III. Vocabulary exercises.

1. Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases drawing on your own vocabulary resources:

2. to seal off the border;

3. to hold an emergency meeting;

4. to issue an ultimatum to leave;

5. a flashpoint;

6. a disbanded army;

7. combat troops;

8. refugees;

9. a backlash.

2. Give English equivalents to the following Russian collocations:

1. предполагаемые скопления боевиков;

2. наткнуться на мину;

3. обстрелять минометными очередями;

4. захватить деревню;

5. тесные культурные и семейные связи.

3. Supply Russian equivalents to the following English phrases:

1. to respond by shelling ;

2. the worst single day of violence;

3. the large Albanian minority;

4. to share Orthodox religion;

5. 12.000-strong army.

4. Fill in the blanks with the right words in the correct forms: to drive out; to disband, guerrilla, to shoot dead, links.

1. The army opened fire on... positions.

2. The rebels were ... of the border area.

3. A soldier was ... ... by an enemy sniper, operating in the region.

4. The cease-fire held and the army....

5. The rebels have very close ... with ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

IV. Grammar exercises.

Recollect the use of prepositions with certain verbs and insert the appropriate ones:

1. The rebels responded ... firing several mortar rounds.

2. The government troops are centered ... the border with Kosovo.

3. An armoured personnel carrier drove ... a landmine in the area controlled by the army.

4. Thousands of refugees were forced to flee ... the mountainous parts of the country.

5. 2,000-strong combat troops could retake the village and drive the separatists....

V. Rendering.

Use the outline given below to render the article:

1. an outbreak of open hostilities around the village of Tanusevci between Albanian rebels and the Macedonian Army;

2. inflicted casualties;

3. the ultimate aim of the Albanian National Liberation Army;

4. ethnic and religious composition of Macedonia;

5. combat capability of the Macedonian Army;

6. fears of local population.

7. Discussion.

Debate in class causes of local conflicts and means to prevent them.

UNIT II TERRORISM

I. Pre-reading task:

a) Before reading the article study the meanings of the following words and phrases on the topic:

1. an upsurge of terrorism ; a spate of terrorist acts;

2. a terrorist/enclave, a hotbed of terrorism ;

3. a terrorist training base (camp);

4. to receive military training;

5. to be financed (funded) from abroad;

6. armed separatism of religious sects;

7. Islamic extremists;

8. to combat (fight) terrorism , to struggle against terrorism;

9. to conduct a mopping-up operation;

10. to harbor an alleged terrorist;

11. to condemn acts of terrorism unconditionally;

12. to take a wait-and-see approach;

13. to crack down on;

14. to destroy ammunition arsenals, fuel depots, communication lines;

15. to plant land mines, car bombs;

16. a bomb attack, a blast; to blow up apartment buildings;

17. a suicide bomber ; a suicide bomb attack;

18. to mastermind (to be behind) bomb attacks;

19. home-made booby traps;

20. special task force;

21. to be months long on high alert;

22. to decommission (to surrender) weapons;

23. to launch a series of air strikes , an air campaign;

24. round-the-clock air strikes;

25. to target, to hit, to degrade, to reduce military capability;

26. to asses the damage (damage assessment);

27. to play down the number of casualties;

28. a sustained effort

b) Discuss the following items. Use the vocabulary listed above.

1. Do you regard terrorism as a real threat? Give your reasons.

2. What motives drive ethnic, political groups or individuals to committing terrorist acts?

3. Why do terrorists choose civilians as targets for their attacks?

4. What distinguishes a military conflict from a terrorist attack?

5. Can you envisage any successful measures to do away with terrorism?