Blog Archive

Monday, November 22, 2010

List 3. Breaking the news. 1. US-India nuclear agreement 2. Palestina-Israel



List 3. Breaking the news.
List 3.1. US-India nuclear agreement   4-5 level   15-20 min

GOAL. To listen to the news in different ways (gist, skim) on a site that offers audio and transcript.

You will listen to the following piece of news where Susan Stamberg talks with correspondent Daniel Schorr about some international news. The first time get the relevant facts, the second one complete the script. Then listen to it again while you read the transcript to check your answers.
Week In Review: India; Weekend Edition Saturday: March 04, 2006   (running length  03:47)
http://www.npr.org/programs/wesat/transcripts/2006/mar/060304.schorr.html

TASK1. Listen to the following piece of news where Susan Stamberg talks with correspondent Daniel Schorr about some international news.
Q1. The piece opens with Susan’s presentation: “ This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. Scott Simon is away. I'm Susan Stamberg”. Then a clip with President George Bush’s words.  What are the exact words the President  Bush uses to describe the relationship between USA and India?
..................................................................................................................................

Q2. Susan presents a positive side but also some troubles. Which are they?
..................................................................................................................................

Q3. What are the benefits for India of the deal signed with the USA?
.................................................................................
Q4. What do we know about the difficulties to break a deal? Which is the success for India’s Government? 
4a .......................................................... 4b.................................................................
Q5. How is this agreement between USA and India going to affect Asian nations nuclear programs?
..................................................................................................................................

Q6. When are presidents more ambitious with foreign policies? Which 3 cases are given?
6a ....................................
6b................................/ ............................. /..........................
Q7. How are India and China described by Susan in the next question.
India: .....................................................  China: ..................................................... 
TASK2. Read the question and listen to each short passage. Use the pause button and then complete the blanks with the exact words.
Q1. According to the President  what are the exact words he uses to describe the relationship between USA and India?   “The United States and India, separated by half the globe, are closer than ever before. And the ................................ between our free nations has the ................ ..................... the world.”
Q2. Susan reports on some troubles. What are they? SUSAN STAMBERG: President Bush speaking in New Delhi, India on Friday. The President's trip to Central Asia has produced an historic agreement with India, but it's also been m............. by w.............................  demonstrations, including a bombing in Karachi, Pakistan that ............................................
Q3. Pay attention to the phrase in the first sentence to describe the end of the prohibition.  Thank you so much. The agreement with India ............... the U.S.   ......... now on selling nuclear technology and nuclear fuel to India. It also lets India hold onto its civilian nuclear program, and in exchange India's going to permit international inspections of some but not all of its nuclear facilities. But this is, this whole thing, it may sound better than it is, because it has to be approved by the Congress to go into effect. So what are the chances of that?
Q4. a. How are the two forecast reactions from US Congress expressed? Which one is the strongest? b. Why are their two main objections at the end of the excerpt?  
SCHORR: Well, I think you can expect some ................ ....................... from Congress, if not a certain ..................  of  .......................... opposition. President Bush had to make some last minute concessions to India, even while his plane was on his way to New Delhi.
And the result is, as you suggested, that India now gets to produce an ........................... of fissile material from something called fast breeder reactors, and please don't ask me what that means. But the effect is to make India the sixth member of the nuclear club, and that's a big ............. ................... to the cause of non-proliferation.
Q5. How does the reporter summarise the controversial decision about different standards for Asian nuclear programs? SCHORR: That is right, and clearly what's happening now, and I'm sure they'll be hearing a lot about this, is that a different standard is being set for India than for the Axis of Evil folk, Iran and North Korea. Apparently .........................................................
Q6. What are presidents in their second term reaching out for?
It's very interesting. You know, every president, almost every president in his second term reaches out to try to write something in his ................... about a ..............................  So it was Nixon in China, it was Reagan with Gorbachev and the Soviet Union. And now we have President Bush apparently trying to write a piece of his legacy with Prime Minister Singh of India.
Q7. The reporter modulates the US administration hopes that India will outrun China twice. Fill in the blanks.
SCHORR: Well, it's not a matter of outrunning China. I think the United States government sees India as a possible .................. for ................................... of China. The American candidate in Asia is going to be India along with Japan, and they hope that at some point that will sort of ................................................... a growing China.
STAMBERG: Moving to a different continent now. Last night, ....  _______(STOP audio here ).





 List 3.2. Listening project on Israeli-Palestinian conflict        4-5 level   15-20 min

GOAL. To work on content taking notes about a historical issue as if it were a lecture

TASK1. Read these pasages below and connect to the web page shown below. Explore the site for ten minutes and then do task 2.

 BOB EDWARDS: Today Morning Edition begins "The Mideast: A Century of Conflict," a seven-part  series on the history of the struggle between Israelis and Palestinians.
                 The Mideast: A Century of Conflict
                             A Seven-Part Series Traces the Israeli-Palestinian Dispute
audio icon                          http://www.npr.org/news/specials/mideast/history/  

Background.  NPR News is presenting this special series on the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to bring context and perspective to the story, and to help listeners understand the complex situation in the Mideast, the history, and the consequences of the confrontation.
The Israelis and Palestinians have been fighting over control of the same piece of land for nearly a century. They are also fighting over each significant episode in that history. Each side has its own interpretation of these crucial, historical episodes. And too often, the march of daily news obscures a broader review of the past to understand the roots of the conflict.


TASK2. Make notes on the content of the passages you are more interested. Do not use the pause button while you are listening. You may listen to it again at the end.
The Mideast: A Century of Conflict            Part 1: Theodor Herzl and the first Zionist Congress  
http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/me/20020930.me.06.ramListen to Part 1 of Mike Shuster's series.  
September 30, 2002 (running length  08:56)
Tuesday, October 1, 2002                           Part 2: The Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate

Wednesday, October 2, 2002              Part 3: Partition, War and Independence

Thursday, October 3, 2002                          Part 4: The 1967 Six Day War

Friday, October 4, 2002                            Part 5: From the 1973 Yom Kippur War to Peace with Egypt

Monday, October 7, 2002                           Part 6: From the First Intifada to the Oslo Peace Agreement

Tuesday, October 8, 2002                          
Part 7: The Second Intifada and the Death of Oslo


Listen 3.1. Breaking the news: US-India nuclear agreement               KEY  with transcript                                                                        
TASK1. Listen to the following piece of news where Susan Stamberg talks with correspondent Daniel Schorr about some international news.
Q1. The piece opens with Susan’s presentation: “ This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. Scott Simon is away. I'm Susan Stamberg”. Then a clip with President George Bush’d words.  According to the President  what are the words he uses to describe the relationship between USA and India?
a: Closer than ever / partenership / work together to transform the world
Q2. Susan shows a positive side but also some troubles. What are they?
a: demonstrations. bombs, one US diplomat killed

Q3. What are the benefits for India?
a: No barriers to import nuclear technologies and material
Q4. What do we know about the difficulties to break a deal? 4a. Last minute negotiations (in the plane) 
What is the success for India’s Government?  4b. Sixth nuclear power + higher international status (but not all of its nuclear facilities).
Q5. How is this agreement between USA and India going to affect Asian nations nuclear programs?
a: They are set with two standards: the axis of evil (Iran and N- Korea) and US friends
Q6. When are presidents more ambitious with foreign policies? Which 3 cases are given?
6a   In their second term.
6b..Nixon> China /  Reagan > Soviet Union  /  Bush > India.
Q7. How are India and China described by Susan in the next question.
India: world’s largest democracy.  China: Asia's economic tiger. 
 TASK2.
Q1. According to the President  what are the exact words he uses to describe the relationship between USA and India?   “The United States and India, separated by half the globe, are closer than ever before. And the ...PARTNERSHIP.. between our free nations has the ...POWER TO TRANSFORM .. the world.”
Q2. Susan reports on some troubles. What are they? SUSAN STAMBERG: President Bush speaking in New Delhi, India on Friday. The President's trip to Central Asia has produced an historic agreement with India, but it's also been MARRED.. by  WIDESPREAD..  demonstrations, including a bombing in Karachi, Pakistan that ..KILLED A US DIPLOMAT..

Q3. Pay attention to the phrase in the first sentence to describe the end of the prohibition.  Thank you so much. The agreement with India ..RAISES .. the U.S.   ..BAN.. now on selling nuclear technology and nuclear fuel to India. It also lets India hold onto its civilian nuclear program, and in exchange India's going to permit international inspections of some but not all of its nuclear facilities. But this is, this whole thing, it may sound better than it is, because it has to be approved by the Congress to go into effect. So what are the chances of that?

Q4. a. How are the two forecast reactions from US Congress expressed? Which is the strongest? b. Why are the two main objections at the end of the excerpt? 
SCHORR: Well, I think you can expect some ..SHARP   QUESTIONING.. from Congress, if not a certain ..AMOUNT..  of  ...OUTRIGHT.. opposition. President Bush had to make some last minute concessions to India, even while his plane was on his way to New Delhi.
And the result is, as you suggested, that India now gets to produce an ...UNLIMITED  AMOUNT ... of fissile material from something called fast breeder reactors, and please don't ask me what that means. But the effect is to make India the sixth member of the nuclear club, and that's a big ..BLOW.. to  ..THE CAUSE..  of non-proliferation.

Q5. How does the reporter summarise the controversial decision about different standards for Asian nuclear programs? SCHORR: That is right, and clearly what's happening now, and I'm sure they'll be hearing a lot about this, is that a different standard is being set for India than for the Axis of Evil folk, Iran and North Korea. Apparently, ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL.
Q6. What are presidents in their second term reaching out for?
It's very interesting. You know, every president, almost every president in his second term reaches out to try to write something in his ..LEGACY.. about a ..BIG  BREAKTHROUGH..  So it was Nixon in China, it was Reagan with Gorbachev and the Soviet Union. And now we have President Bush apparently trying to write a piece of his legacy with Prime Minister Singh of India.

Q7. The reporter modulates the US administration hopes that India will outrun China twice. Fill in the blanks. SCHORR: Well, it's not a matter of outrunning China. I think the United States government sees India as a possible ..BUFFLE.. for ...CONTAINMENT.. of China. The American candidate in Asia is going to be India along with Japan, and they hope that at some point that will sort of ..HOLD THE LINE AGAINST.. a growing China.

See the annex to read Transcript of this piece of news     
Week In Review: India; Weekend Edition Saturday: March 04, 2006   (running length  08:11)
http://www.npr.org/programs/wesat/transcripts/2006/mar/060304.schorr.html



Annex. Transcript Listen03. Breaking the news: NPR station     

President GEORGE W. BUSH: The United States and India, separated by half the globe, are closer than ever before. And the partnership between our free nations has the power to transform the world.

SUSAN STAMBERG: President Bush speaking in New Delhi, India on Friday. The President's trip to Central Asia has produced an historic nuclear agreement with India, but it's also been marred by widespread demonstrations, including a bombing in Karachi, Pakistan that killed a U.S. diplomat.

Mr. Bush is in Islamabad, Pakistan today. NPR's senior new analyst, Daniel Schorr, is right here in Washington. Hi, Dan.

DANIEL SCHORR reporting: Good morning, Susan, and welcome to the big times.

STAMBERG: Thank you so much. The agreement with India raises the U.S. ban now on selling nuclear technology and nuclear fuel to India. It also lets India hold onto its civilian nuclear program, and in exchange India's going to permit international inspections of some but not all of its nuclear facilities. But this is, this whole thing, it may sound better than it is, because it has to be approved by the Congress to go into effect. So what are the chances of that?

SCHORR: Well, I think you can expect some sharp questioning from Congress, if not a certain amount of outright opposition. President Bush had to make some last minute concessions to India, even while his plane was on his way to New Delhi.
And the result is, as you suggested, that India now gets to produce an unlimited amount of fissile material from something called fast breeder reactors, and please don't ask me what that means. But the effect is to make India the sixth member of the nuclear club, and that's a big blow to the cause of non-proliferation.

STAMBERG: Yes. Well, how is this agreement now between this country and India going to affect what has been an international campaign to get Iran and also North Korea to give up their nuclear programs? Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement. India hasn't.

SCHORR: That is right, and clearly what's happening now, and I'm sure they'll be hearing a lot about this, is that a different standard is being set for India than for the Axis of Evil folk, Iran and North Korea. Apparently one size doesn't fit all.

It's very interesting. You know, every president, almost every president in his second term reaches out to try to write something in his legacy about a big breakthrough. So it was Nixon in China, it was Reagan with Gorbachev and the Soviet Union. And now we have President Bush apparently trying to write a piece of his legacy with Prime Minister Singh of India.

STAMBERG: Yeah. You talked about China, and that looms on the horizon. Because this nuclear deal with India is expected to be very good for U.S. business. They can make a fortune selling materials to India. But the President's visit produced other trade agreements. So do you think, is this administration hoping that this world's largest democracy, India, will outrun China, which is right now Asia's economic tiger?

SCHORR: Well, it's not a matter of outrunning China. I think the United States government sees India as a possible buffer for the containment of China. It is the American candidate in Asia is going to be India along with Japan, and they hope that at some point that will sort of hold a line against a growing China.

STAMBERG: Moving to a different continent now. Last night, under a federal court order, the Pentagon ....

No comments:

Post a Comment

Search This Blog