With for against to in between

1. I voted … the Liberal candidate.

2. Put your voting papers … the ballot box.

3. He’s very right-wing, so he’s … the socialists.

4. She belongs … the Communist Party.

5. The Liberals formed an alliance … the Social Democrats.

6. There’s a split … the two parties.

7. There’s a split… the party.

International Relations

A summit meeting

1. Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct place in the passage below.

Summit meeting, news conference, breakdown, preliminary, leader, settle, item, hold, spokesperson, agenda.

The American President and the Russian (a)… have announced their intention to (b)… a (c)… in Vienna next month. The two countries have already had (d)… talks and decided on an (e)… for the meeting. The main (f)… will be a discussion about the nuclear arms situation. At a (g)… held in Washington yesterday a government (h)… told journalists that the unfortunate (i)… of last year’s talks between the two countries had been caused by disagreements over arms. He said the Vienna meeting would be a chance for the two nations to (j)… their differences.

Diplomatic relations

2. Instructions as above.

Diplomatic relations, in protest at, ambassadors, resume, split, links, embassies, break off.

Neighbouring countries A and B had always had very good, close relations, but in 1992, owing to a disagreement over the exact location of the border between them, a (a)… began to develop. Finally, in 1994, (b)… military activity by country B near the border, country A announced its intention to (c)… (d)… with country B. Both countries withdrew their (e)… and the (f)… in the two countries were closed down. It is hoped that a solution will be found and that it will be possible to (g)… normal trade, cultural and diplomatic (h)… as soon as possible.

3. Put one of the following words in each space in the sentences below.

In for over of on at about by

1. The French leader hasn’t yet decided … a date … the meeting.

2. At a summit meeting each country is represented … its head of government.

3. The announcement was made … a news conference … Moscow.

4. The ambassadors had a discussion … the peace treaty.

5. The breakdown … the talks surprised everyone.

6. The American ambassador walked out of the meeting … protest … the Russian speech.

7. A spokeswoman said there was some disagreement … the agenda … the meeting.

Television and Newspapers

Television

1. Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct place in the passage below.

Viewers, channels, subjective, objective, mass media, soap operas, quiz shows, commercials, indoctrinate, switch.

(a)… is a phrase often used to describe ways of giving information and entertainment to very large numbers of people. It includes newspapers, advertising and radio and, of course, television. In most countries people can (b)… to any of or four different (c)…. Do television programmes influence our minds? Do they (d)… us? Is the news completely (e)… (neutral) or is it (f)… (considered from one particular point of view)? Don’t the (g)… for alcohol, food and other goods condition our minds? Even the (h)… going on week after week telling the story of one family or group of people sometimes make us want to copy the life-style we see on the screen. Also (i)… which give people big prizes for answering simple questions can make us greedy. Some programmes are watched by tens of millions of (j)….

Newspapers

2. Instructions as above.

Cartoons, views, reviews, editorials, advertising, headlines, circulation, gossip columns, entertainment, censorship, news agencies, correspondents, sensational.

A newspaper makes its money from the price people pay for it and also from the (a)… it carries. A popular newspaper with a (b)… of over five million daily makes a lot of money. Less serious newspapers are probably read just for (c)…. They have big (d)… above the news stories, funny (e)… to look at and (f)… photos of violence. The (g)… are full of stories of the private lives of famous people. No one takes the political (h)… of such papers very seriously. On the other hand, in a free country where there is no (i)…, serious newspapers are read principally for their news, sent to them by their (j)… round the world and by the big (k)…. People also read these newspapers for their (l)… of new books, films and plays and for their (m)…, which represent the opinion of the newspaper itself about the important events and issues of the moment.

3. Explain the difference between…

1. viewers and listeners

2. mass circulation and small circulation

3. editor, reporter and critic.

4. Put one of the following words in each of the sentences below.

in on for to

1. This programme is boring. Switch … another channel.

2. It’s a commercial … beer.

3. That actor’s … a soap opera every Friday.

4. What’s … television tonight?

War

The outbreak of war

1. Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct place in the passage below.

Deteriorate, aggression, mobilise, outbreak, hostile acts, forces, declare war, ultimatum, clashes, retaliate.

For years there were border (a)… between troops of country X and those of country Z. Then (b)… from X attacked a village in Z. Z accused X of (c)… and began to (d)… in readiness for possible war. X warned Z: “If you carry out (e)… against us, we will (f)….” But there was more fighting on the border. The situation had begun to (g)…. X delivered an (h)… to Z. “If you do not promise to respect our borders, we will (i)…. Finally came the (j)… of war.

Peace making

2. Instructions as above.

Withdraw, get involved, intermediary, intervene, targets, ceasefire, neutral, civilian, peace treaty, peace-keeping force.

After months of fighting, during which (a)… as well as military (b)… were bombed, country X asked country Y, which had remained (c)… during the hostilities, to act as an (d)…, but Y decided not to (e)…. X then asked the United Nations to (f)…. The United Nations managed to arrange a (g)… and stationed a multi-national (h)… between the two opposing armies. After weeks of talks, the two countries finally signed a (i)… and the UN troops were able to (j)….

3. Explain the difference between…

1. to advance and to retreat

2. war and civil war

3. conventional war and nuclear war

4. an ally and an enemy

4. Put one of the following words in each space in the sentences below.

as on in for out between

1. X declared war … Z.

2. Troops are moving … readiness … an attack.

3. Y didn’t want to get involved … the fighting.

4. The Second World War broke … in 1939.

5. Canada acted … an intermediary … the argument.

6. War planes carried … an attack.

7. The peace-keeping force remained … the two enemy armies during peace talks, then withdrew.