UNIT 6: The News

6.1. Vocabulary:

A. 1- editorial: a special article in a newspaper, written by the editor (a

person in charge of a newspaper) giving his / her opinion on an issue of
current importance.
2- tabloids: small-sized papers in which the news, stories and articles are
short, usu. with a lot of photographs.
3- Communiqueù: an official statement/ announcement to the public or
the journalists.
4- Correspondent: a reporter sent abroad by a newspaper to report
events happening in that country.
5- Spokesman / woman/ person: one who speaks on behalf of an
organization.
6- Coverage: the reporting in a newspaper / magazine on TV or radio of a
particular activity or subject.
7- topical: concerning / relating to events happening at the present time.

B- 11- top (v) = exceed

More than 3 million people are now unemployed / out of work.
12- pit: coal mine
There has been angry reaction to the announcement that some pits /
coalmines are to be
closed
13- toll: total number of deaths.
The number of victims of the earthquake has risen.

14- Tory: member of the British conservative party. poll (n) a political
survey in
which people are asked their opinion about sth (a famous person / a
political party)
The conservative party is expected to win the forthcoming election.
15- move (n) : action done to achieve a purpose.
dock: part of the port where ships go to have cargo put on or taken
off.
reconcile: Make 2 parties friendly again.
There has been an attempt to reconcile both sides in the port
workers dispute.
16- blow (n) hard hit / shock that affects sth. or SO badly.
There’s much disappointments about the announcement that …
17- envoy: a diplomat dash: a quick journey
The British ambassador has flown by Concorde to attend a debate at
the UN.
18- axe (v) dismiss from their job. Reduce by a large amount.
Some teachers are going to lose their jobs.
19- dog (v) follow all the time premier: PM
The Prime Minister has been facing further criticism / controversy
over the supply …
 20- The police have the revealed the identity of the organizer of the
robberies.
21- Three people have been charged / arrested in connection with the
kidnapping.
22- A bribe is a sum of money or something valuable that one person offers or gives to
another in order to persuade him or her to do something
.
After the discovery that he had received / taken / accepted bribes,
the mayor has resigned / been fired
23- Up (v) Increase
The Soviet Government have increased their defense budget.
24- haul: quantity of stolen / illegal / smuggled goods
Customs officers … have seized drugs worth £3m
25- Negotiation s between EEC fishery ministers are to be held …

6.2. Three news reports

The 007 sound stage … the largest in the world: C B

400ft long: A
336 ft long B
The fire was fought by
over 100 firemen: A B
about 70 firemen C
Flames… could be seen
5 miles away B
8 miles away. A
The stage was used for the filming of
‘The Spy Who Loved Me” A
“ Thunderball” B
People who received treatment were
a carpenter and a wardrobe worker C
4 firemen and 2 stagehands A
4 firemen, an actress and one other person. B
The next James Bond film…
“A View To A Kill” C
“ A View For A Kill B

The film being shot ….

“ Legend” A C
“ Legends” B

6.4. Past, present and future forms

2- Admission charges will no longer be made in museums
3- A headmaster who caned his pupils has been cleared of criminal
charges
4- A man with a gun has killed 3 people in a bank robbery.
5- The police have solved the mystery of the heiress who disappeared.
6- The police have been attacked in a violent demonstration.
7- A student leader has claimed that the police attacked the
demonstrators.
 8- Parents and pupils are protesting about a headmaster’ decision to
send home pupils
with long hair
9- The city council is going to control /ban striptease shows.
10-Customs officials have seized £ 1 million’s worth of smuggled goods/
drugs
6.5. 2- would be
3- that many … would be
4- that there was no danger
5- that she would be withdrawing
6- that he was disappointed / satisfied / delighted with the team’s
performance.
7- that there could / would be ….
8- described how they had been rescued…
9- that £ 20 million will be spent…
10- reveals that the electorate would not vote…

6.5. A Correspondent’s Life

Words and expressions
Shuffle: walk without lifting your feet properly from the ground.
landing: area at the top of a staircase.
stutter: heard at intervals
roll: make continuous loud sounds
crisscross travel to and back.
at close quarters: from a place very close or near somebody.
disrupt: cause difficulties that prevent sth from operating easily or peacefully.
Upset/ disturb.
hair-raising: frightening; terrifying.
rebel(n): someone actively involved in fighting against the army of the
government because they want to bring a new political system.
Guerrilla: person (not a member of a regular army) engaged in fighting in small
secret
groups.
Ditch: long narrow channel cut into the ground at the side of a road/ field for
rain
water.
trowel: garden tool, used for digging small holes.
gun-caliber: the width of the inside of its barrel, used also to refer to the size
of the
bullets/ shells that it can fire.
overtime: extra time spent working on your job.
insouciance: lack of concern
Sth gets up your nose : sth annoys you.
Choosey: fussy. Difficult to please. will accept only sth that is exactly what
you want
or only if it is of high quality.
Quadrangle: open square area that has buildings around it.
shabby: old, in bad condition
concrete: building material, mixture of cement, sand, small stones , water.
draped in: covered by
scratch: make you itch or want to scratch.
 brothel: place where men pay prostitutes for sex.
knocking-shop: a place where men pay to have sex with women
Not to put too fine a point of it: you are about to speak plainly and
directly in a way
that some people might find rude.
Conducive: favourable, making it likely to happen i.e. not make it easy for
me to sleep.
Itching: restless; unpleasant
glow: light produced by a fire when there is no flames; dull, steady light.
Rash: hasty, impulsive, acting without thinking carefully.
chartered: hired for use by a particular person./ group. This is not part of a
regular service.
fleet: a group of sheet.
Invade: enter (a country) by force.
Hilarious: extremely funny.
No man’s land: land that is not owned or controlled by anyone.
pornographic: designed to cause sexual excitement by showing naked
women/ people.
liberally: generously, in large quantities.
squad: A section of the police force that deals with a particular type of crime.
deranged: wild, crazy (as a result of mental illness)
give sb the slip: succeed in escaping them.
tolerant: enduring opinions, beliefs, customs, behaviors… different from
one’s own.
gambles: risks
Christening: A Christian ceremony in which a baby is made a member of the
Christian church
by being given a name (a Christian name) by a clergyman.
jolt: sb: end the relationship with the person you’ve promised to marry in
such a way that
surprises or upsets her / him.
fonting: facing, being a presenter.
on air: being broadcast
ooze: be full of
dovetail: fit or match in a neat way.
veteran (modifier): old hand , one who has involved into a particular job/
activity for a long
time.
understatement: statement expressing an idea too weakly.
shambolic: (joc.style) disorganized, chaotic.
sign off: finish . close
spurious: not genuine
seductive: <seduce: persuade S.O. to do wrong, tempt into sin / crime)
captivating, alluring
paradox: : statement that seems to say sth quite opposite to common sense
or the truth, but
which may contain a truth.
Wreck: ruin and destruction.
infuriate: make sb extremely angry., annoy sb.
stark: bare, unpleasantly clear and simple.
bureaucracy: over-complicated system of administration (red tape in AE)
 dictatorship: government by a dictator (person who has complete power
over a country often
gained by force.
dally: be slow or waste time.
at first hand: gained directly rather than from other people or from books.
watershed: turning point. An event /period that is important because it
makes the beginning of
a new way of life, a new stage in a person career.
bum: bottom

Answers

1-
shuffling on the landing: noise of moving feet outside the room
insouciance: not caring
itchy feet: wanting to travel
fronting: being the presenter
dovetail: fit neatly.

2- noise of men waiting in queue outside the room near his.

3- because there’s plenty of wine and amusing reading matter to keep the men
happy.
4- looking for a scorpion.
5- paid to go all over the world to see interesting and important events.
6- being recognized, treated as important.
7- dramatic pause in speech.

THE CAT SAT ON THE WITNESS BOX

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Witness box / stand: in a court of law, the place where people stand or sit to give
evidence.
A neutered cat: One whose organs of reproduction have been removed.
Ginger (cat): bright orange brown colour.
Impeccable: Perfect, excellent. Faultless
Juror: Member of a jury. (a group of persons in a court of law who have been
chosen to listen to the fact about a crime and to decide whether the person
accused is guilty or not.
Summoned: ordered to appear.
Assess: Consider and judge the quality of.
Impassive: Showing no emotion, calm.
Rival: conflicting, that is both claimed / competed for the ownership of the cat.
Duke: a nobleman of the highest rank.
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Dock: enclosure in a criminal court for a prisoner.

Assault: Attack
PC: Police constable

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Christen: Receive into the Christian church by baptism. Give a name to at

baptism.

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Prosecute: Accuse someone of a crime , bring charges against them.

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Crouch: sit in such a way that your legs are bent under you.
Spit: Send saliva from the mouth ( as a sign of contempt or hatred).
(Of a cat) make angry or hostile spitting noise(e.g. the cat spat at the dog)
Hunch: (e.g. when you are cold) raise your shoulders and bring your head down.

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Juvenile: Young person not yet old enough to be considered an adult. (~ crimes.
Delinquents, offenders)

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Warrant card: Written order giving authority to do something.

Custody: legal right to keep and look after a child given to a parent (The child’s
mother or father) after they become divorce.
Pending the case: while the case going on.

CAT GOING INTO CARE WHILE ‘OWNERS’ FIFGT ON

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Exhibit: a document or object produced as evidence in a law-court.

RSPCA: Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Jurisdiction: Power that a court of law has to carry out legal judgement.

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Claimant: person who makes a cliam in law.

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Order: Legal document stating that something must be done.

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Cattery: Place where cats are lokked after.
Flare: erupt, blow off
Escalating: increasing
Paragraph 6
Access: right to take.

Paragraph 7

Bruise: injured when a part of the body is hit by something and the skin is
covered by a purple, brown mark.