Group Activity 2 (At least 2 students are required to finish this activity) I.Read the following story in fluent English. If I Don't Do Anything Else Yesterday morning Paul said to himself."I've got to write that economics paper today.If I don't do anything else,I've got to write that paper." He sat down at his desk and put a sheet of paper into his typewriter.He looked out of the window,ate a piece of candy,got up to get a drink of water,brushed his teeth,and sat down at his desk again. "I haven't written my family since Thanksgiving,"he said to himself."I'll write them a letter first.” Paul wrote his family a long letter."My typewriter needs a new ribbon.I've got to change this ribbon before I write my economics paper." The ink from the typewriter ribbon got his hands very dirty,so he washed them and washed them.While he was washing his hands,he noticed that his fingernails were much long.He cut them very carefully and then went back to his desk.He put a sheet of paper into his typewriter, looked out of the window,and looked at his watch.It was noon. "I'll get some lunch now,"he said to himself."After lunch I'll write that paper,if I don't do anything else.” II.Read the following passages in 10 minutes. 1.Saddam Hussein,Saddam(1937-),authoritarian president of Irag since 1979 who has led his country into two devastating wars.Born to a poor farming family in Tikrit,a town north of Baghdad,Hussein was raised by his widowed mother and other relatives.He moved to Baghdad in 1955 and became involved in politics,joining the opposition Baath Party,an Arab nationalist movement.Hussein rose quickly within the party and in 1959 helped organize an assassination attempt on Abdul Karim Kassem,the military president of Iraq.Both Kassem and Hussein were injured in the gun battle,and Hussein fled to Cairo. Hussein studied law in Cairo while continuing party-affiliated activities.He returned to Baghdad in 1963,married,and rose to the post of assistant secretary general of the Baath Party.The party remained in opposition to the government until 1968,when it seized power in a coup.Years of underground work gave Hussein a small core of like-minded friends,many related to him by blood or marriage and most from Tikrit.After the coup,this clique established itself as a Revolutionary Command Council with absolute authority in the country.Hussein became vice chairman of the council in 1969.He worked closely with General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr,the council's chairman and president of Iraq. President al-Bakr gradually withdrew from politics during the 1970s and formally retired in 1979 Hussein became chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council and president of the country. 1.What will come next for Iraq?
Group Activity 2 (At least 2 students are required to finish this activity) I. Read the following story in fluent English. If I Don’t Do Anything Else Yesterday morning Paul said to himself. “I’ve got to write that economics paper today. If I don’t do anything else, I’ve got to write that paper.” He sat down at his desk and put a sheet of paper into his typewriter. He looked out of the window, ate a piece of candy, got up to get a drink of water, brushed his teeth, and sat down at his desk again. “I haven’t written my family since Thanksgiving, “he said to himself. “I’ll write them a letter first.” Paul wrote his family a long letter. “My typewriter needs a new ribbon. I’ve got to change this ribbon before I write my economics paper.” The ink from the typewriter ribbon got his hands very dirty, so he washed them and washed them. While he was washing his hands, he noticed that his fingernails were much long. He cut them very carefully and then went back to his desk. He put a sheet of paper into his typewriter, looked out of the window, and looked at his watch. It was noon. “I’ll get some lunch now,” he said to himself. “After lunch I’ll write that paper, if I don’t do anything else.” II. Read the following passages in 10 minutes. 1. Saddam Hussein, Saddam (1937- ), authoritarian president of Iraq since 1979 who has led his country into two devastating wars. Born to a poor farming family in Tikrīt, a town north of Baghdād, Hussein was raised by his widowed mother and other relatives. He moved to Baghdād in 1955 and became involved in politics, joining the opposition Baath Party, an Arab nationalist movement. Hussein rose quickly within the party and in 1959 helped organize an assassination attempt on Abdul Karim Kassem, the military president of Iraq. Both Kassem and Hussein were injured in the gun battle, and Hussein fled to Cairo. Hussein studied law in Cairo while continuing party-affiliated activities. He returned to Baghdād in 1963, married, and rose to the post of assistant secretary general of the Baath Party. The party remained in opposition to the government until 1968, when it seized power in a coup. Years of underground work gave Hussein a small core of like-minded friends, many related to him by blood or marriage and most from Tikrīt. After the coup, this clique established itself as a Revolutionary Command Council with absolute authority in the country. Hussein became vice chairman of the council in 1969. He worked closely with General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, the council’s chairman and president of Iraq. President al-Bakr gradually withdrew from politics during the 1970s and formally retired in 1979. Hussein became chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council and president of the country. 1. What will come next for Iraq?
Saddam Hussein,Iraq's former president whose regime was toppled in April,was captured by US-led forces nearhis hometown of Tikrit in northem Iraq on Sunday. Saddam's capture provides a huge mental boost to the US-led forces in their fight to keep peace in Iraq, experts say.It will remove much of the fear felt by many Iraqis that the Saddam regime could retum. But it will not end the violence against US-led forces. Toby Dodge,a British Iraq specialist,said Saddam's capture would be important mentally.But this would not be the end of the violence,nor a weakening of the rebels desire to attack US-led forces, Dodge said. In fact,"the capture will mean increases in attacks on US forces over the next few weeks to show they are independent of Saddam,"Dodge added. There was optimism in Washington and London after the killing in July of Saddam's two sons,Uday and Qusay,that their removal would weaken the rebels.In fact,in the following two weeks,18 US soldiers were killed,and the attackers have since become better organized,and even more deadly. Said Aburish,author of a biography of Saddam,said the view that the rebels are loyal to and led by Saddam was wrong The rebels should be seen as more broad-based than just Saddam loyalists,and they have complex and different reasons for wanting the US-led force to leave Iraq,Aburish said. His view is supported by the circumstances in which Saddam was found.It would have been difficult to run a campaign when concentratingon his own survival,stuck in an isolated farmhouse. The attacks on US soldiers and intemnational agencies such as the UN have come from a mixture of groups. The main group is what the US-led forces refers to as FRLs,former regime loyalists from Saddam's Baath Party and his personal force,the Fedayeen.They operate independently in different areas.For them,Saddam will be asmuch of a symbol in a US jail or an Iragicourt ashe was in hiding. Mustafa Alani a London-based analyst,predicted a reduction in attacks led by former regime loyalists. But he added:"This is not the full story,because they are not the only group involved." There is a growing body of opposition that is motivated by nationalism.Many of them were relieved Saddam'srule was over but were ashamed it took American troops to do it,and want them gone. Many Iraqis were initially willing to give the US forces a chance,but have joined the fight in response to heavy-handed security
Saddam Hussein, Iraq's former president whose regime was toppled in April, was captured by US-led forces near his hometown of Tikrit in northern Iraq on Sunday. Saddam's capture provides a huge mental boost to the US-led forces in their fight to keep peace in Iraq, experts say. It will remove much of the fear felt by many Iraqis that the Saddam regime could return. But it will not end the violence against US-led forces. Toby Dodge, a British Iraq specialist, said Saddam's capture would be important mentally. But this would not be the end of the violence, nor a weakening of the rebels desire to attack US-led forces, Dodge said. In fact, "the capture will mean increases in attacks on US forces over the next few weeks to show they are independent of Saddam," Dodge added. There was optimism in Washington and London after the killing in July of Saddam's two sons, Uday and Qusay, that their removal would weaken the rebels. In fact, in the following two weeks, 18 US soldiers were killed, and the attackers have since become better organized, and even more deadly. Said Aburish, author of a biography of Saddam, said the view that the rebels are loyal to and led by Saddam was wrong. The rebels should be seen as more broad-based than just Saddam loyalists, and they have complex and different reasons for wanting the US-led force to leave Iraq, Aburish said. His view is supported by the circumstances in which Saddam was found. It would have been difficult to run a campaign when concentrating on his own survival, stuck in an isolated farmhouse. The attacks on US soldiers and international agencies such as the UN have come from a mixture of groups. The main group is what the US-led forces refers to as FRLs, former regime loyalists from Saddam's Baath Party and his personal force, the Fedayeen. They operate independently in different areas. For them, Saddam will be as much of a symbol in a US jail or an Iraqi court as he was in hiding. Mustafa Alani, a London-based analyst, predicted a reduction in attacks led by former regime loyalists. But he added: "This is not the full story, because they are not the only group involved." There is a growing body of opposition that is motivated by nationalism. Many of them were relieved Saddam's rule was over but were ashamed it took American troops to do it, and want them gone. Many Iraqis were initially willing to give the US forces a chance, but have joined the fight in response to heavy-handed security
The US and Britain have emphasized the presence of al-Qaida-and its offshoot,the Kurdish-based al-Ansar group-and other foreign fighters in Iraq.The chance to fight Americans has attracted fighters from all over the Middle East After eight months of fighting,US and British military intelligence do not know exactly who they are fighting:the rebels remain in the shadows.Even with Saddam removed,it is difficult to beat an enemy who cannot be readily identified. 2.Iraqis challenge US claims about battle IT was the biggest urban street fight in Irag since the fall of Baghdad.One hundred US soldiers in tanks and fighting vehicles had the job of protecting a convoy delivering massive amounts of the new Iragi currency to two banks in Samarra,north of Baghdad. Awaiting them was a large number of guerrillas-their guns,roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades at the ready. The engagement demonstrated one thing:nearly eight months after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime,anti-American guerrillas are fighting in larger numbers and in more daring ways. Each side has been studying the other and seeking to adapt to new tactics.The US military said that the guerrillas appeared to have a central leadership financing attacks in the capital and in surrounding areas and giving broad orders to about a dozen rebel bands-some with as many as 100 guerrillas. When the Samarra battle ended on Monday,US forces claimed to have killed 54,wounded 18 and captured 11,with five US troops wounded in the action. But many people in Samarra saw it differently.A hospital spokesman said only seven Iraqis had died, while other residents accused the Americans of firing indiscriminately,killing civilians and damaging buildings and vehicles. 3.Iraq:'the right thing to do' BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair,visiting Tsinghua University on Tuesday,had an exchange of views with students. The prime minister was nearing the end of a marathon Asian tour,but managed to mix with about 100 students,a day afterholding talks with Chinese leaders. During the informal,45-minute session,Blair had his grin back and seemed pleased to take questions
The US and Britain have emphasized the presence of al-Qaida — and its offshoot, the Kurdish-based al-Ansar group — and other foreign fighters in Iraq. The chance to fight Americans has attracted fighters from all over the Middle East After eight months of fighting, US and British military intelligence do not know exactly who they are fighting: the rebels remain in the shadows. Even with Saddam removed, it is difficult to beat an enemy who cannot be readily identified. 2. Iraqis challenge US claims about battle IT was the biggest urban street fight in Iraq since the fall of Baghdad. One hundred US soldiers in tanks and fighting vehicles had the job of protecting a convoy delivering massive amounts of the new Iraqi currency to two banks in Samarra, north of Baghdad. Awaiting them was a large number of guerrillas — their guns, roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades at the ready. The engagement demonstrated one thing: nearly eight months after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime, anti-American guerrillas are fighting in larger numbers and in more daring ways. Each side has been studying the other and seeking to adapt to new tactics. The US military said that the guerrillas appeared to have a central leadership financing attacks in the capital and in surrounding areas and giving broad orders to about a dozen rebel ba nds — some with as many as 100 guerrillas. When the Samarra battle ended on Monday, US forces claimed to have killed 54, wounded 18 and captured 11, with five US troops wounded in the action. But many people in Samarra saw it differently. A hospital spokesman said only seven Iraqis had died, while other residents accused the Americans of firing indiscriminately, killing civilians and damaging buildings and vehicles. 3. Iraq: 'the right thing to do' BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair, visiting Tsinghua University on Tuesday, had an exchange of views with students. The prime minister was nearing the end of a marathon Asian tour, but managed to mix with about 100 students, a day after holding talks with Chinese leaders. During the informal, 45-minute session, Blair had his grin back and seemed pleased to take questions
The mood was light,with Blair at one point complimenting a student on his bright green Hawaiian-style shirt. Student questions ranged from tax policies to Iraq:Was Blair's Asian tour an attempt to distract attention from the Iraqi weapons question?Was it right for the govemnment of one country to liberate the people ofanother? "I do not believe that it is right for one country to go and invade another country and go to liberate its people,was Blair's reply,"But we do need to think as a world what happens when we have a country that is doing something very dangerous for the outside world and its own people." Blair is facing controversy at home over a disputed weapons intelligence report that was used to justify war in Iraq.He has rejected demands by opposition lawmakers to cut short his Asian trip and recall parliament,following the suicide of military adviser David Kelly In response to a question about whether he had any regrets about going to war,Blair said,"I believe that no matter how difficult it was,it was the right thing to do." One student asked Blair how he felt when he heard of Kelly's suicide as he flew from Washington to Japan,and howhe could "regain...people's trust." "This is a desperately sad time for the family of Dr Kelly,"Blair said,the smile now gone from his face."His funeral has not been held yet,and I do not want to say more about this situation.There will, asthere should,be a proper inquiry." These foreign leader sessions at Tsinghua -alma mater of Chinese President Hu Jintao-have become a regular event.Presidents George W.Bush of the United States and Vladimir Putin of Russia have both put in question-and-answerappearances at the school. III.After you have finished all the passages,discuss the following topics with your partner or group members. 1.Do you think that the government of Saddam Hussein should be turned over?Why? 2.Do you agree with the US's policy over the Iraq issue?Why? 3.Do you think a war would be the right solution to this whole matter?Could you find some other ways to settle the problems? 4.What should be done at the end of the war?Who should lead these activities?Why? IV.A 5-min talk. Peace should prevail in the world
The mood was light, with Blair at one point complimenting a student on his bright green Hawaiian-style shirt. Student questions ranged from tax policies to Iraq: Was Blair's Asian tour an attempt to distract attention from the Iraqi weapons question? Was it right for the government of one country to liberate the people of another? "I do not believe that it is right for one country to go and invade another country and go to liberate its people," was Blair's reply, "But we do need to think as a world what happens when we have a country that is doing something very dangerous for the outside world and its own people." Blair is facing controversy at home over a disputed weapons intelligence report that was used to justify war in Iraq. He has rejected demands by opposition lawmakers to cut short his Asian trip and recall parliament, following the suicide of military adviser David Kelly. In response to a question about whether he had any regrets about going to war, Blair said, "I believe that no matter how difficult it was, it was the right thing to do." One student asked Blair how he felt when he heard of Kelly's suicide as he flew from Washington to Japan, and how he could "regain... people's trust." "This is a desperately sad time for the family of Dr Kelly," Blair said, the smile now gone from his face. "His funeral has not been held yet, and I do not want to say more about this situation. There will, as there should, be a proper inquiry." These foreign leader sessions at Tsinghua — alma mater of Chinese President Hu Jintao — have become a regular event. Presidents George W. Bush of the United States and Vladimir Putin of Russia have both put in question-and-answer appearances at the school. III. After you have finished all the passages, discuss the following topics with your partner or group members. 1. Do you think that the government of Saddam Hussein should be turned over? Why? 2. Do you agree with the US’s policy over the Iraq issue? Why? 3. Do you think a war would be the right solution to this whole matter? Could you find some other ways to settle the problems? 4. What should be done at the end of the war? Who should lead these activities? Why? IV. A 5-min talk. Peace should prevail in the world