World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz is in deep trouble following his “mistake” in giving a huge pay rise to a close female friend. There are many calls for his resignation following allegations of favouritism and corruption.
Although he has apologised for making the "mistake", the World Bank’s board members decided to meet to discuss the scandal. In this respect, Wolfowitz said he would accept any remedies they propose. The sorry issue arose after Britain’s Financial Times newspaper published a report stating Wolfowitz personally ordered promotions and hefty pay rise for his partner, Shaha Riza, who ended up with a $200,000 salary.
Ms Riza was on the World Bank’s payroll when Wolfowitz became head in 2005. In line with the bank’s regulations, she was transferred to the US State Department to avoid a conflict of interest for Wolfowitz. However, in the period before her transfer took effect, Wolfowitz ordered the necessary documentation to elevate his friend into a top World Bank earner.
In his apology, he said, “I’ll take full responsibility.” He also acknowledged that his romantic involvement with Ms Riza resulted in a painful personal dilemma when he was new to the job. Nevertheless, it seems somewhat ridiculous that such an experienced man could make such a serious blunder.
A.Comprehension
1.Say whether the following statements are true or false.
a. The president of the World Bank gave his girlfriend a huge pay rise.
b. After the transfer of Riza to the US department, Paul Wolfowitz ordered to elevate her salary.
c. In his apology, Wolfowitz said he would take full responsibility.
2.In which paragraph is it mentioned that there is pressure on Wolfowitz to resign?
3.What/who do the underlined words in the text refer to?
they (§2) an experienced man (§4)
4.Answer the following questions according to the text.
a) What did the Bank’s board members do following the President’s apology?
b) What did Wolfowitz do to elevate his fiend into a top World Bank earner?
c) Does it seem reasonable that an experienced man like Wolfowitz could make a shameful mistake as the one he committed?
B.Text Exploration
1. Find in the text words or phrases which are closet in meaning to:
a) accusations (§1) = ……… b)mistake (§4) = ……….
2. Combine the following pairs of sentences using the prompts in brackets. Make any necessary changes.
a-We will root out all wrongdoings. All people commit themselves to this challenge. (Provided that)
b-The court sentenced him to life imprisonment. He was convicted of corruption and embezzlement. (As a result)
c-The boss is honest. All his employees trust him. (so….that)
3. Complete sentence(b) so that it means the same as sentence(a)
1)a-He said, "Some companies are not running their business ethically."
b-He said………………………………………………………
2) a-Some countries are reinforcing anticorruption regulations.
b-Anti-corruption regulations ………………………………
3)a- James is an anti-corruption activist, but did not attend the last conference of Transparency International.
b-He wishes……………………………………………………
4)a-It is strongly recommended for our government to take action against corrupt officials.
b-Our government had better…………………………………
4.Underline the stressed syllable in each word:
bureaucratic – accusation
Part Two: Written Expression :(choose one topic only)
Topic1: Write an article for your school magazine about what can be done to fight corruption? Make suggestions.The notes below might help you:
-remove corrupt officials, appoint honest servants, set accountability in institutions, …etc).
Topic2:Why do some people buy counterfeit products? You may help yourself with the following notes:
(Cheap /easily found /no big difference between fake and original products…etc)
Although he has apologised for making the "mistake", the World Bank’s board members decided to meet to discuss the scandal. In this respect, Wolfowitz said he would accept any remedies they propose. The sorry issue arose after Britain’s Financial Times newspaper published a report stating Wolfowitz personally ordered promotions and hefty pay rise for his partner, Shaha Riza, who ended up with a $200,000 salary.
Ms Riza was on the World Bank’s payroll when Wolfowitz became head in 2005. In line with the bank’s regulations, she was transferred to the US State Department to avoid a conflict of interest for Wolfowitz. However, in the period before her transfer took effect, Wolfowitz ordered the necessary documentation to elevate his friend into a top World Bank earner.
In his apology, he said, “I’ll take full responsibility.” He also acknowledged that his romantic involvement with Ms Riza resulted in a painful personal dilemma when he was new to the job. Nevertheless, it seems somewhat ridiculous that such an experienced man could make such a serious blunder.
A.Comprehension
1.Say whether the following statements are true or false.
a. The president of the World Bank gave his girlfriend a huge pay rise.
b. After the transfer of Riza to the US department, Paul Wolfowitz ordered to elevate her salary.
c. In his apology, Wolfowitz said he would take full responsibility.
2.In which paragraph is it mentioned that there is pressure on Wolfowitz to resign?
3.What/who do the underlined words in the text refer to?
they (§2) an experienced man (§4)
4.Answer the following questions according to the text.
a) What did the Bank’s board members do following the President’s apology?
b) What did Wolfowitz do to elevate his fiend into a top World Bank earner?
c) Does it seem reasonable that an experienced man like Wolfowitz could make a shameful mistake as the one he committed?
B.Text Exploration
1. Find in the text words or phrases which are closet in meaning to:
a) accusations (§1) = ……… b)mistake (§4) = ……….
2. Combine the following pairs of sentences using the prompts in brackets. Make any necessary changes.
a-We will root out all wrongdoings. All people commit themselves to this challenge. (Provided that)
b-The court sentenced him to life imprisonment. He was convicted of corruption and embezzlement. (As a result)
c-The boss is honest. All his employees trust him. (so….that)
3. Complete sentence(b) so that it means the same as sentence(a)
1)a-He said, "Some companies are not running their business ethically."
b-He said………………………………………………………
2) a-Some countries are reinforcing anticorruption regulations.
b-Anti-corruption regulations ………………………………
3)a- James is an anti-corruption activist, but did not attend the last conference of Transparency International.
b-He wishes……………………………………………………
4)a-It is strongly recommended for our government to take action against corrupt officials.
b-Our government had better…………………………………
4.Underline the stressed syllable in each word:
bureaucratic – accusation
Part Two: Written Expression :(choose one topic only)
Topic1: Write an article for your school magazine about what can be done to fight corruption? Make suggestions.The notes below might help you:
-remove corrupt officials, appoint honest servants, set accountability in institutions, …etc).
Topic2:Why do some people buy counterfeit products? You may help yourself with the following notes:
(Cheap /easily found /no big difference between fake and original products…etc)