French President Nicolas Sarkozy got an unfortunate lesson in the power of an open mike last week during the G20 summit.Reporters say Sarkozy made some unflattering comments about Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a private conversation with Barak Obama. They weren’t caught on tape but the were heard loud and clear by a handful of journalists. “Netanyahu, I can’t stand him,” Sarkozy reportedly said. “He is a liar.” Obama was heard, through French translation, answering, “You are sick of him, but I have to work with him every day.” The reporters who heard the comment said they didn’t report them cause they were deemed private under French media law, as they happen before the press conference began. Neither the White House nor the French government has commented on the remarks.
VOCABULARY EXPANSION:
·unfortunate: 1. embarrassing and/or offensive 2. having bad luck; caused by bad luck
·open mike:
·unflattering: making somebody/something seem worse or less attractive than they really are
·caught on tape: recorded saying something
·handful: a small number of people or things
·sick of: to have experienced too much of someone or something with the result that you are annoyed
·deem: 1. to consider or judge 2.to have a particular opinion about something
A combination of government policy, a 30-percent interest rate and the highest credit card usage in the world is producing record revenues from cash advance fees.
Government officials say it is still early to sound the alarm, discounting suggestions that this constitutes an upward trend that harks back to the 2003 credit card crisis.
According to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS)’s announcement Tuesday, profits from cash advances for the first half-year alone amount to 679.8 billion won, up almost 70 percent from 402.5 billion won for the same period last year.
Some industry watchers are nervous that this upward trend brings the country back to 2003, where dangerously overleveraged card companies only managed to avoid bankruptcy after a government-led intervention.
As the authorities began restricting retail bank lending this year, cash advances from credit cards have become the go-to lender; ironically the card companies are benefiting from government policy meant to rein in financial irresponsibility.
The Financial Supervisory Service spokesman tried to assuage fears, saying that there is no significant change, as the increased figure reflects the accounting standards reform and more importantly KB Card’s new inclusion in the statistics.
“We are keeping a close watch over the movements of cash advance levels,” he said.
KB Card reported 98.2 billion won worth of revenue from cash advances for the first half of this year.
Vocabulary Expansion:
1.sound/raise the alarm: to warn of danger
2.discount: a. To leave out of account as being untrustworthy or exaggerated; disregard: discount a rumor.
b. To underestimate the significance or effectiveness of; minimize: took care not to discount his wife's accomplishments.
c. To regard with doubt or disbelief.
3.constitutes:to be considered to be something. Does such an activity constitute a criminal offence?
4.harks back: to return to an earlier subject, point, or position
5.overleveraged: carrying too much debt
6.intervention: to become involved in a situation in order to improve or help it
7.go-to:used to refer to the person or place that somebody goes to for help, advice or information
8.rein in:to start to control somebody/something more strictly
9.assuage:əˈsweɪdʒ to make an unpleasant feeling less severe
A symbol of a deeply engrained tradition or a display of barbarism?
For decades the arguments for and against bullfighting have aroused strong passions and fierce debates. Fans speak of bullfighting, known here as La Cordai, as a ritual, an ancient ceremony where man and beast engage in a fight to the death – which the bull usually loses.
There are also a growing number of people in Spain who see it as an outdated relic of the past. Those against bullfighting have seen their efforts rewarded in the region of Catalonia. Last year, the regional parliament voted to outlaw the practice on the grounds of cruelty.
“In the 19th century there were public executions where people went to see other people being killed. That was then, but in the 21st century there’s simply no place for it. It’s primitive.”
These final bullfights here in Barcelona have drawn a large crowd of fans. Many of them coming from allover Spain to witness, what they say, is perhaps the most typical of Spanish traditions. The fans say that a decision to ban bullfighting has less to do with the issue of animal rights and more to do with promoting the local political agenda.
Through Catalonia’s local government, animal rights groups have been able to push through legislation that could signal the end of bullfighting in the region.
Their success has ignited a national debate about the practice. Critics say it just political opportunism.
“Bullfighting is as much a tradition in Catalonia as it is in the rest of Spain. In this region we have some of the oldest bullrings in the country. The problem is that people are being misinformed.”
For now, the ban on bullfighting is set to go ahead in Catalonia next January. But what is certain is that the debate will continue to rage; not just on the streets of Barcelona, but all throughout Spain.
Vocabulary & Expression Expansion:
1.symbol of a deeply engrainedtradition:
engrained:(of beliefs) so firmly held that they are not likely to change
tradition: a way of behaving or a belief that has been established for a long time
2.a display of barbarism
display: demonstration of an emotion, skill, or quality
barbarism: absence of culture and civilization / extreme cruelty or great violence
3.have aroused strong passions and fierce debates:
arouse: to cause (severe or extremely strong)
passions: a strong feeling or belief in something
fierce: severe or extremely strong
debate: a discussion where people have different and often opposite views
4. fans speak of bullfighting as
speak of ... as: to talk about something in a certain way
5. an outdated relic of the past:
outdated: no longer useful or modern
relic: an object from the past, esp. one that has no modern use
6. on the grounds of cruelty:
on the grounds of: the reason for a rule or decision (because of)
cruelty: causing pain or suffering to others
7. is no place for it:
no place for: when something is not allowed or acceptable at a certain time or place
8: primitive: very basic or undeveloped
9. most typical of Spanishtraditions:
typical: what is expected or associated with something, person or place
10. promoting the local political agenda:
promote: to actively encourage or support something
political agenda: a particular plan of action connected to politics.
11. signal the end of bullfighting:
signal the end: to indicate that something is over
12. ignited a national debate about the practice:
ignite: to start or cause something
practice: the customary, or expected procedure or way of doing of something:
13. Critics say it just politicalopportunism.
critic: someone who says that they do not approve of someone or something
political opportunism: behavior in which someone uses every situation to try to get power or an advantage:
