BBC Learning English
Words in the News
21

st

September 2011

Palestinians in UN bid

Words in the News

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2011

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Transcript

The site of the most intractable conflict in the modern era…

This land, occupied by Israel since 1967, has been fought over in two uprisings.

Now their officials have launched a campaign to join the United Nations as a full member
state.

The idea’s strongly opposed by Israel and its close ally, the United States, who say they’ll veto
the move.


Vocabulary

intractable:

difficult to manage or resolve

uprisings:

violent protest against a higher authority

launched a campaign:

started a series of activities to reach a goal

ally:

country which supports another

veto:

power to prevent a move

Watch this video online: Palestinians in UN bid

http://bbc.in/puc7sY

Words in the News

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2011

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Exercise

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from a BBC news

report. Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence

correctly.

intractable / uprisings / launched a campaign / ally / veto

1.

Turkey used to be a close _______ of Syria, but has recently joined calls for Mr Assad to

implement reforms.

2.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told me at the end of March that Turkey feared the chaos

that might well follow the fall of President Assad. This is not like Egypt or Libya, he said. It has

the potential to become an ___________ sectarian conflict, more like Iraq.

3.

But that proposal came with a caveat - a promise from Mr Obama that he would ___________

any bill eventually passed by Congress that cut healthcare but did not include new taxes on the

rich.

4.

Six months after they started their ___________, Syrian opposition groups have for the first

time agreed on a single body to represent them.

5.

Roald Dahl's family has __________________ to save the hut in which the late author wrote

many of his best-loved stories.

Words in the News

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2011

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Answers

1.

Turkey used to be a close ally of Syria, but has recently joined calls for Mr Assad to implement

reforms.

Source: Syrian opposition unveils council names

http://bbc.in/qhxO7S

2.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told me at the end of March that Turkey feared the chaos

that might well follow the fall of President Assad. This is not like Egypt or Libya, he said. It has

the potential to become an intractable sectarian conflict, more like Iraq.

Source: Turkey's dilemma over Syrian unrest

http://bbc.in/mhU719

3.

But that proposal came with a caveat - a promise from Mr Obama that he would veto any bill

eventually passed by Congress that cut healthcare but did not include new taxes on the rich.

Source: Obama unveils plans to cut US deficit

http://bbc.in/oIRGWH

4.

Six months after they started their uprising, Syrian opposition groups have for the first time

agreed on a single body to represent them.

Source: Syrian dissidents form new united front

http://bbc.in/n4gZai

5.

The Roald Dahl's family has launched a campaign to save the hut in which the late author wrote

many of his best-loved stories.

Source: Roald Dahl hut campaign launched

http://bbc.in/nRpUKj