Lesson 7. Forms of Government.

Warm-up

1. In March, a delegation of around 50 U.S. businesses—among them major players such as Boeing and Meta—traveled to Vietnam to explore investment opportunities. Their visit was overshadowed by the abrupt resignation (внезапная отставка) of Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong on March 20, two days after meetings began. But Ted Osius, who led the delegation and served as the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam from 2014 to 2017, is no stranger to Hanoi’s political landscape, known for its relative consistency but sometimes colored by unpredictability.
2. In his inaugural speech last year, Thuong highlighted the importance of revitalizing ideology for the party-state, citing the collapse of the Soviet Union as a cautionary tale. The emphasis on ideology was not unusual, but its prominence (количественное преимущество) in the speech marked a departure from Thuong’s predecessors (предшественники). The message appeared directed at a notable figure in the audience: Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) chief Nguyen Phu Trong, a conservative ideologue.
3. The rhetoric perhaps sounds stark (жесткий, без излишеств), but Singapore’s leaders have long liked to remind citizens that the country is a “little red dot,” vulnerable (уязвимый) even in times of plenty to larger powers and global events. Underlying this, critics are quick to point out, is also the message that Singaporeans need a strong and competent People’s Action Party (PAP) government to protect them.
4. Last year, U.N. funding in Sudan fell short of its proposed target, and the World Food Program faced delays in delivering aid to the country. Still,their efforts are worth publicizing and replicating. To redirect attention to such efforts— rather than dimming (приглушать свет) the little hope that remains—humanitarian aid workers and grassroots (рядовой персонал, начального уровня) networks require unadulterated (истинный, неподдельный, естественный) access to resources, which cannot happen if those involved, including mediators such as Washington, believe that proposed deliberations are futile (тщетный) or far-fetched (из области фантастики).
5. Speaking during the National People’s Congress in early March, Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded that China unleash (раскрыть потенциал) “new quality productive forces”—code for plowing huge sums into advanced manufacturing, including electric vehicles and batteries, to prop up (поддерживать) the country’s faltering economic model. Given limited domestic demand, the results will inevitably be exported, putting China on a collision course with advanced manufacturing economies in Europe and North America—as Washington’s May announcement of new tariffs on Chinese EVs (electronic vehicles) and other products showed.

Lexis

Affected → disaffected — недовольный
Agree → disagree — противоречить, не соглашаться
Agreement → disagreement — разногласие
Honorable → dishonorable — бесчестный, подлый
Loyal → disloyal — предательский, нелояльный
Tasteful → distasteful — неприятный, противный

Task 1. Add suitable prefixes to the adjectives given below:

1. an __friendly look
2. an __interesting book
3. an __natural colour
4. an __important task
5. an __possible answer
6. an __personal letter
7. an __definite article
8. an __correct answer
9. __direct speech
10. an __regular verb
11. an __responsible person

Task 2. Choose the correct prefix to make negative forms of the adjectives.

1) He was short and overweight and generally fairly __attractive.

a) dis-; b) im-; c) in-; d) un- .

2) He’s a good teacher, but tends to be a bit __patient with slow learners.

a) un-; b) in-; c) im-; d) dis- .

3) It is an __logical statement, because if one part is true, then the other must be false.

a) dis-; b) il-; c) in-; d) un- .

4) It is __ polite to point at people.

a) dis-; b) im-; c) in-; d) un- .

5) My friend is very __responsible, he never does anything in time.

a) dis-; b) ir-; c) in-; d) un- .

6) He’s very __patient. He can’t work as a teacher.

a) dis-; b) im-; c) in-; d) un- .

7) He’s an __forgiving person. He never forgives people.

a) dis-; b) ir-; c) in-; d) un- .

Task 3. Add suitable prefixes to the adjectives given below:

• competent expected honest regular professional
• logical possible literate pleasant direct popular clear polite important tidy

Final Practice

https://wordwall.net/resource/12634533/speakout-upper-intermediate-61-negative-prefixes

Poli Sci

Today we`ll discuss the evolution of government and forms of government as well.

The secretive brotherhood

Freemasonry, known popularly for its white aprons and arcane symbols, is the world's oldest fraternal organization. Despite its longevity, Freemasons have long been shrouded in mystery. To outside observers, the organization's rites and practices may seem cult-like, clannish and secretive — even sinister. Some of this stems from Freemasons' often deliberate reluctance to speak about the organization's rituals to outsiders. But it is also partly the result of many popular movies and books.

In reality, however, Freemasonry is a worldwide organization with a long and complex history. Its members have included politicians, engineers, scientists, writers, inventors and philosophers. Many of these members have played prominent roles in world events, such as revolutions, wars and intellectual movements.

What is Freemasonry?

In addition to being the world's oldest fraternal organization, Freemasonry is also the world's largest such organization, boasting an estimated worldwide membership of some 6 million people, according to a report by the BBC. As the name implies, a fraternal organization is one that's composed almost solely of men who gather together for mutual benefit, frequently for professional or business reasons. However, nowadays women can be Freemasons, too.

But Freemasons, or Masons as they are sometimes called, are dedicated to loftier goals as well. Bound together by secret rites of initiation and ritual, its members ostensibly promote the "brotherhood of man," and in the past, have often been associated with 18th century Enlightenment principles such as anti-monarchism, republicanism, meritocracy and constitutional government.

When did Freemasonry start?

The origins of Freemasonry are obscure, and the subject is rife with myth and speculation. One of the more fanciful claims is that the Freemasons are descended from the builders of Solomon's Temple (also known as the First Temple) in Jerusalem, . Others have argued that the Freemasons began as an offshoot of the Knights Templars, a Catholic military order dating to medieval times. And the famous American revolutionary Thomas Paine attempted to trace the origins of the order to the ancient Egyptians and Celtic Druids.

Nowadays there exists a theory that freemasonry has its origins in the stonemason guilds of medieval Europe. These guilds, especially active during the 14th century, were responsible for constructing some of the finest architecture in Europe, such as the ornate Gothic cathedrals of Notre Dame in Paris and Westminster Abbey in London.

Like many artisan craft guilds of that time, its members jealously guarded their secrets and were selective about who they chose as apprentices. Initiation for new members required a long period of training, during which they learned the craft and were often taught advanced mathematics and architecture. Their skills were in such high demand that experienced Freemasons were frequently sought out by monarchs or high-ranking church officials.

The guilds provided members not only with wage protection and quality control over the work performed but also important social connections. Members gathered in lodges, which served as the headquarters and focal points where the Masons socialized, partook in meals and gathered to discuss the events and issues of the day.

What was next?

However, with the rise of capitalism and the market economy during the 16th and 17th centuries, the old guild system broke down. But the Masonic lodges survived. In order to bolster membership and raise funds, the stonemason guilds began to recruit non-masons. At first, the new recruits were often relatives of existing members, but they increasingly included wealthy individuals and men of high social status.

Many of these new members were "learned gentlemen" who were interested in the philosophical and intellectual trends that were transforming the European intellectual landscape at the time. The men were equally interested in questions of morality — especially how to build moral character.

The symbols of Freemasonry

The world of Freemasonry is composed of esoteric signs and symbols that are baffling to most non-Masons. Perhaps the most common are the compass and square, which are the universally recognizable symbols of the organization. They typically emblazon the lintels above lodge entrances and can be found on the aprons worn by Masons during rituals.

Reading and Discussing

Equality for women?

https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/04/08/japanese-women-rebel-against-painful-dress-codes

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1904/190403-high-heels.html

Homework

Task 1.

Task 2. Add suitable prefixes to the adjectives given below:

• human fair true valid available critical responsible
• flexible educated definite patient agreeable liberal

Task 3. Choose the correct option.