This blog has some AMAZING vocabulary review exercises. These are all highly useful words you will hear and see a lot if you are learning English.
This review is from this link: http://convostartersenglish.blogspot.com/2013/06/is-erdogan-mishandling-protests-will.html
Please review the vocabulary definitions from the link above, before you do this review.
Answers are below the exercises:
Words to be used:
undeterred, a bum, to compromise,
to reject, palpable, a confrontation,
to overreact, to convey, authoritarian
1) The protesters in the park were acting peacefully. They were engaged in what Americans call "civil disobedience." This is when citizens peacefully act in a way to show their displeasure toward the government or a government policy. They did not expect to have a violent ________________ with the police in which hundreds of people were injured and some killed.
2) The methods that have been used to ___________ information around the world have changed over the centuries. Once information had to travel from the USA to England through a trans-Atlantic cable. Now, in a millisecond, a person can communicate with anyone in the world over the internet.
3) Even though the USA, Japan and South Korea have imposed sanctions (economic punishments) on North Korea, this country's government seems to remain _______________. They continue taking threatening actions against South Korea, the USA and Japan.
4) Many people in New York City have learned that they should not give money to __________ who beg on the street. There are numerous programs where the homeless can receive free food, medical help and clothing, as well as job training (if they want it).
5) The US Constitution tried to make it impossible for a president to become too _______________. Although he is called 'the most powerful person in the world," this is not true. The president's power is limited by The Congress and the Supreme Court.
6) When a person buys flowers for his/her lover on Valentine's Day, he/she shows his/her affection in a quite ______________ way.
7) When protesters had taken over Zuccotti Park in New York City, Mayor Bloomberg did not _______________ by sending in the police to attack the demonstrators. He waited until the right time before he took action and peacefully removed the protesters who had illegally camped in the park.
8) Although Bob needed a job, he felt that the salary offer of the company that wanted to hire him was too low; therefore he ______________ the offer.
9) When Bill Clinton was president, he was known to _____________ a great deal. This meant that he found some middle ground with people who disagreed with him, and he was able to get his policies passed as laws.
Answers:
Answers:
1) confrontation
2) convey
3) undeterred
4) bums
5) authoritarian
6) palpable
7) overreact
8) rejected
9) compromise
Showing posts with label taksim square. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taksim square. Show all posts
Monday, June 3, 2013
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Is Erdogan mishandling the protests? Will they get worse now?
Everybody already knows that the Turkish police over-reacted and unjustly harmed hundreds of peaceful protesters.
The Turkish TV stations and newspapers are currently not reporting the truth about what is going on - Turks are conveying the truth to each other through various types of social media.
In this article we see that Erdogan does not seem to realize how serious the situation is. He is calling the protesters 'looters' and 'bums,' but they look like average Turkish citizens to me.
Instead of compromising and acting with civility, he is acting like the dictator many of his people are calling him.
to mishandle something - if a person mishandles something, that means the person does not handle (or do) something as well as he should have. Often if a person mishandles a situation, he/she makes the situation worse. If you handle a situation well, you do a good job in regard to the situation.
a protest - when a group of people gather together to express the fact that they are unhappy about a government policy.
to over-react - to use too much force in a situation; to do too much; to do something harmful which was not necessary
to convey - to express, to reveal
a looter - someone who breaks into a business during an emergency (when the police are busy) and who steals something.
a bum - a homeless person who is too lazy to work
a dictator - a leader who does not listen to what the people want, but who does what he wants.
to compromise - to negotiate. To work out a deal with someone who disagrees with you.
civility - decency. If you act with civility, you act like a civilized person.
The article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkeys-prime-minister-recep-erdogan-dismisses-protesters-as-just-a-few-looters-as-thousands-return-to-taksim-square-8641336.html
Vocabulary from the article:
to dismiss - if you dismiss something that someone said, that means you do not consider what was said to have been important. to disregard; to indicate something is not important.
to reject - to dismiss; to claim that something is not true
to take to the streets - to go into the streets to protest
authoritarian - not democratic. An authoritarian politician does not listen to the people.
to spiral into - to develop into; to get worse
a confrontation - when two different people or groups meet each other in anger
to evict - to get rid of, to force off of land
demonstrators - people who are protesting
heavy-handed tactics - tactics or actions which are too forceful
to spark - to cause
to be injured - to be hurt
to chant slogans - to repeat statements over and over again. "Erdogan must go! Erdogan must go! Erdogan must go!"
to resign - to leave a job
undeterred - unfrightened; not stopped; to deter someone means to frighten him from doing something
to rebuke - to attack with words, to scold
to revamp - to fix up, to make better
a pitched battle - a battle between two well-organized groups in one place
to be detained - to be held by the police
to be wounded - to be harmed
palpable - real; if something is palpable, you can feel it
unrest - the opposite of peace
anti-government movement - a real effort by a group of people to get rid of the current government
to nod approval - to move one's head up and down, meaning you agree
Questions for discussion/writing:
When a large group of people begins to protest to this extent, what should a leader of a country do?
Do you feel Erdogan is handling this situation correctly?
Erdogan is, technically, not a dictator. He was elected to office and he is exercising power that was voted to him by building a mosque (Islamic place of worship) in this park. Do you think the protesters are right in calling for him to resign?
Do you think there is room for compromise between the protesters and Erdogan?
What do you think will happen in the future?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, I'm the guy who wrote the very funny ESL book: New York City Sucks, But You'll Wanna Live Here Anyway.
http://www.amazon.com/Sucks-Youll-Wanna-Anyway-ebook/dp/B004TSPAQS
If this page is useful to you, please buy the book (it's quite inexpensive and useful!!!!). If you don't have an e-reader, drop me a line at djg51qu@gmail.com and I'll send you a free copy via Word file. Let me know whether you have Word 2010 or an earlier version.
The Turkish TV stations and newspapers are currently not reporting the truth about what is going on - Turks are conveying the truth to each other through various types of social media.
In this article we see that Erdogan does not seem to realize how serious the situation is. He is calling the protesters 'looters' and 'bums,' but they look like average Turkish citizens to me.
Instead of compromising and acting with civility, he is acting like the dictator many of his people are calling him.
to mishandle something - if a person mishandles something, that means the person does not handle (or do) something as well as he should have. Often if a person mishandles a situation, he/she makes the situation worse. If you handle a situation well, you do a good job in regard to the situation.
a protest - when a group of people gather together to express the fact that they are unhappy about a government policy.
to over-react - to use too much force in a situation; to do too much; to do something harmful which was not necessary
to convey - to express, to reveal
a looter - someone who breaks into a business during an emergency (when the police are busy) and who steals something.
a bum - a homeless person who is too lazy to work
a dictator - a leader who does not listen to what the people want, but who does what he wants.
to compromise - to negotiate. To work out a deal with someone who disagrees with you.
civility - decency. If you act with civility, you act like a civilized person.
The article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkeys-prime-minister-recep-erdogan-dismisses-protesters-as-just-a-few-looters-as-thousands-return-to-taksim-square-8641336.html
Vocabulary from the article:
to dismiss - if you dismiss something that someone said, that means you do not consider what was said to have been important. to disregard; to indicate something is not important.
to reject - to dismiss; to claim that something is not true
to take to the streets - to go into the streets to protest
authoritarian - not democratic. An authoritarian politician does not listen to the people.
to spiral into - to develop into; to get worse
a confrontation - when two different people or groups meet each other in anger
to evict - to get rid of, to force off of land
demonstrators - people who are protesting
heavy-handed tactics - tactics or actions which are too forceful
to spark - to cause
to be injured - to be hurt
to chant slogans - to repeat statements over and over again. "Erdogan must go! Erdogan must go! Erdogan must go!"
to resign - to leave a job
undeterred - unfrightened; not stopped; to deter someone means to frighten him from doing something
to rebuke - to attack with words, to scold
to revamp - to fix up, to make better
a pitched battle - a battle between two well-organized groups in one place
to be detained - to be held by the police
to be wounded - to be harmed
palpable - real; if something is palpable, you can feel it
unrest - the opposite of peace
anti-government movement - a real effort by a group of people to get rid of the current government
to nod approval - to move one's head up and down, meaning you agree
Questions for discussion/writing:
When a large group of people begins to protest to this extent, what should a leader of a country do?
Do you feel Erdogan is handling this situation correctly?
Erdogan is, technically, not a dictator. He was elected to office and he is exercising power that was voted to him by building a mosque (Islamic place of worship) in this park. Do you think the protesters are right in calling for him to resign?
Do you think there is room for compromise between the protesters and Erdogan?
What do you think will happen in the future?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, I'm the guy who wrote the very funny ESL book: New York City Sucks, But You'll Wanna Live Here Anyway.
http://www.amazon.com/Sucks-Youll-Wanna-Anyway-ebook/dp/B004TSPAQS
If this page is useful to you, please buy the book (it's quite inexpensive and useful!!!!). If you don't have an e-reader, drop me a line at djg51qu@gmail.com and I'll send you a free copy via Word file. Let me know whether you have Word 2010 or an earlier version.
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