Barack Obama ‘surprised’ and ‘humbled’ by Nobel Peace Prize-Intermediate level

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Barack Obama ‘surprised’ and ‘humbled’ by Nobel Peace Prize
Level 2 Intermediate
1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.
condemn sceptical snub escalate charity

citation inspired justify breakthrough detract
1. If you ______________________ a situation, you make it worse or more serious.
2. If something is ______________________, it is very special or impressive.
3. A ______________________ is an organization to which you give money so that it can help people who are
poor or ill.
4. If you ______________________ something, you say publicly that you think it is bad or wrong.
5. If you ______________________ something, you show there is a good reason for it.
6. If something ______________________ from something else, it makes it less good, attractive or important.
7. A ______________________ is a discovery or achievement that comes after a lot of hard work.
8. If people are ______________________ about something that other people think is true or right, they express
doubts about it.
9. A ______________________ is a deliberate attempt to annoy someone by ignoring them.
10. A ______________________ is an official statement praising someone for something they have done.
2 Find the information
Look in the text and find the following information as quickly as possible.
1. How long had Barack Obama been US president when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?
2. How many sitting US presidents had won the Nobel Peace Prize before Barack Obama?
3. Which country is the Nobel Peace Prize Committee based in?
4. What position did Kofi Annan once hold?
5. How much money comes with the Nobel Peace Prize?
6. Where did Barack Obama make his speech to the Muslim world?
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Barack Obama ‘surprised’ and ‘humbled’ by Nobel Peace Prize
Level 2 Intermediate
Barack Obama ‘surprised’ and that more than one charity will benefit but
‘humbled’ by Nobel Peace Prize that the president has yet to decide which
charities will share the money. Amid the official
Chris McGreal in Washington and Gwladys
congratulations from the rest of the world, the
Fouché in Oslo
Prize led to an angry debate in the US where
9 October, 2009
Republicans said he had failed to achieve
1 Barack Obama was as surprised as most of anything that justified the award and called it a
America, and much of the world, when he was political statement.
woken up and told he had won the Nobel Peace
6 The noisy and influential conservative talk
Prize after just nine months as president and
show hosts described the award as being a
while he is still deciding whether to escalate
snub to the former president, George Bush,
the war in Afghanistan. The Nobel Committee
rather than for any particular achievements by
said it chose Obama “for his extraordinary
Obama. “This is nonsensical,” said radio host,
efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and
Mike Gallagher, on Fox News. “You guys can’t
cooperation between peoples” and for creating
let President Bush go, can you? That’s the
“a new international climate”.
reason for the Nobel Peace Prize. [Obama]
2 “Only very rarely has a person captured the doesn’t act like a cowboy.” Obama’s Democratic
world’s attention and given its people hope for Party responded to the attacks by accusing
a better future like Obama has,” the Committee the Republicans of “being on the same side
said in its citation. “His diplomacy is based on as the terrorists – the Taliban and Hamas – in
the concept that those who are to lead the world criticizing the president for receiving the Nobel
must do so on the basis of values and attitudes Peace Prize”.
that are shared by the majority of the world’s
7 The Norwegian Nobel Committee denied that
population.”
the Prize was awarded prematurely by pointing
3 Obama recognized that many people were to Obama’s speech to the Muslim world in
sceptical about awarding the Prize to a Cairo and his attempts to start the Israeli-
president who had been in office less than Palestinian peace process, his emphasis on
a fortnight when the deadline passed for dialogue over confrontation in international
nominations. Critics were also quick to point out diplomacy and his commitment to nuclear
that Obama has yet to achieve any significant disarmament. “We want to emphasize that he
breakthroughs in his attempts to promote has already brought significant changes,” said
Middle East peace or stop Iran’s alleged nuclear the Committee secretary, Geir Lundestad. “All
ambitions and he is still overseeing a major war these things have already taken place and this
in Afghanistan. “I do not feel that I deserve to already has had a very significant impact on
be in the company of so many transformative international relations. We do, of course, hope
figures that have been honoured by this Prize,” that there will be many concrete changes over
the president said. the years. But when a president makes all these
changes on these ideals, which are the ideals
4 But Obama said he would accept the Prize as a
the Norwegian Nobel Committee has had for
recognition of the struggles of others for peace,
a hundred years, we felt it was right to support
and said it must be “shared by everyone who
him as much as we can in this further struggle
works for justice and dignity”.“I will accept this
for these ideals.”
award as a call to action, a call to all nations, to
meet the challenges of the 21st century,” 8 The former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan,
he said. described the award as an “unexpected
but inspired choice”. A Taliban spokesman,
5 Obama will give to charity the $1.4m (£880,000)
Zabihullah Mujahid, thought differently. “He has
cash award that comes with the Prize. A
not taken a single step for peace in Afghanistan
White House spokesman said it was likely
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Barack Obama ‘surprised’ and ‘humbled’ by Nobel Peace Prize
Level 2 Intermediate
or to make this country stable ... We condemn 10 Thorbjørn Jagland, chairman of the Prize
this year’s Peace Prize as unjust,” he said. The Committee, said this does not detract from
Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said the award. “The situation in Afghanistan is
he was “not upset” by the award. very difficult but we cannot look away from all
the other positive things he [Obama] is trying
9 It remains to be seen whether the Prize will
to do,” he said. “It’s a conflict that concerns
strengthen Obama’s position or put him on
us all. It’s not tricky with regards to the Nobel
the defensive in the US where many people
Peace Prize.” The award also mystified many
are sensitive to what they see as weakness in
liberals who have become increasingly critical
international affairs. The citation’s statement
of Obama for failing to close Guantánamo Bay
that Obama’s diplomacy reflects “values and
and proceed with domestic issues such as
attitudes that are shared by the majority of the
recognition of gay rights. Obama is only the
world’s population” angered conservatives who
third sitting president to win the prize, with the
believe the US president’s role is to stand up to
others awarded to Theodore Roosevelt in 1906
hostile foreigners who cannot be trusted. The
and Woodrow Wilson in 1919.
award comes as Obama is under pressure from
US military leaders to send tens of thousands © Guardian News & Media 2009
more troops to Afghanistan and from national First published in The Guardian, 09/10/09
security advisers to shift the conflict to pursuing
al-Qaida in Pakistan.
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text?
1. Barack Obama was not surprised when he learnt that he had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
2. Obama will give the prize money to charity.
3. Some conservative talk show hosts believe that awarding the Prize to Barack Obama is intended as an insult
to George Bush.
4. The Taliban, Hamas and Iran have all condemned the award.
5. US military leaders want the president to send tens of thousands more troops to Pakistan.
6. Obama promised to close Guantánamo Bay but hasn’t done so yet.
4 Find the word
Find the following words in the text.
1. a noun meaning a period of two weeks (para 3)
2. an adjective meaning able to make things completely different (para 3)
3. an adjective meaning able to influence the way people think or behave (para 6)
4. an adjective meaning not true or sensible (para 6)
5. an adverb meaning too soon or before the usual time (para 7)
6. a noun meaning a situation in which people or groups are arguing angrily or fighting (para 7)
7. an adjective meaning behaving in a very unfriendly or threatening way (para 9)
8. a verb meaning to chase someone in order to catch them (para 9)
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Barack Obama ‘surprised’ and ‘humbled’ by Nobel Peace Prize
Level 2 Intermediate
5 Words followed by prepositions
Complete the phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.
1. based _______
2. on the basis _______
3. a call _______ action
4. respond _______
5. criticize someone _______ doing something
6. an emphasis _______ something
7. an impact _______ something
8. detract _______
6 Word building
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. recognize
2. state
3. achieve
4. emphasize
5. confront
6. disarm

7 Discussion
What are the arguments for and against the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama?
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©N EMWacSm LiEllSanS OPuNbSli s/ hBearsra Lcktd O 2b0a0m9a ‘surprised’ and ‘humbled’ by Nobel Peace Prize / Intermediate •PHCOATN OBFE CRDOOOMP WINWALEOBBSAIDTEED
Barack Obama ‘surprised’ and ‘humbled’ by Nobel Peace Prize
Level 2 Intermediate
KEY
1 Key words 4 Find the word
1. escalate 1. fortnight
2. inspired 2. transformative
3. charity 3. influential
4. condemn 4. nonsensical
5. justify 5. prematurely
6. detracts 6. confrontation
7. breakthrough 7. hostile
8. sceptical 8. pursue
9. snub
10. citation
5 Words followed by prepositions
2 Find the information 1. on
2. of
1. nine months 3. to
2. two 4. to
3. Norway 5. for
4. UN secretary general 6. on
5. $1.4m (£880,000) 7. on
6. Cairo 8. from
3 Comprehension check 6 Word building
1. F 1. recognition
2. T 2. statement
3. T 3. achievement
4. F 4. emphasis
5. F 5. confrontation
6. T 6. disarmament
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