Unit 17 spanish demonstration against bullfighting

This theme is dealt with in a lot of sources. The following citation is to illustrate this:

“A small demonstration of about 1,000 people has taken place in Madrid to call for an end to bullfighting in Spain.

Many see bullfighting as extremely cruel, while others see it as an important part of Spanish culture.

Carrying banners reading 'Abolish bullfighting' and comments disparaging bullfighters, the coalition of animal rights activists and ecologists gathered in Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square. The Madrid regional government's decision to officially declare the sport part of Spain's cultural heritage has intensified opposition:

Male protestor (voice of translator):

"I feel very ashamed. I feel ashamed of being Spanish when I hear of these crimes, and people say this torture is culture. For me it is savage, more appropriate to other centuries."

The centuries-old spectacle, whose ritual includes implanting barbed sticks into the bull before a matador kills it with a sword, draws thousands to the country's bullrings and matadors receive celebrity media coverage. Many Spaniards reject accusations of cruelty:

Madrid resident (in Spanish)

This Madrid resident insists those who want to watch bullfighting should be allowed to continue doing so as it's part of the nation's culture.

But support for bullfighting varies across the country, with parliament in the autonomous Catalan region recently debating a possible ban, and a vote there on the issue is expected soon.

In Spain's Canary Islands, the sport is already outlawed.”

The complete version of this text is at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2010/03/100329_witn_bullfighting.shtml

Assignments:

1. Read, listen and translate the text paying special attention to professional terminology.

2. Key words and expressions:

   • banners-large pieces of cloth or cardboard with signs or messages on them, here, carried by protestors

   • disparaging-being critical, scornful, belittling and giving a negative view of

   • a coalition-a group of people from different political or social groups, who want to achieve the same goal

   • ecologists-people who work to protect the balance between humans, animals and plants, and the place they all live in so that they are not harmed

   • ashamed-embarrassed, guilty

   • the centuries-old spectacle-the unusual or strange public show which is hundreds of years old

   • implanting-stabbing, putting into the body by piercing the skin

   • a matador-a bullfighter, a person who fights and kills bulls to entertain people

   • bullrings-enclosed areas where bullfighting takes place

   • autonomous-politically independent, controls and rules itself, here, rather than being ruled by Spain

3. Give definitions to the following:

bullfighting, resident, debating, culture, appropriate

4. Answer the questions on the text:

• How many people have taken part in demonstration?

• What do the banners say?

• What are the feelings of the protestors?

• What happened to the bullfighting in Spain's Canary Islands?

5. Put questions to the underlined words.

6. Speak on this issue adding extra information from other sources.

UNIT 18 US PLANS HOUSING REFORM

This theme is dealt with in a lot of sources. The following citation is to illustrate this:

“The US government is reforming the country's housing finance system, in an effort to reduce the risk of future crises.

In particular, it will examine the two housing agencies known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Home loans were at the heart of the financial c and the subsequent bailout of the banks. President Obama's government has already pushed through congress an overhaul of regulation, but one important item was left out; what to do about the two key agencies in the mortgage market, known informally as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They underpin the business by providing insurance to lenders against borrowers failing to repay and they also provide the funds by buying home loans from the original lenders.

But they lost money heavily as the housing market crashed and were rescued by the government. They were private companies, but all along the financial markets assumed they would be rescued if they got into trouble and that was a factor in the housing market bubble that led to the crisis - the decisive factor, according to some of their critics.

Now President Obama's Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, has two objectives that are not easily reconciled: enabling Americans to borrow the money they want to buy homes, without risking a need for future taxpayer rescues.

He says there is a case for some sort of government guarantees but he also wants fundamental change. He has now started a process that should lead to concrete proposals by early next year, with aim of making US housing finance less at risk from crises in the future.”

The complete version of this text is at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2010/08/100820_witn_us_housing_page.shtml