Task 5. In the last paragraph the writer asks three questions. Below are some possible answers. Put them in the same order as the questions to which they relate.
a) Globalisation is not creating a ‘world culture’: France is still very French, Spain very Spanish and so on.
b) Some people like change, and don’t mind that old ways of doing things are destroyed.
c) There is a lot of pop culture, but a lot of serious culture too: look at the increasing number of serious books being sold, the number of people going to classical concerts and so on.
Task 6. Over to you. What is the key message of the article? Choose the best alternative. Globalisation …
a) is definitely a good thing.
b) may be a good thing, but we have to look at its disadvantages too.
c) is definitely a bad thing.
Task 7. Render the article, express your opinion on the problem.
Article XII
Breaking the habit
MEXICO CITY
Mexican government officials rarely miss a chance to point to America’s demand for illegal drugs as the cause of their violent struggle with traffickers. But the notion of the country as an innocent victim of geography is increasingly outdated. Although Mexico is still a middleman between Colombian growers and American consumers, it is fast becoming a destination for narcotics in its own right. In the past six years drug use is reckoned to have risen by nearly 30%, and the trend shows no signs of abating. President Felipe Calderón has mainly treated drugs as a national security issue, but its consequences for public health may be almost as severe.
Mexican consumption began to take off in the mid-1990s. Tight economic conditions and increased government scrutiny of large financial transactions prompted the cartels to shift to payments in kind. Instead of giving cash to local operators on trafficking routes, they would allot them a share of the shipment. The glut of drugs in the country grew further after the September 11th 2001 attacks, when the United States redoubled its border controls.
Regional gangs then began a marketing campaign to unload large quantities of drugs. Narcotics have a formidable capacity to create their own demand: the greater the supply, the more people are exposed and become addicted. Thus small-time dealers – now thought to number 35,000 – started offering free doses to young people outside schools and at parties, aiming to produce a new generation of customers. Consumption by women has grown particularly quickly in recent years, as men press their girlfriends and wives to join them in their use.
Prisons proved to be another lucrative market. Guillermo Zepeda of CIDAC, a think-tank, says four out of five inmates who did not use drugs before their incarceration now start once in jail. “For the wardens, allowing drug use is often the price of peace,” he says. “It reduces the risk of riots.” Once addicted, users often become peddlers too.
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Although the problem remains small in comparative terms-Mexico’s rate of cocaine use is one-third that of Argentina, for example – the authorities fear it may begin to spiral out of control. Already, 62% of violent crimes in the country involve drugs or alcohol.
The government has launched a three-tiered prevention program. To shrink the pool of potential users, it is increasing its anti-drug messages in schools. To identify children at high risk, it has distributed 60,000 questionnaires to students, which inquire about their sense of well-being, family situation, and attitudes and exposure to drugs. Social workers are then dispatched to help the 5-10% that appear most in danger and invite them to visit one of 300 new addiction-prevention centers.
Finally, it is adopting partial decriminalization. Those found in possession of small quantities of drugs will be invited for treatment, not prosecuted. A third violation will lead to obligatory medical internment. A national addiction survey, due to be published this month, will show whether these policies have begun to slow the incoming tide.
Task 1. Read the article.
Task 2. Below are possible headings for each paragraph. Put the headings in the right order.
a) More and more violent crimes are committed under the influence of drugs.
b) Economic problems resulted in increase in drug consumption.
c) Partial decriminalization is a new attempt in the fight against drugs.
d) Still a middleman, but already a drug user.
e) A new prevention program is launched.
f) Another lucrative market.
g) The aim was to produce a new generation of customers.
Task 3. Choose the best alternative to replace the expressions in italics.
a) … as the cause of their violent struggle with traffickers.
i) deal with
ii) talk with
iii) fight with
b) Mexican consumption began to take off in the mid-1990s
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i) to put on
ii) to try on
iii) to become successful
c) … the more people are exposed and become addicted.
i) unconscious
ii) unreal
iii) unable to stop taking drugs
d) Prisons proved to be another lucrative market.
i) tempting
ii) attractive
iii) profitable
e) … the authorities fear it may begin to spiral out of control.
i) the experts
ii) the people in charge of a particular area
iii) the employees
f) To shrink the pool of potential users, it is increasing its anti-drug messages in schools.
i) to avoid doing
ii) to become smaller
iii) to move back
g) … of drugs will be invited for treatment, not prosecuted.
i) not to continue doing
ii) not to be charged with a crime
iii) not to be sent abroad
Task 4. Match the expressions 1 – 7 to their meanings a) – g).
1. chance a) client
2. shipment b) afraid
3. customer c) a load of goods
4. incarceration d) opportunity
5. fear e) medical cure
6. questionnaire f) imprisonment
7. treatment g) a written set of questions
Task 5. Match 1 – 7 to a) – g) to form partnerships used in the article.
1. miss a) demand
2. financial b) the risk of riots
3. create c) program
4. reduce d) survey
5. violent e) transactions
6. prevention f) a chance
7. addiction g) crimes
Task 6. Over to you.
Are you for drug prohibition or drug education?
Task 7. Render the article according to the plan of rendering.
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