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Democrats hail new era for US

Level 2 Intermediate

1 Key words

Complete the sentences using key words from the text.

stalemate bipartisanship inducement sweep


redeploy legislative pledge bill

1. __________ is the act of two opposing political parties voting the same way on a piece of law or

government decision.

2. A __________ is a situation in which progress is impossible because the people cannot agree.

3. If you __________ an election or a race, you win it easily.

4. If you __________ something, you promise publicly to do it.

5. __________ is an adjective that means relating to law.

6. To __________ something is to move it to another place or a different job.

7. An __________ is something that persuades someone to do something (often something wrong).

8. A __________ is a proposal for a new law.

2 What do you know about American politics?

Choose the correct answer.

1. In the United States there are major political 4. The US Congress comprises:
parties.
a) the House of Representatives
a) two b) the Senate
b) three c) both a) and b)
c) five
5. The leader of the House of Representatives is:
2. George Bush and the party have controlled
government for the past six years. a) the President of the United States
b) the Speaker of the House
a) Democrat c) the top general in the US army
b) Republican
c) Labour

3. The US Congress has elections every years.

a) two
b) six
c) ten
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Democrats hail new era for US
Level 2 Intermediate
Democrats hail new era for US as they clear to the Iraqis that they must defend their
sweep into Congress own streets and their own security, a plan that
promotes stability in the region and that allows
by Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
us to responsibly redeploy American forces, Ms
January 5, 2007
Pelosi said.

A new era was proclaimed in Washington as Pentagon officials said there could be an
the Democratic party recaptured control of increase of between 20,000 and 40,000 to the
both houses of Congress after 12 years on the forces in Iraq.
sidelines of power.
Mr Bush faces trials on the domestic front too as
The Democrats are back, exulted Nancy Ms Pelosi plans to exercise the Democrats new
Pelosi, who went on to make history when she majority with an ambitious legislative agenda,
became the first woman speaker of the House of beginning almost immediately with measures
Representatives. to clarify relationships between lobbyists and
politicians. The move, banning such inducements
This is an historic moment - for the Congress,
as free seats at basketball games and trips on
and for the women of this country. It is a moment
private jets, was the first step in a Democratic
for which we have waited more than 200 years,
plan to pass six new pieces of legislation through
Ms Pelosi, 66, told Congress.
the House before Mr Bush makes his State of the
In another first Keith Ellison of Minnesota Union address on January 23.
became the first Muslim to serve in Congress,
In the Senate, where the Democratic majority
taking his office on a Quran that once belonged
is very thin, Mr Reid said that the focus would
to former president Thomas Jefferson.
remain on Iraq. Mr Reid has not said no to
Amid the celebratory feeling among Democrats, support for more troops, but other senators
the official message from Ms Pelosi as well as have said they intend to use their new powers
the new Democratic Senate majority leader, to increase scrutiny of the administration, with
Harry Reid, was about cooperation with hearings scheduled in at least two committees on
their Republican opponents. But the limits of the progress of the war.
bipartisanship were made starkly apparent when
In addition to ethics reform, the Democrats have
Ms Pelosi signalled that George Bush, who had
pledged to raise the federal minimum wage
a Republican House and Senate in his first six
for the first time in a decade, as well as make
years in the White House, would face new and
federal funds available for stem cell research.
energised opposition.
But the limit of their new power was underscored
Nowhere were the American people more clear when the White House announced that Mr Bush
about the need for a new direction than in Iraq. remains opposed to stem cell research. Mr
The American people rejected an open-ended Bush went on to warn of further confrontations.
obligation to a war without end, Ms Pelosi said. If the Congress chooses to pass bills that are
simply political statements, they will have chosen
She warned Mr Bush that he could expect fierce stalemate, he wrote in the Wall Street Journal
opposition to his new strategy for Iraq. He is this week.
expected to announce his decision to increase
Americas military commitment there with the Guardian News & Media 2007
deployment of thousands more soldiers. First published in the Guardian, 5/1/07

It is the responsibility of the President to


articulate a new plan for Iraq that makes it
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NEWS LESSONS / Democrats hail new era for US / Intermediate


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Democrats hail new era for US
Level 2 Intermediate

3 Comprehension check
Decide if these statements are True (T) or False (F) according to the text.

1. Nancy Pelosi is the first woman in Congress. ___

2. There have been Muslims in the US Congress in the past. ____

3. The Republicans controlled the House and the Senate for the first six years of George Bushs presidency. ____

4. The speaker of the house believes that Americans want a foreign policy change in Iraq. ____

5. The Pentagon has increased the number of soldiers in Iraq by 30,000. ____

6. The Democrats want to examine political lobbyists. ____


7. The Senate is not concerned with Iraq. ____

8. George Bush does not want federal funds to be used in stem cell research. ____

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Find the words in the article to match the definitions. Use the paragraph numbers in brackets to help you.

1. To say something publicly. _____________ (1)

2. To feel or show great pleasure and excitement. ________ (2)

3. If something happens ________ feelings or events, it happens while people have these feelings or while the

events are happening. (5)

4. To not agree to an offer or proposal. ________ (6)

5. The military of a country. ________ (8)

6. Careful examination of someone or something. ________ (11)

7. To emphasize or show something is important. ________ (12)


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NEWS LESSONS / Democrats hail new era for US / Intermediate


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Democrats hail new era for US
Level 2 Intermediate

5 Vocabulary 2: Politics
Reorder the words to make phrases relating to the world of politics. Check the text for the correct answers.

1. control government of recapture

_________________________________________

2. the power of sidelines on

_________________________________________

3. new opposition and face energised

_________________________________________

4. the direction for new a need

_________________________________________

5. in serve to Congress

_________________________________________

6. region the stability in promote

_________________________________________

7. bill a veto

_________________________________________

8. front trials on the domestic face

_________________________________________

6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations
Choose the correct word.

1. to make/do history

2. to take/make office

3. starkly obvious/apparent

4. a private/personal jet

5. to stay/remain opposed

7 Discussion
Do you think the political changes in the US Congress will make a difference to Americas foreign policy?
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NEWS LESSONS / Democrats hail new era for US / Intermediate


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