ClintonandObamapreparetofaceoff

Level2Intermediate

1 Keywords

Writethesewordsintothedenitionsbelow.

legaldispute politicalcamp raceissue candidates tie destruction

raciallytingeddistorts controversial revive poll

1. This term is being used more frequently in US politics these days when there is any controversy that includes

possible racism. ________________

2. If people get an equal amount of points or votes we say that the result is a draw or a ________________.
3. This is a term for a group of people who support the same politician. ________________.

4. When something is ________________ ________________ it contains a small amount of racism.

5. A ________________ subject is one that many people disagree with or do not approve of.

6. A ________________ is the process that asks many people their opinion about a certain topic.

7. People who compete in an election are called ________________.

8. If someone ________________ something, they change the information so that it is no longer true or accurate.

9. A ________________ is a disagreement that has to be decided by a court.

10. When you ________________ something, you bring it back to life.

11. ________________ is another word for very severe damage or harm.

2Whatdoyouknow?

WhichfurthertenwordsornameswouldyouexpecttoappearinanarticleabouttheUSDemocratic
Partyspresidentialcandidates?

Compare your answers in class and then skim-read the article to see how many of your words actually appear.

_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

D
TE DE E
SI A L
EB LO B
W N IA
M W P

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008

O DO O
FR BE C
T O

NEWS LESSONS / Clinton and Obama prepare to face off / Intermediate

O
H
N
P
CA
ClintonandObamapreparetofaceoff
Level2Intermediate
ClintonandObamapreparetofaceoff
followingroundofattacks
EwenMacAskillandSuzanneGoldenbergin
Washington
January14,2008
1 Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama came face-to-
faceonJanuary15forthersttimesincetheirtwo
camps began the dangerous strategy of trying to
gain political points from the race issue.
2 After Obamas victory in Iowa and Clintons in New
Hampshire, the two candidates who met for a
debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday are hoping to
break the tie in Nevada or in South Carolina.
3 The bitter and ugly exchanges over race show the
importance of South Carolina, where about half the
Democratic voters are African-American.
4 The Obama team today accused Clinton of being
engaged in the politics of personal destruction.
5 The Clinton team has been forced to defend
themselves over a series of remarks that have
been interpreted as racially tinged. The most
controversial was a comment from Clinton that
suggested she was trying to minimize the role of
Martin Luther King in the civil rights era. The Clinton
team accused Obama of distorting the remarks.
6 Meanwhile, Bob Johnson, a founder of the Black
Entertainment Television who is among Clintons
most well-known African-American supporters,
revived the issue of Obamas teenage drug use,
which he wrote about in his memoir, Dreams From
My Father.
7 During an introduction for Clinton at an event,
Johnson said Hillary and Bill Clinton were engaged
in black issues when Obama was doing something
in the neighbourhood: I wont say what he was
doing, but he said it in his book.
8 Johnson later said that his comments referred
to Obamas work as a community organizer in
Chicago and nothing else. Any other suggestion
is simply irresponsible and incorrect. The Obama
team demanded an apology.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008
NEWS LESSONS / Clinton and Obama prepare to face off / Intermediate
9 Bill Shaheen, a New Hampshire Clinton campaign
ofcial,resignedlastmonthaftersuggesting
Democrats should be careful of voting for Obama
because of his past drug use.
10 In what seems to have been another misjudged
remark, Michelle Obama, campaigning for her
husband in South Carolina, also mentioned race.
Addressing African-Americans who were unsure
about his ability to win, she reminded them that
Iowa, which is predominantly white, voted for
Obama. Aint no black people in Iowa, she said.
11 Not only might the remark lose Obama some white
votes, the comment is also factually wrong there
are 75,000 African-Americans in Iowa.
12 John Edwards, who is in third place at 11%,
supported Obama in the race row. The former North
Carolina senator has recently gone out of his way to
ndacommoncausewithObamaandmanypeople
now believe that Edwards is trying to become
Obamas vice presidential running mate.
13 A legal dispute over the role of unions in Nevada
has also raised issues of race, with Obama and
Clinton competing for the support of Latinos, who
make up about a quarter of the states population.
14 A poll for the Washington Post-ABC News today
showed Obama closing the gap nationwide, with
Clinton on 42%, down 11% since last month, and
Obama on 37%, up 14%. But a national CBS
News-New York Times poll showed Clinton on
42%comparedtoObamas27%.Agurethathas
remained unchanged since last month.
Guardian News & Media 2008
First published in The Guardian, 14/01/08
D
TE DE E
SI A L
EB LO B
W N IA
M W P
O DO O
FR BE C
T O
O
H
N
P
CA
ClintonandObamapreparetofaceoff
Level2Intermediate

3 Comprehensioncheck

Choosethebestansweraccordingtotheinformationgiveninthetext.

1. What is the name of the third candidate for the Democratic nomination?
a. Bob Johnson
b. Bill Shaheen
c. John Edwards
d. Martin Luther King

2. What does the article mean by the term, personal destruction?

a. That Clinton will become ill.
b. That Clinton is trying to ruin her opponents chances.
c. That Clinton will ruin her own chances.
d. That the Democratic Party will personally intervene.

3. Approximately how many African-Americans are there in Iowa?

a. 750
b. 7,500
c. 75,000
d. 750,000

4. What does the CBS News-New York Times poll show?

a. That Clinton is still in the lead.
b. That Obama is likely to overtake Clinton.
c. That John Edwards is likely to be Vice President.
d. That the American public dont care who becomes their next president.

4Vocabulary:Prepositions

Fillinthemissingprepositions.

1. meet someone face ________ face

2. Obamas victory ________ Iowa
3. exchanges ________ race
4. Bob Johnson is ________ Clintons most well-known African-American supporters.
5. doing something ________ the neighbourhood
6. because ________ his past drug use
7. Michelle Obama, campaigning ________ her husband ________ South Carolina
8. John Edwards, who is in third place ________ 11%
9. a legal dispute ________ the role ________ unions ________ Nevada

10. a poll ________ the Washington Post

D
TE DE E
SI A L
EB LO B
W N IA
M W P

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008

O DO O
FR BE C
T O

NEWS LESSONS / Clinton and Obama prepare to face off / Intermediate

O
H
N
P
CA
ClintonandObamapreparetofaceoff
Level2Intermediate

5 Discussion

Inhisbook,Obamaadmittedthathetookdrugswhenhewasateenager.

Whatdoyouthink:shouldthingsthatpeopledidinthepastaffecttheirchancesofgettingaparticularjob?
Yes/no/itdepends?
Thinkofexamplestosupportyouranswer.

6 Webquest

CheckoutUSwebsitessuchasthewww.washingtonpost.com or www.CNN.comtoseewhoiscurrently
leadinginthecampaigntobecometheDemocraticPartyspresidentialnominee.

D
TE DE E
SI A L
EB LO B
W N IA
M W P

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008

O DO O
FR BE C
T O

NEWS LESSONS / Clinton and Obama prepare to face off / Intermediate

O
H
N
P
CA