RADIO NEWSREPORTS

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B - Comprehension Test 2

Listen to the Webcast Britain in hot water over alleged Taliban meetings, answer the questions and to fill in the gaps

Part 1.

1)What are the reasons for tensions rising between the Afghan Government and the international community?

2)What were the two officials accused of?

3)What country is now under a threat to find itself in direct conflict with the Afghan government?

Part 2.

In London, Stephanie Kennedy reports.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: The _____________of the European Union's mission in Afghanistan, Michael Semple, and ___________________Mervyn Patterson, were declared persona non grata by the Kabul administration for "threatening national security".

The pair has been accused of holding talks with the Taliban in Helmand Province in the south.

Rory Stewart is______________, and he now runs a charity aimed at _____________ parts of Afghanistan.

RORY STEWART: These are two of ________________international experts in Afghanistan. Both of them have lived in Afghanistan for more than 10 years, through the Civil War period, through the Taliban period, and now through the ________________government. They speak local languages fluently and they're two of the only people who are able to

______________________in these very dangerous insurgency areas, largely because of their good relationship, ____________________over 10 years.

It's a very serious loss to the international community.

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Part 3.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: And he says the Afghan Government's decision ______________ them is a worrying sign.

RORY STEWART: I think it's very disturbing. This is the kind of action ______________

normally ____________ the Soviet Union, not with a country which is financed almost entirely by America and Europe and is supposed to be a liberal democratic state.

And it ______________ the question, of course, of what exactly the Afghan Government is trying to hide, because they've _______________________________________ two people who are probably some of the people who know more about Afghanistan than anyone else, and is the reason they're expelling them that they're worried that these people might reveal that there's more support for the Taliban in the south than the Afghan Government is prepared_______________________.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: ______________________as a British newspaper __________________ that members of Britain's secret intelligence service, ________, held meetings earlier this year with senior Taliban members in Afghanistan.

That could________________________ _____________________ for the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, after he recently denied there were any talks with the Taliban.

Part 4

.

GORDON BROWN: Let me make it clear ___________________________that as part of

____________________ we are winning the battle against the Taliban insurgency, we are

___________ and _______________________ the leadership of the Taliban, we are not negotiating with them.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: ________________________in Afghanistan say that talking to the insurgents does go on, it just depends on how you define the Taliban - are they just the

____________________ or the _______________________________________that back them who

_____________________________ to support the Government?

Alastair Crooke is a former EU________________. He now tries to ________________dialogue with both peaceful and armed Islamist groups. He explains the difficulties of talking to those fighting the Afghan Government and Western forces.

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Part 5.

ALASTAIR CROOKE: I think there are different ______________________ the Taliban, and there are those that evidently are contemplating some form of a return to ________________, or at least to being participants in the ________________________ of Afghanistan, and are looking to finding a way back, if you like, into some sort of_________________________________________________________ arrangement.

And I think it's likely that the authorities there, or _____________ the European governments and the UN, must be thinking about the possibility of trying to bring a ________________

government in Afghanistan, in order to ____________________ it for the _____________________.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: The UN hopes the _____________________ can be _______________ and the pair will be able to return to Afghanistan soon.

A – Comprehension Test 3

Listen to the Webcast Britain in hot water over alleged Taliban meetings and report back the news story. Follow these questions.

1)Why had the tensions between Great Britain and Afghanistan been rising before the expulsion of two British officials?

2)What are these two British officials accused of?

3)Why were Michael Semple and Mervyn Patterson declared persona non grata?

4)How does Rory Stewart characterize both officials?

5)What is his attitude to the actions of the Afghan Government? Why does he find them strange?

6)What could have been the reason for the expulsion according to the journalist?

7)What event had provoked the international row?

8)How did Gordon Brown comment on the allegations?

9)Why does the talking to the insurgents go on? What groups of the Afghans create the grounds for negotiations?

10)Why do local authorities, the European governments and the UN seek to bring a more inclusive government in Afghanistan?

11)What are UN hopes for the future of those two experts?

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Unit 4.

Former Liberian Leader Faces War Crimes Tribunal

At home

1 Find information about the current situation in Liberia in the WWW.

What is the message of the political cartoon above? What might be the man? What might he be doing? Why?

2 Look at the text title and complete the sentences trying to guess what endings they might have in the text

Taylor is the first African head of state…

But six years later, under international pressure… Mr Taylor now stands accused of…

Prosecutors allege that…

3 a). Form abstract nouns from these verbs:

3 b). Fill in the gaps using the expressions above:

1)The ________ of ancient Greece flowered more than 2500 years ago but it influences the way we live today.

2)He denied the ___________ that he had lied to the police.

3)__________ often encompasses wealth but also includes other factors which are independent of wealth to varying degrees, such as happiness and health.

4)A __________ of inexpensive goods is sold here.

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5)Louis XIV combined legal persecution with the policy of _________ recalcitrant Huguenots.

6)They hope these new drugs will help to bring an end to the __________ of patients.

7)Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States ___________ of the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates.

8)_________ compulsory military service for young men, has been a contentious issue throughout Australia's history.

4 a). Match these words

4 b) Write all possible combinations in the lines below.

1)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

3)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

4)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

5)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

6)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

7)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

8)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 c) Find the proper answers in the answer box in the end of Unit 1 and use them to fill the gaps in the sentences below.

1)Yesterday in Royal Court two men ____________ ___________.

2)We never ____________ or intimidate the people," Lieutenant-Colonel told me.

3)Only the top members of the Government were _______ ______ the classified information.

4)They _____ ________of thousands of people during the country's 10 year civil war.

5)We shall not need to ______ ______ any more, if our army becomes an army of

professionals.

6)At 1:30 p.m., a bus stopped in front of the entrance gate and ______ ______ of approximately 40 heavily armed gunmen got out, firing at the people in the encampment.

7)The leader for the rebels ______ of murder and enslavement.

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In Class

1 Listen to the Webcast Former Liberian Leader Faces The War Crimes Tribunal and do the exercises below.

2 Match positions with the names

3 Group these names into two columns. Provide some arguments to justify your decision.

Freetown, the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, The Hague, Sierra Leone, Liberia

C- Comprehension Test 1

Listen to the Webcast Former Liberian leader faces war crimes tribunal again and tick the correct answer

B - Comprehension Test 1

Listen to the Webcast Former Liberian leader faces war crimes tribunal, answer the questions and fill in the gaps.

Part 1

1.Who is Charles Taylor? How did he rise to power? Why are the Liberians destined to remember him?

2.Why does the reporter believe that he has set a new mark?

3.What is he accused of? What charges is he facing now?

4.How old is he? Has he pleaded guilty to any of the charges?

5.Where is the trial taking place?

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Part 2

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Just over a decade ago, Charles Taylor came to power promising his country peace and______________.

CHARLES TAYLOR: Charles Taylor is about progress peace, and Charles Taylor __ ______

this country _____ ___the world community of nations.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: But six years later, ________ international pressure, the Liberian president _____ _________ ___ ________.

CHARLES TAYLOR: I can no longer______ ______ ________, the suffering is enough, for you are good people. You have been very good to me through the grace of God, and I love you from

____ ____________ ____ my heart.

I will always remember you wherever I am, and I say to you, God willing, I will be back.

Part 3

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Mr Taylor now stands accused of ____________________ ____ __________of neighbouring Sierra Leone by ________________ atrocities committed by the rebels.

These _________________ hacked off the limbs of thousands of people during the country's 10 year civil war that ended in 2003.

Jabati Mambu is one of those victims.

JABATI MAMBU: They went into our house, dragged me under the bed, you know, threw me outside, and they asked that they should cut my hands off. Then I said, "Well, instead I should join you." They said "No," and one of the guys, the commander, commanded ___ ____

_____ _____ boy , and the guy came with an axe, and that was what they used ___ _______ ___

______ hand off.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: ______________ allege that Charles Taylor armed, __________ and controlled Sierra Leone's revolutionary rebels ____ ________________ ____ blood diamonds.

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Part 4

The chief prosecutor at the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone is Stephen Rapp, and he acknowledges that this case is a ____ _______________ ______ to prove.

STEPHEN RAPP: We recognise that that's our challenge. We don't ____________ that Charles Taylor ever crossed the border into Sierra Leone, or that he chopped off anybody's hand himself, or __________ _____________ on the streets of Freetown.

But we have a challenge and we are going to meet that with ____ _________ ____ witnesses from the inside. There are people that are quite close to him, there are people that further away from him that, __________________, hear communications or are __________ to the orders that he has provided, or who ______________ his key lieutenants _____ _______ ____________ in Sierra Leone giving orders, or providing material.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: The trial is being broadcast live to Freetown, and the public _______

__________ __________________ to watch.

A – Comprehension Test 1

Listen to the Webcast Former Liberian leader faces war crimes tribunal again and use the information from above to report back the news story. Follow these questions.

1)How did the Liberian leader rise to power? Why will Charles Taylor be long remembered by the Liberians?

2)Why has Charles Taylor set a new mark this time?

3)What is he accused of?

4)How old is Charles Taylor? Has he plead guilty to any of the charges?

5)Where is the historic trial taking place?

6)What did the Liberian leader promise his people when he came to power?

7)Who made him resign?

8)The population of what country did Charles Taylor terrorise?

9)What kind of cruel crimes were committed by the militias?

10)How did one of the victims describe the militias’ actions?

11)What is Charles Taylor alleged to have done in exchange for blood diamonds?

12)What are the difficulties of the chief prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone judging the case?

13)Who are the witnesses to Taylor’s case?

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