Task 1. Answer the questions.

1. What is the definition of terrorism?

2. What is terrorism as sociologists see it?

3. Can you explain the term “state terrorism”?

4. What are the characteristic features of modern terrorism?

5. What are the most notorious terrorist organizations?

6. What measures are being taken against the threat of terrorism by the international community?

7. What is the lesson to be learned from “Afganistan”?

8. In your opinion what specific help must be given to poor countries under development?

Task 2. Work in small groups. Consider the following topics for discussion and be ready to present your arguments afterwords.

1. Now when the threat of terrorism is omnipresent, many people realize that liberal western society has been too broadminded or too permissive with those Islamists who abuse the freedom of religion.

2. As long as many terrorist acts are perpetrated by Islamist fundamentalists, there is a very strong anti-Muslim sentiment in the West. Is this justifiable and why?

3. Some people maintain that we are entering into the age of terrorism where nations like America are extremely vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

 

 

LISTENING PRACTICE

Text 1. Hostage

Pre-listening Activity

Answer the following questions.

1. What should we do if our lives are threatened?

2. Is saving lives more important than anything?

Listening Activity

Task 1. Listen to the story. Ali has taken Flight 144 many times. It was always long and boring. But this time, something has happened. Listen to his story and find out: What has happened on the flight?

 

Task 2. Read the following statements. What do you think is the best thing to do? Check the views you agree with.

а) The government should never give in. If they give in to the terrorists, more hijackings will occur in the future.

b) The plane should be allowed to fly to some other country whose government will talk to the terrorists.

c) The government should talk to the terrorists. The passengers’ lives are the most important thing.

d) Another organization, like the United Nations, should talk to the terrorists.

e) The police or army should secretly attack the plane and kill the terrorists.

Now exchange your ideas with a classmate.

 

Task 3. In our society there are many kinds of threats. What should we do? For each case, decide what to do.

1. You are the president of a large company. A man phones you and threatens you. He says if you don’t pay him $ 100,000 he will bomb the company building. What would you do?

a) pay him b) tell the police c) ignore him d) other:

 

2. You are in an elevator with a big man. He tells you to give him your money. He doesn’t seem to have a gun or knife. What would you do?

a) give him your money b)try to get out of the elevator

c) ignore him d) other

 

3. You are the prime minister of your country. One of your ministers was kidnapped by terrorists. They say the government must free 10 people from prison or they will kill the minister. What would you do?

a) free the prisoner b) try to talk to the terrorists

c) ignore them d) other.

 

Do you know any other situations like these?

 

Text 2. Death Penalty

Pre-listening Activity

Answer the following questions.

1. Does society have a right to kill people?

2. How should a murderer be punished?

Listening Activity

Task 1. Listen to the story. It is a mother’s story. Have you ever wished that another person were dead? This mother did. Listen to the story and find out: Why did she want a man to die?

Task 2. Read the following statements. Which opinions do you agree with? Check as many as you want.

a) If you kill someone, you have to die, too. That is your punishment. The only exception to capital punishment is self-defense.

b) People who kill are crazy, insane. No one in his right mind would kill another person. That’s why I think murders should be put in mental hospitals.

c) Capital punishment is wrong. We should never kill anyone, no matter how terrible the crime.

d) Capital punishment is necessary. It helps prevent murder.

e) Life in prison is the right sentence for a murder.

Now exchange your ideas with a classmate.

 

Task 3. In which situations do you think it is OK to use the death penalty?

a) Criminal A kidnapped and killed a young child.

b) Criminal B set fire to a house, and the fire killed three people and injured many others.

c) Criminal C broke into a house, killed he two residents, and stole their money.

d) Criminal D went into a school yard and fired a machine gun, killing many schoolchildren.

e) Criminal E set a bomb to explode in an office building, killing many people.

f) Criminal F raped and killed several woman.

g) Criminal G had her husband killed so that she would receive a large sum of insurance money.

h) The death penalty should never be used in any situation.

 

SPEECH PRACTICE

Task 1. Develop the following statements.

a) The stricter the punishment, the lesser the crime rate.

b) Law is developing: it has no impunity in the court of time.

c) There is a connection between violence on TV and the crime rate in real life.

Task 2. Comment on the following quotations.

1. “Society prepares the crime; the criminal commits it.” H.Buckle

2. “Stolen sweets are best.” Ch. North

3. “Laws were made to be broken.” Ch. North

4. “All crime is a kind of disease and should be treated as such.” M.Gandhi

5. “Organized crime constitutes nothing less than a guerilla war against society.” L. Johnson

 

Task 3. A university student from the UK came to Belarus to collect data for his course project. He wants to know what would happen in your country to the people if they were caught: a) speeding in a car; b) in possession of soft drugs; c) with a gun in the pocket; d) breaking into a house; e) telling state secrets; f) having pornography.

Before starting here is a list of possible sentences.

Life imprisonment, imprisonment, fines, put on probation, suspended sentence, let off, driving ban/endorsement

These four students should be ready to present their findings and give their own comment.

Task 4. Kids’ main objection to the curfew is that it violates their rights. Express your own attitude to this point.

Task 5. Work in groups. Make a list of your proposals of the 10 most urgent measures for social reform in our country. Have a brain-storming session in which all ideas are noted down by the group leader. Then discuss your lists with another group.

Task 6. Role-Playing: “Speaker’s Corner”

Situation: As you walk past Hyde Park in London you may see people speaking out on any subjects they like. Freedom of speech is sacred. Make your own Speaker’s Corner. In turns speak on the following subjects. A time limit may be set.

Role-Assignments:

Student 1. You know how to ensure a fairer distribution of wealth.

Student 2. You speak about the greatest problem facing our country nowadays and you know the ways to solve it.

Student 3. You are a great believer in law and order.

Student 4. You believe that the death penalty is a primitive ritual and should be abolished.

Student 5. You know the reasons for the capital punishment.

Student 6. You are for (against) strict gun control.

Student 7. Your basic principle is self-help. All social problems must be run by people themselves, not waiting for the government support.

Student 8. You know the ways to stop terrorism. It is up to you to decide which of the ways is more preferable prevention or retaliation (vengeance).

Student 9. You believe that aggression is innate in a man, i.e. is in his genes.

WRITING PRACTICE

 

Task 1. You are a local police officer. Make a list of some measures (including preventive) to stop crimes in your area.

Task 2. Make a list of social problems, which have touched you personally.

Task 3. By definition terrorist wants publicity. The mass media provide extensive coverage of every major or minor terrorist attack. Do they not play into the hands of the terrorists by doing so? To what extent should the media withhold publicity about terrorist acts? Write an essay to reflect on the problem.

Task 4. Crimes are caused by a number of factors. Reflect on the issue trying to focus on psychological, genetic, political, moral factors.

Task 5. Write an essay: “The world is suffering from a social and moral crisis which, in many societies, is of immense proportions.”

ACHIEVEMENT TEST