The Reading / Listening - Level 5

An ex-head of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has said America needs to be the world's policeman to keep the world safe. Mr Rasmussen said, "we need determined American global leadership" to bring back law and order. He stated that the USA had no choice and had to act more forcefully. He explained that: "Syria is torn by war and conflict, Iraq is on the brink of collapse, Libya is a failed state,…Russia is attacking Ukraine and destabilising Eastern Europe, China is flexing its muscles, [and] the rogue state North Korea is threatening nuclear attacks."

Mr Rasmussen was critical of President Barack Obama, whom he says has not done enough to stop conflict. He said: "Superpowers don't get to retire. Look around; you will see a world on fire." The Russia Today (RT) newspaper said U.S. foreign policy has led to greater instability in the Middle East and North Africa. It said Libya is in chaos because the USA had no post-exit plan. RT added that actions in Iraq and Syria created a global security threat in the form of ISIS. It went on to write that the Taliban still control a third of Afghanistan, even after the US spent 15 years there.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://news.sky.com/story/america-needs-to-be-the-worlds-policeman-former-nato-chief-says-10642541
  • http://news.antiwar.com/2016/11/02/former-nato-chief-we-need-us-as-worlds-policeman/
  • https://www.rt.com/news/365262-rasmussen-nato-america-police/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. keep the world
  2. bring back law
  3. had to act
  4. Syria is torn by war
  5. Iraq is on the brink
  6. destabilising
  7. rogue
  8. North Korea is threatening nuclear
  1. Rasmussen was critical
  2. not done enough to
  3. foreign
  4. greater
  5. Libya is in
  6. a global security
  7. the Taliban still control a
  8. the US spent

Paragraph 2

  1. Rasmussen was critical
  2. not done enough to
  3. foreign
  4. greater
  5. Libya is in
  6. a global security
  7. the Taliban still control a
  8. the US spent
  1. instability
  2. 15 years there
  3. chaos
  4. third of Afghanistan
  5. of President Barack Obama
  6. policy
  7. stop conflict
  8. threat

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An ex-head of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has said America needs to be the world's policeman (1) ___________________ safe. Mr Rasmussen said, "we (2) ___________________ American global leadership" to bring back law and order. He stated that the USA (3) ___________________ and had to act more forcefully. He explained that: "Syria (4) ___________________ and conflict, Iraq is (5) ___________________ collapse, Libya is a failed state,…Russia is attacking Ukraine and destabilising Eastern Europe, China is flexing its muscles, [and] (6) ___________________ North Korea is threatening nuclear attacks."

Mr Rasmussen (7) ___________________ President Barack Obama, whom he says has not done (8) ___________________ conflict. He said: "Superpowers don't (9) ___________________. Look around; you will see a world on fire." The Russia Today (RT) newspaper said U.S. foreign policy has led to (10) ___________________ in the Middle East and North Africa. It said Libya is in chaos because the USA had (11) ___________________. RT added that actions in Iraq and Syria created a global security threat in the form of ISIS. It went on to write that the Taliban still (12) ___________________ of Afghanistan, even after the US spent 15 years there.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anex-headofNATO,AndersFoghRasmussen,hassaidAmericaneedst
obetheworld'spolicemantokeeptheworldsafe.MrRasmussensaid,"w
eneeddeterminedAmericangloballeadership"tobringbacklawandord
er.HestatedthattheUSAhadnochoiceandhadtoactmoreforcefully.He
explainedthat:"Syriaistornbywarandconflict,Iraqisonthebrinkofcoll
apse,Libyaisafailedstate,…RussiaisattackingUkraineanddestabilisin
gEasternEurope,Chinaisflexingitsmuscles,[and]theroguestateNort
hKoreaisthreateningnuclearattacks."MrRasmussenwascriticalofPre
sidentBarackObama,whomhesayshasnotdoneenoughtostopconflict
.Hesaid:"Superpowersdon'tgettoretire.Lookaround;youwillseeawor
ldonfire."TheRussiaToday(RT)newspapersaidU.S.foreignpolicyhasl
edtogreaterinstabilityintheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica.ItsaidLibyaisi
nchaosbecausetheUSAhadnopost-exitplan.RTaddedthatactionsi
nIraqandSyriacreatedaglobalsecuritythreatintheformofISIS.Itwent
ontowritethattheTalibanstillcontrolathirdofAfghanistan,evenafterth
eUSspent15yearsthere.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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