the Open Society Institute says, Bulgarian emigration peaked long ago, and don’t push any factors that would encourage migration in the next few years. Most Bulgarian migrants go to Spain, where they do not face any labour restrictions, and to Germany even though the labour market there is still partly closed to them. Policymakers concede that crime is another concern, fed by stories in the popular western European press about Romanian and Bulgarian crime syndicates flooding cities with pickpockets, prostitutes and beggars. Yet there is no evidence that crime rates among Romanians and Bulgarians are higher than those of any other migrant group. Some are even suggesting that criminality is lower among those who work illegally in one of the rich EU countries, as they want to avoid attracting attention. x Circle any new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. What do rich European countries fret over? b. To what extent is their fear reasonable? c. What do the Bulgarian foreign minister and Romanian ambassador think about their compatriots’ migration? d. Why is Britain so much worried about the mass immigration? e. What makes some German cities be on high alert about migrants? f. What is the aim of the website of anti-immigrant party in the Netherlands? g. What were the most complaints about migrants? h. How did Bulgarians and Romanians react to these complaints? i. Where do they mainly migrate? Why? j. What is the main idea of the article? x Match the words with their definitions: 1. to fret over a. to be in bad conditions b. to make smth disappear 2. an envoy c. a strong fear or hatred of foreigners 3. a compatriot 4. to unleash d. to get worried 5. ill will e. a person who is from the same country as another f. an official who represents his country in another country 6. to be on high alert g. a sudden arrival of people in large numbers 7. to endanger h. to cause sth that has a very powerful and harmful effect i. to be ready to take action deal with a dangerous 8. the influx situation 9. to lodge a complaint j. a strong feeling to smb and wish him harm k. to cause danger to smb l. to make an official statement complaining about sth 10.xenophobia 11.to dispel 12. to be in dire straits

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x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: fret over price quality ambassador rank envoy abroad compatriots sign endanger peace tensions doubt dispel ability refugees influx threaten ill will enmity forgive to be on high alert natural disasters lodge complaint service local to be in dire straits education system xenophobia globalization respect criticism unleash tax law x Discussion questions: a. Is the issue of migration a real threat to rich EU countries or is it a bit exaggerated? b. Why is the problem of migration considered to be a serious threat in the era of globalization? c. Why is the EU getting enlarged if not willing to support its vulnerable new members? d. When do you think the next EU enlargement takes place? e. What countries are impatiently waiting for their turn to join the EU? f. Don’t you think they’d better change their mind taking into account the present atmosphere in the EU? g. Surprisingly, one of the EU founder-states, France, wasn’t mentioned in the article. Does it mean that the problem of migration is not of their concern?

x Give a brief analysis of the article.

UK planning 'Cyber Reserve' defence force December 2012 Gordon Corera Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “cyber crime” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: What is a cyber-attack? How are cyber-attacks carried out? What can be attacked? Do you think our government is involved in cyber warfare? The UK government is to set up a "Cyber Reserve" force to deal with security threats posed by computer crime. Run by the Ministry of Defence, it will allow the armed forces to "draw on the wider talent and skills of the nation in the cyber field". Internet-related business is estimated to be worth $82bn a year to the UK. Minister Francis Maude said help was needed with "critical" work in combating online crime. The scheme's details will be unveiled next year. Terrorists, fraudsters, rogue states and individual activists are among the criminals targeting computer systems in the UK. In a written statement Mr Maude said 93% of large corporations and 76% of small businesses had reported a cyber breach in the past year. He promised efforts to make the UK "one of the most secure places in the world to do business in cyber space" as he gave a first year update on the UK's Cyber Security Strategy. Every day Britain comes under cyber attack. Other countries are probing government networks - like those of the Ministry of Defence - looking for secrets to steal. Companies are having their research and confidential data stolen. One business, the head of MI5 recently said, lost an estimated $800m. And parts of our national infrastructure - meaning companies that provide things like water and power - have had their systems mapped - a process of looking for vulnerabilities which could be used to steal information or even carry out acts of sabotage, according to a government official. There are also worries about our own personal data and finances. Today is supposed to be the big day for shopping online but what would happen if attacks undermined our trust in the internet to carry out transactions? All of this means that cyber security is no longer something just for the experts but an issue that matters for all of us and our economic health. This is a problem, and it is costing us billions, one official said. He said the coalition government was looking to "move towards the establishment of a UK National CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team)", to act as a "focus point for international sharing of technical information".

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Mr Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, also said: "Working with the private sector to improve awareness of the need for better cyber security continues to be a priority. We are now focusing our efforts on making sure that the right incentives and structures are in place to change behaviour in a sustainable way. "Government departments and agencies are working with professional and representative bodies to ensure the consideration of cyber security becomes an integral part of corporate governance and risk-management processes." The government also wants to train more students with "cutting-edge" skills at tackling online crime. A degree course module on the subject is being piloted at De Montfort University, the University of Worcester and Queens University of Belfast. Mr Maude said: "We are constantly examining new ways to harness and attract the talents of the cyber security specialists that are needed for critical areas of work. To this end, the MoD is taking forward the development of a 'Cyber Reserve', allowing the services to draw on the wider talent and skills of the nation in the cyber field. "The exact composition is currently in development and a detailed announcement will follow in 2013." x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. What will the UK Cyber Reserve defence force deal with? b. Who is really posing a serious threat to UK computer systems? c. The UK government allocates $82bn a year to combat cyber crime, doesn’t it? d. What efforts is UK going to make in prevention of cyber attacks? e. What is the casual method of cyber attackers? f. Which stratum of society is more vulnerable against cyber attacks? g. Which universities are being involved in drafting a pilot project against a cyber threat? h. What measures are expected to be undertaken in the country to curb cyber crime? i. What is the main idea of the article?

x Match the words with their definitions:

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1. an end 2. to draw on 3. target 4. to breach 5. secure 6. sabotage 7. transaction 8. awareness 9. incentive 10. to tackle

a. something that encourages you b. safe, protected c. an aim or purpose d. to deal with something difficult e. a piece of business f. to use something that you have gradually gained or saved g. knowledge, consciousness or interest h. a result that you are aiming at i. deliberate damage done to the property of an enemy h. to break an agreement or a law

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: pose accident environment draw on life experience headquarter target regulations breach partners secure alarm system explosion sabotage fail political party tackle engage in transactions risky awareness raise danger employers incentive offer end achieve own x Discussion questions: a. Why have wars carried out by computers become too casual? b. Can a cyber attack be considered an act of war? Which one is more dangerous? c. What are the implications of a cyber-attack? d. What should be done for a computer system to be secure from intruders? e. Do you think the world needs to draft a document like the Geneva Convention to regulate cyber warfare? f. What chaos would there be in your country if the data on your government’s computers were wiped out? g. Are the hackers cleverer than the security experts? h. What is worse a missile attack on your country or a cyber attack? i. What questions would you like to ask an anti-virus specialist?

x

Give a brief analysis of the article.

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Swiss bank Wegelin to close after US tax evasion fine January 2013 Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “tax” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: What is ‘tax evasion’? Why do some people avoid paying taxes? Is tax evasion a serious crime? What punishments do you think people who commit such crimes deserve? What is your background information about Swiss banks? Switzerland's oldest bank is to close permanently after pleading guilty in a New York court to helping Americans evade their taxes. Wegelin, which was established in 1741, has also agreed to pay $57.8m in fines to US authorities. It said that once this was completed, it "will cease to operate as a bank". The bank had admitted to allowing more than 100 American citizens to hide $1.2bn from the Internal Revenue Service for almost 10 years. Wegelin, based in the small Swiss town of St Gallen, started in business 35 years before the US Declaration of Independence. It becomes the first foreign bank to plead guilty to tax evasion charges in the US. Other Swiss banks have in recent years moved to prevent US citizens from opening offshore accounts. Otto Bruderer, a managing partner at the bank, admitted that Wegelin had sheltered US clients from tax between 2002 and 2010, and said it was aware that its conduct had been "wrong". Mr Burderer's further admission that assisting tax evasion was common practice in Switzerland has caused huge concern among the Swiss banking community. Wegelin effectively ceased to function as a Swiss bank almost a year ago. 39

US criminal accusations against three of its executives prompted the bank to sell off its core Swiss and other non-US businesses in January 2011. The businesses were bought by Raiffeisen Bank, Switzerland's co-operative bank, which has since severed the few business ties that it had with the US. The sale left Wegelin responsible only for its American clients, including those at the centre of the US authorities' probe. Wegelin as an institution was then itself indicted by US authorities in February last year, and later declared a fugitive from justice when the bank's executives failed to appear in a US court. The bank had vowed to fight the charges, claiming that because it only had branches in Switzerland, it was bound only by its home country's relaxed banking laws. Its decision to cave in, and wind down its one remaining business, has made the bank's demise inevitable. Jeffrey Neiman, a former US federal prosecutor who was involved in a previous investigation into Swiss banks, said: "It is unclear whether the bank was required to turn over American client names who held secret Swiss bank accounts. "What is clear is that the Justice Department is aggressively pursuing foreign banks that have helped Americans commit overseas tax evasion." It remains to be seen whether US authorities will continue with, or drop, parallel charges against three Wegelin bankers, Michael Berlinka, Urs Frei and Roger Keller. The Wegelin case comes four years after a far larger Swiss bank, UBS, agreed to pay a $780m fine to US authorities related to tax evasion charges. UBS also agreed to reveal the details of US account holders. However, UBS neither pleaded nor was found guilty. Instead it and US prosecutors came to what is called a deferred prosecution agreement, with the fine being paid in exchange for the charges being dropped. Switzerland's other major bank, Credit Suisse - with over a trillion dollars in total assets and another trillion in clients' money - remains under investigation by the US authorities, as does another high profile bank, Julius Baer, which is about a fifth of the size of Credit Suisse, as well as 11 other mainly local, cantonal banks. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. What is Wegelin, Switzerland’s oldest bank, accused of by US authorities? b. What information have you got from the article about this bank? c. How long has Wegelin been sheltering US clients from taxes? d. How much damage will this case do to the Swiss bank system? e. How often do Swiss banks violate US laws? 40

f. What happened to UBS? g. How would Wegelin case affect other Swiss banks in the USA? h. What do you think was more important for US authorities: to reveal Americans who evade taxes or blackmail Wegelin? i. What is the main idea of the article?

x Match the words with their definitions: 1. to plead 2. to evade 3. tax 4. a fine 5. to assist 6. offshore 7. to indict 8. a fugitive 9. demise 10.investigation

a. relating to money invested in another country b. finding out all the facts about something c. to say that you are guilty or not guilty d. to avoid something e. the unsuccessful end of something f. the money you have to pay to the government g. a person who is escaping h. money that you have to pay for breaking a law i. to help j. to accuse someone officially of a serious crime

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: defendants plead not evade responsibility promise tax lower impose fine speed assist company run less tax offshore indict fraud chief a fugitive police cause technology demise car crash investigation

x Discussion questions: a. Has your previous opinion about the most reputable Swiss banks changed after reading the article? b. Why do you think Wegelin has made such illegal acts? c. Is assisting tax evasion equal to committing crime? 41

d. Who do you think should get the most severe penalty in this case: Wegelin or American clients who held secret Swiss bank accounts? e. Which decision would be fair: to close Wegelin or just fine it? f. Why is tax evasion common practice throughout the globe? g. What are the effective ways of curbing tax evasion? x

Give a brief analysis of the article.

It's time for the demise of capital punishment in the US January 2013 Jill Filipovic Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “punishment” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: Do you remember the time you were punished? Was it fair? What is the purpose of punishment? Is capital punishment practiced in our country? 2012 was a bad year for the death penalty in America, but a better one for humanity. Executions have decreased 75% since their peak in 1996, and Connecticut joined 17 other states and the District of Columbia in abolishing capital punishment. All in all, the United States justice system killed 43 people last year. The United States is in the good company of China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia as one of the top five executioners in the world. We have 5% of the world's population, but 25% of the world's prisoners. And we lock up more of our children than anyone else: more than 70,000 kids were in jail in 2010, and Texas alone has sentenced more than 400 minors to life behind bars. Six million people are under "correctional supervision" in the United States. More than half of those are in for drug crimes. And of the people who are in prison for drugs, 80% are there for possession. Of black American men who don't graduate from high school, more than half end up in jail. African Americans are 13% of the US population but comprise 40% of its prisoners. The death penalty is similarly racialized. Race and location play crucial roles in whether a prosecutor will seek the death penalty and whether a jury will award it. More than three quarters of death penalty convictions are for crimes involving white victims, even though half of all murder victims in the US are black. And a black defendant accused of murdering a white victim is three times more likely to get the death penalty than a white person accused of killing a white victim. 42

Even putting aside the fact that our prison industry is essentially a systematic method of racial oppression, we should ask ourselves: what purpose does the death penalty serve? It doesn't deter crime. It punishes a perpetrator, but does so with a sentence that can't be undone. We can never know how many executed men were actually innocent. We also know that our justice system is imperfect by construction, and that there is no way to ensure that no innocent person is ever convicted of a crime. But even if we were able to be completely certain that all death row inmates were guilty, we should still oppose the death penalty. The state's ability to infringe upon the basic freedoms of its citizens through incarceration is not a power that should be taken lightly. It is a power that must sometimes be leveled to achieve a fully functional society, but it must be treated with exceptional reverence – the power to deprive a citizen of their liberty is, after all, the power to deprive them of the entire normalcy and much of the joy of daily life, to curtail most of what we understand as "living". To deprive them of life entirely is an egregious abuse. A justice system where the criminal defendant is presumed innocent, where the state bears the burden of proving guilt, where there are rules and protections against the introduction of evidence illegally obtained or unfairly prejudicial, and where all accused are entitled to be heard by a jury of their peers is, in theory, a marvelous one. It does seem as though the US is headed in the right direction. It's too late for the 43 people who were executed last year. But for the 6 million who are currently in our correctional system, change can't come soon enough. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. Why was 2012 a bad year for the death penalty in America, as it is said in the article? b. In how many states of America is capital punishment still practiced? c. What other countries of the world carry out capital executions? d. What can you say about the rate of crime committed by juveniles? How shocking is it? e. What is the most common crime they commit? f. What stratum of the US society is more vulnerable to death penalty? g. There are 6 million inmates in US correctional systems, aren’t there? h. What factors worry the author? 43

i. Why does he think death penalty should be opposed? What are his arguments for this? j. Is the number of inmates in the US less alarming because of its big population? k. What is the main idea of the article?

x Match the words with their definitions: 1. penalty 2. to abolish 3. crucial 4. to murder 5. to deter 6. a perpetrator 7. inmate 8. to infringe 9. incarceration 10. to deprive

a. to prevent smb/sth from having smth b. to make smb decide not to do smth c. punishment for breaking a law or rule d. imprisonment e. to stop a law or system officially f. very important g. a person who does smth harmful, illegal and dishonest h. to kill i. someone who kept in a prison or in mental hospital j. to break a law, rule, agreement

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: penalty environmental laws low-paid abolish tax rule crucial government Investigation murder guilty perpetrators justice believe deter punishment inmate strict infringe privacy people incarceration verdict right deprive people

x Discussion questions: a. Why do you think China, US, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia are top executioners in the world? b. What criminals do you think must be sentenced to death penalty? c. What purpose does death penalty serve? d. Do you think capital punishment really deters people not to commit crime? 44

e. Should executions be done in public as they were in early times? f. Would person rather be dead than spend life in jail? x Give a brief analysis of the article.

How serious is Sahara terror threat? January 2013 Raffaello Pantucci Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “terrorism” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: How is terrorism explained by you? What causes terrorism? Are the notions “terrorism and war” the same? Which of these 3 are examples of terrorism: 1. the hacking of any country’s government website; 2. the bombings at the railway station; 3. Police officers are attacked. Following the recent attack on an Algerian gas plant, UK Prime Minister David Cameron says that the Sahara desert has turned into a haven for militant Islamists who are waging a jihad against the West. He says it will take decades to defeat them. What is the background to this growing threat? UK Prime Minister David Cameron has said that Islamist extremists in North Africa pose a "large and existential threat" - a comment he made following the siege of a gas facility in Algeria, where dozens of people, nearly all of them foreigners, were killed. "What we face is an extremist, Islamist, al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group. Just as we had to deal with that in Pakistan and in Afghanistan so the world needs to come together to deal with this threat in North Africa," he said. The group responsible for the incident in In Amenas in Algeria appears to have been led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a local jihadist-criminal who had been a commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). He founded an independent faction called the Signed-in-Blood Battalion that seems to have operated out of territory controlled by the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (Mujao) in northern Mali. 45

Belmokhtar's faction claims that the assault in Algeria was conducted to avenge the French decision to attack northern Mali. Originally born as the Armed Islamist Group (GIA) in the wake of the military annulling elections that the Islamic Salvation Front was poised to win in Algeria in the early 1990s, the group evolved first into the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), before adopting the al-Qaeda mantle in 2007 to become AQIM. The GIA, in particular, has been linked to attacks in the mid-1990s on the Paris metro system, the GSPC to plots in Europe and North America prior to the attacks in New York on 11 September 2001, and the groups across North Africa have historically felt particular enmity towards former regional colonial power France. What is worrying about events in Africa, however, is that violent groups espousing similarly extreme rhetoric can be found in a number of countries. In Mali alone, alongside AQIM, Mujao and the Signed-in-Blood Battalion is Ansar Dine, another splinter from AQIM that has held large parts of the north since last year and has been imposing its version of Islamic law. In Nigeria, Islamist group Boko Haram has conducted a destabilising and bloody campaign of terrorism in a fight that is rooted in longstanding local social and economic tensions. AQIM's networks are known to stretch into France, Spain, Italy and even the UK. The bigger threat is to Western interests in Africa - sites such as In Amenas that will now be reassessed as potential targets for groups seeking international attention, or revenge for French-led efforts in Mali or Western efforts to counter groups elsewhere. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i.

Comprehension questions: What incident recently happened in Algeria? Who took the responsibility for these attacks? What is the reaction of the UK Prime Minister to it? Who leads the group which is responsible for the incident? How did the group explain the cause of the assault in Algeria? Are their actions justified? Why? What are the aims of the GIA? What is worrying about events in Africa? What is the main idea of the article?

x Match the words with their definitions: 1. a haven 2. siege 3. to preach

a. to give your support to an idea, principle, or belief b. an attack by the armed forces c. a place where people feel safe 46

4. a plot 5. to espouse 6. a jihad 7. to avenge 8. enmity 9. an assault

d. the feeling of hatred towards an enemy e. the situation in which an army surrounds a town to capture it f. a secret plan made by several people to do something bad g. to give a talk on a religious subject h. a war or fight that Muslims to defend Islam i. to punish somebody for hurting you

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: park haven wildlife troops prepare siege death father avenge people mosque preach criminal charge assault tourists accuse a bomb plot policy espouse government a jihad misinterpret west enmity cold war end

x Discussion questions: a. b. c. d. e. f. g.

In which type of government is terrorism most likely to exist? Why? What is the main aim of terrorist groups? Is there any relation between Islam and terrorism? How has terrorism affected the way people treat Muslims? What are the new laws on terrorism? What are the most effective ways to fight against terrorism? Is it possible to eradicate terrorism?

x Give a brief analysis of the article.

Current international challenges Obama's prize, Wilson's legacy John Milton Cooper IHT, Oct. 12, 2009 Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the phrase "The Nobel Peace Prize". x Answer the questions using the words you've jotted down: What do you know about the Nobel Peace Prize? What is the main purpose of awarding this prize? Are there any people of Kazakhstan awarded with this prize? President Obama's surprise Nobel Peace Prize is only the second in the last century that a sitting president has received. The first was presented in December 1920, when the Nobel Committee of the Norwegian Parliament awarded Woodrow Wilson the Peace Prize for 1919. Beyond the coincidence of both men residing in the White House, however, Presidents Obama and Wilson look like the starkest study in contrasts in when and how each received this prize. While Mr. Obama is being honoured at the beginning of his presidency and while his popularity is high, Wilson's prize came three months before the end of his presidency and at the lowest point in his personal and political life. It came a year and a half after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. He had returned home from Paris to face a spite-filled, partisan deadlock over ratification of the peace treaty which would carry with it membership in the new League of Nations - the international organization Wilson had played the central role in creating. In the Senate, some of his Republican opponents rejected league membership, while others would accept membership only under severe restrictions that many believed would cripple America's ability to help the organization fulfill its mission. 48

Wilson first tried negotiating with the senators, and when they rebuffed his efforts, he took his case to the people, mounting a whirlwind campaign - style speaking tour across the country. He never completed that tour. He was very exhausted, and showed symptoms of impending collapse. He suffered a stroke. Physically, Wilson's stroke left him partly paralyzed and enfeebled; psychologically, it unhinged his emotional balance and impaired his judgment. Wilson from his sickbed rejected all talk of compromise and ordered Democratic senators to accept virtually unconditional approval of the treaty. After an initial defeat of the treaty in November 1919, a bipartisan group of senators tried to find a middle ground, only to fail in the face of intransigence by both Lodge and Wilson. The treaty went down to a second defeat in March 1920. As a result of those votes, the USA never ratified the Treaty of Versailles and never joined the League of Nations. Still worse humiliation followed for Wilson. Public opinion largely turned against him. The Republican nominee in 1920, the handsome, mellifluous Warren Harding, called for "not heroics but healing, not nostrum but normalcy, not revolution but restoration, not agitation but adjustment, not surgery but serenity" - all ways of drawing a sharp line between himself and Wilson. Not surprisingly, the Republicans won one of the biggest popular and electoral victories ever, "a tidal wave". Coming just a month after that repudation at the polls, the peace prize offered balm to Wilson's wounded body and soul. The news surprised him, but it should not have. With the Great War over, the leading peacemaker and author of a bold new plan to rid the world of war was the logical, well-nigh inescapable choice. Yet the prize was a case of a prophet enjoying greater honor among others than among his own people. Abroad, reactions were generally approving. At home, Republicans in general and Lodge in particular ignored the event. Wilson himself felt gratified by the prize, but his frail health did not allow him to use the occasion to advance his ideas. He could not go to Oslo to accept the award. In fact, Wilson could not even write his own acceptance message but had to rely on a draft from the State Department that expressed his "profound gratitude" and his confidence that the world would see "progress toward eradication of the unspeakable scourge of war". In 1920, the prize carried a cash award of $40,000 (equivalent to about one-third of today's sum of $1.4 million), which brought welcome relief to a man whose term of office was about to expire in the days before presidential pensions. The Nobel Prize provided a note of grace to an otherwise inglorious departure from the White House. It also laid the groundwork for a renewed appreciation of Wilson and his work that would later sometimes rise to posthumous apotheosis. Throughout his career, Wilson practiced on the world stage what the Nobel Committee has just recognized in the current president of the USA. x

Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

x

Comprehension questions: 49

a. Why is Obama's prize considered as Wilson's legacy? b. What were the main reasons that the peace Treaty of Versailles had faced partisan deadlock over its ratification? c. Why did Wilson's Republican opponents reject the US membership in the new League of Nations? d. Who took advantage over Wilson's symptoms of impending collapse? e. Could Wilson use the occasion to advance his ideas while enjoying honor among other states? f. Did the prize provide and lay the groundwork for a renewed appreciation of Wilson and his work? g. Has Obama as President created a new climate in international politics? x

Match the words with their definitions:

1. defeat (n) 2. spite-filled 3. intransigence 4. deadlock 5. impending (adj.) 6. nostrum 7. frail 8. posthumous x

a. state where two sides cannot agree b. imminent (about to happen) c. quack medicine d. after death e. firmness /being obstinate f. full of bad feeling /wishing to hurt smb g. loss of fight, vote h. weak

Connect the below ideas to make up sentences:

membership restrictions notably accept membership only under disarmament commitment peace accomplishment prize controversially endeavor encouragement present award endorsement goal disbelief anger react promote concept weakened strengthen diplomacy cooperation most notably severe restrictions x Discussion questions: a. Would you comment on the fact that after less than 9 months in office, President Barack Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize? b. Why was the choice of Mr. Obama applauded abroad, while Republicans in Washington reacted with disbelief and some anger? c. Who received the Nobel Peace Prize before Wilson and could he offer guidance for Mr. Obama? 50

d. Why did Wilson experience great ups and downs in reputation during his presidency? e. Do you really believe that the USA has changed in its essential nature and is ready to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples? f. Do you know examples of some awards which remain controversial even today? g. What international organizations has the Nobel Committee honored in the past 30 years? x

Give a brief analysis of the article.

Why is Barack Obama not taken seriously by the Russian government? Konstantin von Eggert, RIA Novosti, 15 January 2013 Warm –ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “V.V.P.” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: What does “V.V.P.” mean? Why does V.V. Putin seem to be “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma?” In the field of foreign affairs one can evaluate Barack Obama’s policies without carrying a US passport. And there, he definitely looks like Jimmy Carter, probably the weakest post-war US president. Apart from two steps-focusing on the alarming rise of China and eliminating Osama bin Laden – Obama’s first four years were marked by a hasty retreat from Iraq, the collapse of the allied effort in Afghanistan (to be followed by an even hastier upcoming withdrawal in 2014), a confused reaction to the so-called Arab Spring, near total oblivion for the Transatlantic relationship and caving in to the post - Soviet autocracies. I always thought that an engaged and strong American foreign policy is in Russia’s national interests. Standing up to China, pacifying Afghanistan (now, alas, clearly a thing of the past) and fighting Islamist terror are prime examples here. The United States’ commitment to civil liberties always helped to keep autocrats all over the world on their toes. Apart from a brief period in the early 1990s, Russia’s rulers never really liked the United States. But they always respected America. Not anymore. Tom Donilon, Obama’s national security advisor, is coming to Moscow to deliver a message to Vladimir Putin. In the wake of the expulsion of USAID from Russia, a wave of repressive legislative acts aimed at Russian civic society and, finally, the so-called “Anti-Magnitsky law”, punishing Russian orphaned and sick children for the 51

misdeeds of a few corrupt Russian civil servants, one would expect a frank exchange of views on the state of bilateral relations. But, if one believes the diplomatic rumor mill in Moscow, the message from the white House will seemingly be about a so-called “Reset-2” – an attempt to relaunch the relationship, after “Reset-1” largely failed to deliver. It seems that the main goal of “Reset -2” will be START -4 – yet another nuclear arms reduction treaty. Obama has a touching 1960s and 1970s attachment to nuclear disarmament, which increasingly looks like an honest attempt to earn his undeserved 2009 Nobel Peace Prize post factum. V. Putin will grant Obama’s wish (it is in Russia’s interests too to continue trimming its ageing nuclear arsenal). But not before extracting a price from the White House, Non-interference in Russia’s domestic affairs and accepting Russia’s dominant role in the post-Soviet space will probably be among his demands. No doubt, they will be granted. Moreover, Putin’s view of Russia and himself seems to be much clearer and firmer than that of Obama regarding the US. He wants to stay in power for as long as he considers right. He does not want anyone to interfere with the decisions he takes. And he wants Russia – his Russia – to be respected in the old-fashioned Cold War way. Whether one agrees with Putin’s vision is a matter of taste and political conviction. But one cannot deny that when he sits down to talk with Western politicians, including the President of the United States, he knows very well what he wants to achieve. One may say this is because he has been running Russia for more than 13 years, and never faced a serious political or electoral challenge, while his counterparts have to struggle for re-election, fend off opposition challenges and juggle party politics and national interests. Hardly anyone in the West dares to contradict Putin – and he takes this as yet more proof that his international stature is assured. He likes to play geopolitics and to converse with the international affairs’ realist-in- chief Henry Kissinger. As long as foreign policy interaction remains a series of give-and-takes and does not involve any talk of the principles underpinning it, the Russian President will retain comfortable superiority not only over Tom Donilon, but over Tom Donilon’s boss, too. x Circle any new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. Do you also support the idea that B. Obama is not taken seriously by the Russian government? b. Why does the author of the article compare Barack Obama with Jimmy Carter? c. How will you comment on the statement that “Russia’s rulers never really liked the United States but they always respected it?” d. What will be the main goal of re-launching the relationship between Russia and 52

the USA? e. Is it unacceptable to demand not to interfere in Russia’a domestic affairs and to protect its national interests? f. Can you give the main reasons why Putin never faced a serious political or electoral challenge? g. Do you agree with the author’s view that hardly anyone in the West dares to contradict Putin?

x Match the words with their definitions: 1. to figure out 2. eliminate 3. retreat (n) 4. oblivion 5. repressive 6. punish 7. bilateral 8. to fend off 9. to interfere

a. forgetting totally, being completely forgotten b. severe / sharp c. to make smb suffer because of smth he has done d. on two sides, between two sides e. to push away f. to meddle / to get involved in / with g. to remove / liquidate h. to try to understand i. withdrawing of an army from a battle

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: silence palpable to fall over participation defend development cease exist influence nuclear global reinforce recognize radical depart justify non-governmental spy audience impress fail puppet-masters run retain x Discussion questions: a. What is Putin’s main leverage when he wants to reinforce the idea of Russia’s global importance? b. Is it possible to resolve the problems of global nuclear security without Russia? c. Why has Moscow decided to tighten control of non-governmental organizations in Russia? d. Whose works on Russian history does Putin like to read or listen to a recording? 53

e. What is the primary difference between Moscow and the West on the issue related to the militant Islamic group Hamas? f. Does Putin hold the firm ground on economic crisis in Russia and in the world? g. What new draft laws have been worked out since the time Putin came to power?

x Give a brief analysis of the article.

The US – Iranian triangle by Roger Cohen, Globalist, IHT Warm –ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “The I.A.E.A.” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: What is the IAEA? What is the role and functions of this organization in the world? Have you ever heard the name Mohamed El-Baradei? France and Germany fought three wars in 70 years before the bright idea dawned of enfolding their problem into something larger: the European Union The United States and Iran have not gone to war but have a relationship of psychotic mistrust. The revelation that Iran has built a second uranium enrichment plant in secrecy did not change the nuclear equation if that is measured by the country’s ability to produce a bomb. No uranium has entered the facility. Iran’s eventual capacity to produce weapons-grade fissile material, let alone deliver it, is unaffected. What has changed is the psychology of the Iranian nuclear program. Mistrust, already deep, is now fathomless. With an enrichment facility in Natanz able to accommodate 54,000 centrifuges (just over 8,000 are installed), and its single nuclear power plant still in stop-go mode, there do not appear to be 54, 000 reasons for Iran to burrow into a mountain near the holy city of Qum to install 3,000 more. Teheran wants a military nuclear option even if it’s nervous and hesitant about the reality. The Qum nuclear twinning reveals the Iranian mindset: the enrichment program has attained sacred status as a symbol of Iranian independence – comparable to oil’s nationalization in the 1950s. Iran will argue its obligations to the International Atomic Energy Agency only 54

required it to give notification of the new facility 180 days before introducing nuclear materials. The effect of Natanz – Qum was to make new sanctions more likely sooner. President of France spoke of imposing them in December, absent an “in-depth change”. President Obama – who likes to leave hawkishness to Europeans – avoided the “s” word but did his best resolute thing. More significant than the words, however, were the no-shows. Iran would have sat bolt upright had Obama been flanked by the leaders of Germany, Russia and China. Those three states are principal sources of Iran’s trade. Chancellor Angela Merkel could not find time. Russia expressed “serious concern. China mumbled about “dialogue”. This was less a line in the sand than a faint squiggle. I have said before: sanctions won’t work for four reasons. One: Iran is inured to sanctions after years of living with them and has in Dubai a sure -fire conduit for goods at a manageable surtax. Two: Russia and China will never pay more than lip service to sanctions. Three: You don’t bring down a quasi-holy symbol – nuclear power – by cutting off gasoline sales. Four: sanctions feed the persecution complex on which the Iranian thrives. A senior German official said: "The efficiency of sanctions is not really discussed because if you do, you are left with only two options - a military strike or living with a nuclear Iran. Dishonesty is a staple of Iran's nuclear program. Teheran has dissembled. But what is a "nuclear Iran?" Is it an Iran that's nuclear-armed - a very dangerous development - or an Iran with an I.A.E.A - monitored enrichment facility? I believe monitored enrichment on Iranian soil in the name of what Obama called Iran's "right to peaceful nuclear power" remains a possible basis for an agreement that blocks weaponization. The Iranian regime is weak. For fruitless sanctions to be avoided, the mantra of William Burns, the US under secretary for political affairs who will attend multilateral talks with Iran must be: "Widen the canvas". The US must seek to open a parallel bilateral US - Iran negotiation covering at least these areas: Afghanistan and Iraq; Hezbollah and Hamas; human rights; blocked Iranian assets; diplomatic relations; regional security arrangements; drugs; the fight against AlQaeda; visas and travel. Isolated, nuclear negotiations will fail. Integrated, they may not. Iran's sense of humiliation is rooted in its America complex; its nuclear program is above all about the restoration of pride. Settle the complex to contain the program. Triangulate. Think broad. Think EU, not Versailles. x

Circle new words / phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

x

Comprehension questions: 55

a. Why do the United States and Iran have a relationship of psychotic mistrust? b. Do you know some exact information on Iran's ability to produce weapons-grade fissile material? c. What are the main reasons that the enrichment program has attained sacred status as a symbol of Iranian independence? d. What obligations does Iran have to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)? e. What are four main reasons when sanctions won't help? f. How will you explain the meaning of the phrase "the mantra of William Burns? g. Is it really necessary to open a parallel bilateral US - Iran negotiation in order to get rid of the sense of humiliation? x

Match the words with their definitions:

1. revelation 2. to burrow 3.equation (n) 4. squiggle 5. to be inured 6. thrive (v.) 7. surtax x

a. mathematical or chemical formula showing two parts are equal b. illegible curly marks, handwriting c. to get accustomed to smth unpleasant d. to get well / to become strong e. surprise; showing what was hidden f. extra tax on high incomes g. to make a long hole underground

Connect the below ideas to make up sentences:

uranium secrecy equation change the nuclear equation attain status comparable notification IAEA introduce trust technicalities betray sanctions inure manageable humiliation complex restoration negotiation converge cover weaponization agreement block x

Discussion questions:

a. What are your hopes for a further development of relations between the USA and Iran? b. Why is Iran still in the list of "the Axis of Evil"? c. Do you support the idea that the problem of dealing with the Arab - Muslim world today is the general absence or weakness of people power there? d. Comment on the statement: "Where there is no people power and only bad ideas, 56

there will be no happy endings". e. Will the troubles of Europe and its debt weakened banks imperil the United States’ attempts to open a parallel bilateral negotiation with Iran? Why? x

Give a brief analysis of the article.

Turkey, the EU and history by Thomas L.Friedman (IHT) Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with “the EU” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: What is the EU? What is the role of the EU in the world? Is Turkey a member of the EU? While visiting Istanbul the other day, I took a long walk along the Bosporus near Topkapi Palace. There is nothing like standing at this stunning intersection of Europe and Asia to think about the clash of civilizations - and how the world might avoid it. Make no mistake: we are living at a remarkable hinge of history, and it’s not clear how it’s going to swing. What is clear is that Osama Bin Laden achieved his aim: September 11 sparked real tensions between the Judeo-Christian West and the Muslim East. Preachers on both sides now openly denounce each other’s faiths. Whether the tensions explode into a real clash of civilizations will depend heavily on whether we build bridges or dig ditches between the West and Islam not only in Iraq and Israel-Palestine, but in Turkey, the only Muslim free-market democracy in Europe. I happened to be in Istanbul when the street outside one of the two synagogues that were suicide-bombed on Nov.15 was reopened. Three things struck me: First, the chief rabbi of Turkey appeared at the ceremony hand in hand with the top Muslim cleric of Istanbul and the local mayor, while crowds in the street threw red carnations on them. Second, the Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who comes from an Islamist party, paid a visit to the chief rabbi - the first time a Turkish Prime Minister had ever called on the chief rabbi. Third, and most revealing, was the statement made by the father of one of the Turkish suicide bombers who hit the synagogues. “We are a respectful family who love our nation, flag and the Koran. But we cannot understand why this child had done the thing he had done… First, let us meet the 57

chief rabbi of our Jewish brothers. Let me hug him. Let me kiss his hands and flowing robe. Let me apologize in the name of my son and offer my condolences. We will be damned if we do not reconcile with them,”- the grieving father, Sefic Elaltuntas, told the Zaman newspaper. There is a message here: The Islamic world should take stringent measures against terrorism without any ‘buts’ and ‘howevers’. Context matters. Turkish politicians are not intimidated by religious fundamentalists, because, unlike too many Arab politicians, they have legitimacy that comes from being democratically elected. At the same time, the Turkish parents of suicide bombers don’t all celebrate. They are not afraid to denounce this barbarism because they live in a free society where such things are considered shameful and alien to the moderate brand of Islam that has always embraced religious pluralism and that most Turks feel is the “real” Islam. For all these reasons, those who want to help moderates win the war of ideas within the Muslim world must help strengthen Turkey as a model of democracy, modernism, moderation and Islam all working together. Turkey has undertaken a huge number of reforms to get itself ready for EU membership. If, after all it has done, the EU shuts the door, extremists all over the Muslim, world will say to the moderates: “See, we told you so-it is a Christian club and we are never going to be let in. So why bother adapting to their rules?” I think Turkey’s membership in the EU is so important that the US should consider subsidizing the EU to make it easier. If that fails, the USA should offer to bring Turkey into the NAFTA, even though it would be very complicated. “If the EU creates some pretext and says no to Turkey, after we have done all this, I am sure the EU will lose and the world will lose. If Turkey is admitted, the EU is going to win and world peace is going to win. This would be a gift to the Muslim world,”-Turkey’s Foreign Minister told me in Ankara. Yes, everyone is watching, which is why the EU would be making a huge mistake - a hinge - of - history mistake - if it dug a ditch around Turkey instead of building a bridge. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: b) What did spark real tensions between the Judeo-Christian West and the Muslim East? c) Do you believe that Turkey is the only Muslim free-market democracy in Europe? Why? d) Can you comment on three things that struck the author? e) What is alien to the moderate brand of Islam that has always embraced religions pluralism? f) Why has Turkey undertaken a huge number of reforms to get itself ready for EU membership? g) Why does the EU keep creating various pretexts and say no to Turkey? h) Why is Turkey’s membership in the EU so important for the world, particularly for the Muslim world? 58

x Match the words with their definitions: 1.tension 2. grieve 3. suicide 4. to reveal 5. to be intimidated 6. condolences 7. legitimacy 8. to reconcile 9. stringent

a. to show smth which was hidden b. to be frightened by threats c. expressions of regret at the death of smb d. to make two enemies become friendly e. to feel sad, to mourn f. state of aggravation between countries g. killing yourself h. strict, severe i. being in accordance with the law

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: reforms political process to join hinge remarkable history membership responsibility oblige civilizations depend on bridges reconcile measures stringent subsidize important easy mistake fail a ditch moderate religious brand x Discussion questions: a) Why is the US eager to bring Turkey into the European Union? b) Is it possible for the US to bring Turkey into NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)? c) What is the role and place of Turkey in North Africa and in the Middle East? d) Why is Turkey heavily supporting the opposition of the region but not the legitimate governments? x

Give a brief analysis of the article.

Visa restrictions are shutting Turkey out of the EU July 2012 Egemen BaX[\ Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “Turkey” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: How many countries are EU members? Why are countries striving to join the EU? What challenges is the EU facing at present? Istanbul enjoyed the honour of being recognised as the European capital of culture in 2010, and the European capital of sports this year. Such events highlight Turkey's strong national identity and fundamental European values. The past two years have shown potential for the continual success of Turkish-EU relations and the prospects for stronger collaborations in the cultural, economic and political spheres. The recent Europe Day celebrations in Ankara were testimony to our commitment towards this end. Both the European and Asian shores of Turkey, with their dynamic, young and optimistic populations, have long been waiting for and working towards EU membership. So it is discouraging to hear echoes from Europe claiming that Turkey is "too big, too poor and too Muslim" to fit in. Unfortunately, the imposition of the Schengen visa requirement on Turkish citizens remains a serious obstacle for us. As the minister for EU affairs, it is my responsibility and privilege to break down the wall that is impeding Turkey's EU accession, one brick at a time. In addition to bricks of prejudice, politics and bureaucracy, the perception that Turkish citizens will engage in mass migration to Europe if the visa requirement is eliminated is baseless, and offensive. Turkish tourists, students, artists, merchants and businesspeople who have neither desire nor interest in migrating to the EU are being subject to a discriminatory and high-cost, low-value visa regime. It should come as no surprise that Turks have even begun 60

moving out of Germany in the hope of finding better employment opportunities back home. Turkey is the only EU candidate country to be kept outside the Schengen zone. Even non-candidate countries such as Russia, the Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia are currently negotiating for visa-free travel. Recent verdicts of the EU court of justice and the national courts of some member states, namely the Hannover and Munich courts of Germany and Haarlem court of the Netherlands, have ruled that Turkish nationals have the right to visa-free travel. Why, then, are we still being ostracized? If the size of Turkey's population is the justification, then how can the exemption from EU visas of millions of citizens of the western Balkan countries, or 200 million Brazilians or 120 million Mexicans be explained? Moreover, Turkey is the only EU candidate country that has broken down commercial borders with the EU. Under the Customs Union, goods made in Turkey are able to flow freely into the union, but the people who make them are not. What we are asking for is the mutual freedom of movement between our borders and those of our neighbours with whom we are meant to be synchronising, not drifting apart. Our tourists are certainly not demanding employment permits or other social rights that are tailored exclusively for EU nationals. Given the ongoing economic crisis in Europe, allowing for freer and easier travel would undoubtedly benefit the economies of hard-hit European countries as well, such as neighbouring Greece. In the meantime, it is disappointing to witness that in some member states, a visa regime, immigration policies and any topic regarding Turkey is abused for domestic political demagogy. Still, plenty of European citizens and political leaders admit that the visa-free travel of Turks would not have any adverse effects on EU countries. x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. What events did Turkey host in 2010 and 2012? b. What did the author expect from warm relations with Europe? c. According to the article, what disappointed the author concerning the Schengen visa? d. What information have you got about the Schengen visa? e. Do you think that visa restrictions will impede Turkey’s EU membership? f. Why is Turkey excluded from the Schengen zone while other non-candidate countries can enjoy this opportunity? g. How well are trade relations between Turkey and EU developed? h. The author writes that free and easy travel would benefit the economies of hard-hit European countries? How do you think it will happen? i. Will visa-free travel of Turks have any negative effects on EU countries? j. What is the main idea of the article? x Match the words with their definitions: 61

1. adverse a. a difficulty that prevents you to do sth b. an unreasonable opinion of not liking somebody 2. testimony 3. commitment c. to make smb feel less confident or hopeful 4. to discourage d. negative, unpleasant or harmful e. permission to ignore a rule, obligation or payment 5. imposition f. to refuse to talk to or be with somebody 6. an obstacle g. a formal statement given in a court of law 7. to impede h. the introduction of a new law or new system 8. prejudice i. a promise to do something 9. to tailor 10. to ostracize j. to make smth difficult to happen k. to make smth especially for a particular person or purpose 11. exemption x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: collaboration economy trade testimony policy fail commitment development discourage political view economic imposition sanctions overcome obstacle freedom violate states ostracize guilty verdict unanimous science progress impede prejudice women politics exemption tax service patients drug adverse tailor need disabled x Discussion questions: a. Since what time has Turkey been applying for EU membership? b. What are the main requirements of the EU to be met by the candidates? Has Turkey fulfilled all of them? c. Why do you think the EU is blocking Turkey’s membership? d. Do you also think that Turkey’s being «too big, too poor and too Muslim» is an obstacle to join the EU? x Give a brief analysis of the article.

“The Arab Spring”: Another year with Assad RIA Novosti, January 21, 2013 Warm –ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the phrase the Arab Spring. x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: Why did leading Western powers support the rebels in Arab states in ousting their legitimate leaders? What is the role of the UN in peacekeeping operations in the region?

The year 2013 began much like 2012 – with news of fighting in Syria and predictions that the tide is about to turn in the country’s protracted civil war. However, confidence that the dictator’s days are numbered is not as strong as it was a year ago. We were told that the war had reached a turning point at least three times in 2012. Some high-ranking officials, defected to the opposition, others were killed in explosions in Damascus. The rebels claimed to be in control of the bulk of the country and leading Western powers recognized the opposition as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Moreover, in early January 2013 Bashar al-Assad delivered a defiant speech, making it clear that he is not about to surrender. The world’s attention is focused on Syria for reasons beyond its on-going civil war. The Syrian conflict has come to encapsulate contemporary international politics and the problems facing the world community. First, the authoritarian regimes that have been in power for decades are in steep decline. Societies are no longer willing to acquiesce to repression and persecution even for the sake of development and a decent quality of life (what the new governments could offer is unclear). People in Russia claim that the changes rolling the Middle East were provoked 63

by outside forces. Democracy is indeed spreading through the region, though not at all with results the West had expected. Secondly, the conflict in Syria is drawn along sectarian lines. The Syrian crisis began as a protest against a stagnant autocracy and for democracy, but soon morphed into a confrontation between the ruling Shia minority (supported by other ethnic minorities, who fear change even though they don’t like the status quo) and the disenfranchised Sunni majority. Syria has become the first battleground of a great Middle Eastern fend, which began in the 1970s with the Shia-led Iranian revolution and has dominated the regional politics over the past decades. The opposing camps refuse to budge because there can be no compromise in a religious struggle for survival. Syria is the second great conflict, after Kosovo and Bosnia in the 1990s, in which a medieval conception of identity is becoming the dominant force, fanning the flames of civil strife. Worse still, Syria is unlikely to be the last example of this kind of war. Thirdly, Syria is caught up in a regional rivalry with sectarian overtones. Iran and Saudi Arabia are vying for religious, geopolitical, energy-related and ethnic dominance in the region. They have allies both inside and outside Syria, and judging by the way the conflict is progressing, the balance of power is roughly equal. Lastly, great powers are vying not so much for their presence and interests as for their worldview. This explains Moscow’s inflexibility, which many ascribe to mere commercial interests or an affinity for troglodytic dictators. Elements of both are likely at play, but Russia’s true motivation lies elsewhere. Russia sees Syria as the last chance to prevent the intervention in Libya from becoming a precedent for how the local conflicts are resolved. The Kremlin’s uncompromising stance is only indirectly related to Middle eastern or Syrian affairs: fundamentally, it is about the principles governing international relations. This is why the outcome of the Syrian war is so consequential for global politics. The complex web of influences at play in Syria makes it difficult to predict how events will unfold. The players have adopted their strategies and placed their bet – now they are just hoping to hit the jackpot. There can be no simple solution to the complex problems in Syria, and Moscow has been saying so from the very beginning of the conflict. If Assad’s resignation could end the conflict, as the West insists, he would have stepped down long ago. But since this is not the case, there is a chance that Assad will still be in power. No matter how hard the enemies try, the Syrian people will remain strong and steadfast in the face of the conspiracies. x Circle new words/ phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x Comprehension questions: a. Why does Russia’s stance towards the situation in Syria deserve more scrutiny? 64

b. Is President Bashar al-Assad willing to surrender? c. Why has the Syrian conflict come to encapsulate contemporary international politics? d. What are the main reasons that the authoritarian regimes that have been in power for decades are in steep decline? e. Do you believe that the changes rolling the Middle East were provoked by outside forces? f. Is it possible to reach a compromise in a religious struggle for survival? g. What role do Iran and Saudi Arabia play in the Syrian conflict? h. Can you comment on the Kremlin’s uncompromising stance related to Middle Eastern or Syrian affairs? x Match the words with their definitions: 1. defiant (adj.) 2. steep (adj.) 3. autocracy 4. democracy 5. to provoke 6. to stagnate 7. strife 8. flexibility 9. resignation

a. a system of government by freely elected representatives of the people b. to make a reaction start, to incite smb to do smth violent c. fighting; trouble between people d. ability to adapt to new circumstances e. giving up a job, a post f. a system of government by one man g. which rises or falls sharply h. very proud and antagonistic i. to stay static, not to advance

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: forces rebels to be engaged stronghold unabated casualties responsibility Aleppo heritage stance conflict intervention inflexibility interests ascribe acquiesce willing persecution vie rivalry sectarian budge religious compromise x Discussion questions: a. Can you give some information on Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Syria? b. What is Kazakhstan’s official stance to Middle Eastern and Syrian affairs? c. Do you think that Assad’s resignation can put an end to the conflict in the region? d. Why is the outcome of the Syrian war so consequential for the global politics? 65

e. What countries are the major players in the Syrian conflict which are just hoping to bit the jackpot? f. What results had the West expected from the rolling changes in North Africa and the Middle East? x Give a brief analysis of the article.

North Korea: Pyongyang plans nuclear test targeted at US January 2013 Justin McCurry and Tania Branigan Warm-ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with the word “nuclear weapon” x Answer the questions using the words you’ve jotted down: Have you got any idea about nuclear weapons? To what extent are nuclear tests detrimental to people and environment? What does ‘nuclear non-proliferation’ mean? What countries have admitted to the “Nuclear club”? North Korea has responded to tighter UN sanctions with a threat to conduct another nuclear test the regime said would target its greatest enemy, the US. The country's powerful national defence commission poured scorn on Tuesday's UN Security council resolution condemning the launch last month of a long-range rocket, and the decision to expand sanctions against the already impoverished state. The North insists the launch was part of its peaceful space programme, but the US and its allies believe the purpose was to test ballistic missile technology. On Thursday, the regime appeared to confirm those suspicions when it said its rocket programme had a second, military purpose: to target and strike the US. The commission, North Korea's most powerful military body, said the rocket launches would continue and warned the country would conduct a third, "high-level" nuclear test. "We are not disguising the fact that the various satellites and long-range rockets we will launch, as well as the high-level nuclear test we will carry out, are targeted at the United States, the arch-enemy of the Korean people," the commission said in a statement carried by the official Central Korean News Agency. "Settling accounts with the US needs to be done with force, not with words." 66

The statement did not say when the test, which would be the first under the current leader, Kim Jong-un, would take place. Analysts said it could happen in midFebruary, just before South Korea's new president, Park Geun-hye, is sworn into office and the North marks the birthday of its previous leader, Kim Jong-il. North Korea conducted its previous nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, soon after the UN imposed sanctions in response to rocket launches. Any progress the North makes in its missile and nuclear programmes is a cause for concern, although it is thought to be some way off having the ability to produce a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a reliable long-range missile. It is not clear what the defence commission meant by "high level", but there is speculation the next test could involve a uranium, rather than plutonium, device. That would signal that the regime's scientists have mastered the complicated process of producing highly enriched uranium. China, the North's only diplomatically and its biggest trading partner, is likely to have angered Pyongyang by backing this week's UN resolution. China's foreign ministry on Thursday called on all parties in the region to "refrain from action that might escalate the situation". Scholar Wang Junsheng, an expert on Korean issues at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times newspaper: "By passing the resolution China was warning North Korea … and by blocking more sanctions China was telling North Korea to return to the right track, the six-party talks."

x Circle new words/phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings. x b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i.

Comprehension questions: When did North Korea conduct its last nuclear test? How did it respond to the UN sanctions? What message did North Korea send to South Korea, the U.S., China and other countries concerning its nuclear weapons program? Why is the US considered the arch-enemy of the Korean people? How often does North Korea conduct its nuclear tests? Why? When is the next test going to take place? What is the reaction of North Korea’s neighbors to these tests? Are these tests supposed to be the best way for the rest of the world to determine what North Korea is capable of and how far it’s willing to go?

x Match the words with their definitions: 1.to pour scorn on 2. to condemn

a. to stop yourself from doing something b. someone who is your main enemy 67

3. impoverished (adj) 4. to warn 5. to disguise 6. the arch-enemy 7. to swear in 8. speculation 9. to back 10. to refrain from

c. to say publicly/strongly that smb is very bad or wrong d. to support e. to criticize smb/smth severely showing your disrespect f. guesses about something g. poor, worse h. to tell smb to be careful or aware of smth which might happen i. to change smth/smb so that people can’t recognize j. to give a formal promise at an official ceremony

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: candidates pour scorn on budget opposition party condemn pollution warn scientists regret disguise local university cold war the arch-enemy Japan Prime minister swear in speculation elections happen parties proposal back force UNO refrain from escalate into border war

x Discussion questions; a. What repercussions can North Korea expect following this latest incident, and what more can be done to deter future tests? b. What does North Korea’s latest nuclear test (including the seismic activity that gave it away) tell us about their nuclear capabilities and objectives? c. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having nuclear weapons in a country? d. Can the use of nuclear weapons ever be justified? e. How did the build-up of nuclear weapons affect foreign policy? f. Did the development of nuclear weapons in both the USA and the USSR serve to increase or decrease the likelihood war? g. How is it fair for America to say the others to stop developing nuclear weapons while it is still building its own?

x Give a brief analysis of the article. 68

China to the rescue The Moscow News, 4 March 2013 Warm -ups: x Spend 1-2 minutes writing down the words you associate with China x Answer the questions using the words you've jotted down: What do you know about China in general? Why is ideology a way of life in China? Is it really so that China's mighty shadow complicates the problems of Asian diplomacy? How? North Korea's nuclear test in February 2013 indicates that the regime's race to acquire long-range nuclear missiles may have entered its final stretch. The test itself was no surprise: North Korea's young leader, Kim Jong-un, has made no secret of his resolve to follow in the footsteps of his late father, Kim Jong-il, who oversaw the detonation of two plutonium devices in 2006 and 2009, respectively. But the language used by the official news agency of the DPRK raised worries early on. When announcing the February 12 test, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) trumpeted the underground detonation of a nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously. "The country's nuclear deterrence has now become "diversified", the agency boasted on the day of the test. The international community should be worried for two reasons. First, a highly enriched uranium (HEU) bomb would expand North Korea's options for weapons-grade materials, which have been limited to plutonium from a now-defunct reactor. Since the facility's shuttering in 2007, stockpiles of the precious fissile material are believed to have dwindled. Second, it is easier to conceal highly enriched uranium than plutonium. This means that North Korea may find it is less difficult to export nuclear weapons technology to foreign buyers. Indeed, not so long ago Pyongyang almost succeeded in equipping Syria with a plutonium nuclear reactor and got paid for it. A successful test of a HEU device would mean that North Korea has overcome a major obstacle in its quest for a "proper" nuclear deterrent. But North 69

Korea still cannot deploy a warhead on an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile), but it is capable of mounting one on shorter-range missiles. Economic sanctions of the kind that the UN Security Council slapped on the country after the 2006 and 2009 tests will not work. These sanctions demonstrated that the regime is ready to starve its citizens if that is what it takes to continue their onward march toward nuclear weapons. Freezing officials’ assets and denying them visas will also have little impact on North Korea's leaders, as isolation from the outside world is a pillar of their regime. It is absolutely necessary to strengthen measures that would minimize North Korea's ability to both import dual-use technologies and export its nuclear know-how with impunity. The world community should also exert maximum effort to dismantle the moneylaundering schemes of the regime. The participants of the six-party talks should try to address the goals that North Korea wants to achieve through developing nuclear weapons. The country's leaders, view nuclear warheads not as useable weapons, but as an instrument to achieve other goals - such as binding security guarantees for the regime from the USA, recognition as an equal player by the great powers, and assistance from the international community not only in subsistence, but also development. It is obvious that North Korea is relentlessly advanced by a united front of regional and world powers. Of these - China is the most important. China is North Korea's prime source of aid and investment. It accounts for more than 70% of North Korea's trade according to their own statistics service. China supplies some 90% of the energy and almost 50 percent of the food that North Koreans consume. The emergence of a unified Korea allied with the US is not in China's interests. But a nuclear-armed neighbour is also hardly in China's best interests, especially if that neighbour faces a continuous risk of implosion. A display of leadership in resolving the dispute over the North Korean nuclear program would significantly increase China's political weight in the eyes of the international community. Failure to do so, or a continuation of Beijing's current policy, would raise doubts over whether China can really act like a responsible world leader. x

Circle new words / phrases and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

x

Comprehension questions:

a. What is the main ambition of North Korea's young leader? b. What is meant when it is said that the country's deterrence has become "diversified"? c. Since what time are the precious fissile materials believed to have dwindled? d. What is a major obstacle for NK in its quest for a "proper" nuclear deterrent? e. How will it be possible to reach the long-term suspension of North Korea's nuclear missile program? f. Why don't economic sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council work? 70

g. What role does a united front of regional and world powers (China being the most important) play in resolving the dispute over the North Korean nuclear program? x Match the words with their definitions: 1. nuclear deterrent 2. resolve (n) 3. dwindle (v) 4. conceal (v) 5. obstacle (n) 6. (with) impunity 7. dismantle (v) 8. mitigate (v) 9. subsistence

a. without risk of punishment b. to take to pieces, to destroy c. make less serious d. nuclear weapon which it is hoped will discourage the enemy from attacking e. survival with very little money or food f. determination to do smth g. to get less h. to hide i. thing or act which prevents progress

x Connect the below ideas to make up sentences: ambitions nuclear rein in dwindle materials fissile shutter weapon-grade stockpiles HEU conceal export sanctions citizens starve dual-use ability technology risk face policy doubts responsible x Discussion questions: a. Does China still have reasonable grounds for fearing the United States? b. Why is the issue on the unification of two Koreas not in China's interests? c. Can China become and act like a responsible world leader? d. What are the main reasons that China remains North Korea's prime source of aid and investment? e. What goals is North Korea planning to achieve through developing nuclear weapons? f. Speak on contemporary international politics. x

Give a brief analysis of the article.

71

Geographical names of countries Afghanistan [æf'gænistæn] Albania [æl'beini] Algeria [æl'Ʋiri] Andorra [æn'dr] Angola [æƁ'gul] Argentina [,a:Ʋ()n'ti:n] Armenia [a:'mi:ni] Australia [s'treili] Austria ['stri] Azerbaijan [,æzbai'Ʋa:n] Bahamas [b'ha:mz] Bahrain [ba:'rein] Bangladesh [,bæƁglи 'de_] Barbados [ba:'beidz] Belgium ['belƲm] Belize [be'li:z] Bhutan [bu'ta:n] Bolivia [b'livi] Botswana [b'tswa:n] Brazil [br'zil] Brunei [bru:'nei] Bulgaria [bҍl'gũri] Burundi [bu'rundi] 72

Cambodia [,kæm'budi] Cameroon [,kæm'ru:n] Canada ['kænd] Cape Verde [keip- v:d] Central African Republic ['sentr()l 'æfrikn ri'pҍblik] Chad [Ƶæd] Chile ['Ƶili] China ['Ƶain] Colombia [k'lmbi] Comoros ['kmruz] Congo ['kƁgu] Costa Rica [,kst'ri:k] Croatia [krи u'ei_iи ] Cuba ['kju:b] Cyprus ['saiprs] Denmark ['denma:k] Djibouti [Ʋi'bu:ti] Dominica [,dmi'ni:k] Dominican Republic [d'minikn ri'pҍblik] Ecuador [,ekw'do:] Egypt ['i:Ʋipt] El Salvador [,el'sælvdo:] Equatorial Guinea [,ekw'to:ril 'gini] Eritrea [,eri'trei] 73

Ethiopia [,i:`i'upi] Fiji ['fi:Ʋi:] Finland ['finlnd] France [fra:n(t)s] Gabon [ga:'bo:Ɓ] Gambia ['gæmbi] Georgia ['Ʋo:Ʋ] Germany ['Ʋ:mni] Ghana ['ga:n] Greece [gri:s] Grenada [gri'neid] Guatemala [,gwæt'ma:l] Guinea ['gini] Guinea-Bissau [,ginibi'sau] Guyana [gai'a:n] Haiti ['heiti] Honduras [hn'djurs] Hungary ['hҍƁg()ri] Iceland ['aislnd] India ['indi] Indonesia [,indu'ni:ࠧ, ,indu'ni:zi] Iran [i'ra:n] Iraq [i'ra:k] Ireland ['ailnd] 74

Italy ['it()li] Jamaica [Ʋ'meik] Japan [Ʋ'pæn] Jordan ['Ʋo:d()n] Kazakhstan [,kæzæk'sta:n] Kenya ['kenj] Kiribati [,kiri'ba:ti] Kuwait [ku:'weit] Kyrgyzstan [,k:gi'sta:n] Laos [leis] Latvia ['lætvi] Lebanon ['lebnn] Liberia [lai'biri] Libya ['libi] Liechtenstein ['likt()nstain] Lithuania [,li`ju'eini] Luxembourg ['lҍks()mb:g] Macedonia [,mæsi'duni] Madagascar [,mæd'gæsk] Malawi [m'la:wi] Malaysia [m'leizi, m'leiࠧ] Maldives ['mo:ldi:vz] Mali ['ma:li] Malta ['mo:lt]

75

Mauritania [,mri'teini] Mexico ['meksiku] Micronesia [,maikr'ni:zi, ,maikr'ni:ࠧi] Moldova [ml'duv] Monaco ['mnku] Mongolia [mƁ'guli] Montenegro [,mnti'ni:gru] Morocco [m'rku] Mozambique [,muzæm'bi:k] Namibia [n'mibi] Nauru [n'ru:, na:'u:ru:, nau'ru:] Netherlands ['ne{
l
ndz] New Zealand [nju:'zi:lnd] Nicaragua [,nik()'rægju] Nigeria [nai'Ʋiri] Norway ['no:wei] Oman ['ma:n] Pakistan [,pa:ki'sta:n] Palau [pa:'lau] Panama [,pæn'ma:] Papua New Guinea [,pæp(j)unju:'gini] Paraguay ['pærgwai] Peru [p'ru:] Philippines ['filipi:nz]

76

Poland ['pulnd] Portugal ['po:Ƶg()l] Qatar ['kҍta:, k'ta:] Romania [ru'meini] Samoa [s'mu] San Marino [,sænm'ri:nu] Saudi Arabia ['saudi'reibi] Senegal [,seni'go:l] Serbia ['s:bi] Seychelles [sei'_elz] Singapore [,siƁ'po:] Slovakia [sl'væki] Slovenia [sl'vi:ni] Solomon Islands ['slmn,ailndz] Somalia [s'ma:li] Spain [spein] Sri Lanka ['sri'læƁk] Sudan [su:'da:n] Sweden ['swi:d()n] Syria ['siri] Taiwan [,tai'wa:n] Ta(d)jikistan [ta:,Ʋi:ki'sta:n] Tanzania [,tænz'ni: , tæn'zeini] Thailand ['tailænd]

77

Togo ['tugu] Tonga ['tƁg] Turkey ['t:ki] Turkmenistan [t:k,meni'sta:n] Uganda [ju:'gænd] United Arab Emirates [ju:'naitid 'ærb e'mirits] United States (of America) [ju:'naitid 'steits (v'merik)] Uruguay ['jurgwai] Uzbekistan [uz,beki'sta:n] Vanuatu [,vænu'a:tu:] Venezuela [,veni'zweil] Vietnam [,vi:et'næm] Yemen ['jemn] Zambia ['zæmbi] Zimbabwe [zim'ba:bwi] Ukraine [ju:’krein]

Contents Section I.

Why to read English newspapers? ------------------------------------------------- 2

Section II.

Vocabulary Revision ---------------------------------------------------------------- 6

Section III. A New Bipolar World Order -------------------------------------------------------- 10 A World to the Wise ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 President Nazarbayev’s Visit to the UN General Assembly --------------------------------- 15 Kazakhstan is ripe for US advice and assistance-----------------------------------------------

18

The globalization of work and people ----------------------------------------------------------- 21 WTO membership will challenge Russia, but also offer opportunity ----------------------- 24 More journalists are held in the world's jails than ever before -------------------------------- 27 Women hold just 20% of World's political power, report says ------------------------------- 30 The next wave? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33 UK planning 'Cyber Reserve' defence force --------------------------------------------------

36

Swiss bank Wegelin to close after US tax evasion fine --------------------------------------- 39 It's time for the demise of capital punishment in the US? ------------------------------------ 42 How serious is Sahara terror threat ------------------------------------------------------------- 45 Obama's prize, Wilson's legacy ----------------------------------------------------------------- 48 Why is Barack Obama not taken seriously by the Russian government? -----------------

51

The US – Iranian triangle ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Turkey, the EU and history ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 57 Visa restrictions are shutting Turkey out of the EU ----------------------------------------- 60 “The Arab Spring”: Another year with Assad ------------------------------------------------ 63 North Korea: Pyongyang plans nuclear test targeted at US --------------------------------

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China to the rescue (Opinion) ------------------------------------------------------------------- 69 Geographical names of countries ---------------------------------------------------------------- 72 79

Academic publication

Mariash Makisheva Leyla Duiseyeva READING NEWSPAPERS Educational manual Шығарушы редакторы Г. Рүстембекова Мұқабасын көркемдеген Р.Е. Сқақов

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