Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today

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Bruno Daniels
6 years ago
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1 1 Key words Match the following words with the definitions. obstructions struggling expedience oath adversaries inauguration transformation sentiments grave collective failure shuttered acknowledge consequence echoed sacrifice sombre he day on which a recently elected US president begins his job. (title) Sad, serious, gloomy. (para 2) o accept or admit that something exists, is true, or is real. (para 2) rying hard. Having to fight to keep itself going. (para 2) he act of giving up something important or valuable so that you or other people can do or have something else. (para 3) A formal promise. (para 4) hings that try to prevent someone from doing something or to prevent something from happening. (para 5) So serious that you feel worried. (para 7) A result or effect of something. (para 8) he lack of success of all members of a group, or the people of the country. (para 8) Closed, or (here) ceased trading. (para 9) One s enemies or opponents. (para 9) Speed, especially when used to get an immediate result. (para 10) Expressed the ideas or feelings that someone else has expressed. (para 13) Beliefs or attitudes towards something. (para 14) A great change or the process by which this happens. (para 14) ind the information Skim-read the article and decide whether the sentences are true () or false (). here have been 44 previous presidents in the United States. Obama expects the American people to change their behaviour. he weather in Washington on 20 January 2009 was cold, sunny and dry. It is thought that slaves helped to build the US Capitol building in Washington. he central topics of the speech were war, torture, jobs, housing and teenage pregnancies. Obama denied that global warming is a problem. he main tone of the speech was positive and uplifting. After the speech, former President George W. Bush left Washington for his home in exas. PHOOCOPIABLE ROM WEBSIE

2 Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today tuned in around the world as to the shimmering sea of upturned faces in front of him. 1 Alan Rusbridger in Washington January 20, 2009 Barack Hussein Obama today became 44th president of the United States of America in front of quite possibly the largest crowd of people ever to have gathered in one place for a single political moment. 8 hat we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood, he said. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. 2 3 As many as two million people in Washington s National Mall heard their new president deliver a sombre 20-minute speech in which he acknowledged that the country was in the midst of crisis caught up in wars, its economy struggling and its national confidence weakened. He promised the mostly silent crowd that the challenges would be met, but warned it would take time, some sacrifice, a new form of politics and a re-engagement with the world, in which America would recognise that power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our healthcare is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. In one of the few lines to be greeted by enthusiastic applause, he turned to defence, proclaiming we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. In a thinly-veiled reference to Guantánamo and torture he promised not to abandon the rule of law and human rights for expedience s sake. 4 5 President Obama took the oath just after midday under a crisp and cloudless azure sky in front of the glistening cream dome of the Capitol, which was partly built by slaves. he day, cold enough to freeze breath, had begun with millions of individual journeys by coach, train and on foot as the crowds began arriving before dawn. his was to be the end of the last eight years of Republican rule and of the obstructions which, at any previous time in history, would have made the election of an African-American president unthinkable here was criticism of his predecessor s policies in his comments on science and the environment. He vowed to restore science to its rightful place and made several references to climate change, acknowledging the threat to our planet and saying America would in future use the sun and the winds and the soil for energy. On international affairs, he singled out the Muslim world, offering a new way forward based on mutual interest and mutual respect. America would leave Iraq to its people and make hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. 6 hey had come to celebrate and for days they had been doing just that in parties all over town. he cheer as Obama swore his oath on Lincoln s Bible rippled and roared all the way from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol, nearly two miles away. 13 Obama s serious tone and his acknowledgement of the economic hurricane blowing through America echoed Roosevelt s speech at the time of the last serious global depression, in which an incoming president vowed to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. 7 But when Obama spoke it was immediately clear 14 that the tone of this inauguration was grave, addressed as much to the hundreds of millions he endless crowd listened to the same sentiments today. hey might have wanted to hear something more uplifting, but, for many, the day was a PHOOCOPIABLE ROM WEBSIE

15 moment of genuine transformation after which nothing could be the same again.

and took the former president off to exas and out of public life forever.

3 15 moment of genuine transformation after which nothing could be the same again. As Obama headed back into the Capitol building at the end of the ceremony, clouds began rolling over what had until then been a pure blue sky. But there was one final, rousing cheer as the helicopter carrying George W Bush rose over the gleaming dome of government and took the former president off to exas and out of public life forever. Guardian News & Media 2009 irst published in he Guardian, 20/01/09 3 Language he author uses some very nice language in the article. Look back and find a phrase that means: one short but important event in history and politics (para 1) the (sunny) roof of the government building (para 4) extremely cold (para 5) the sound was carried all the way down from the front to the back of the crowd (para 6) the people looking up at him (in the sun) (para 7) the financial crisis in the USA (para 13) the weather got worse (para 15) PHOOCOPIABLE ROM WEBSIE

4 4 Collocations Match the word pairs from the article. verb-noun word pairs deliver meet take swear shed challenges time jobs a speech an oath adjective-noun word pairs sombre cloudless enthusiastic thinly-veiled mutual rousing speech applause reference cheer sky respect Write example sentences for four of the collocations (two from each set). 5 Discussion Many people around the world are hoping that the world will change with Obama as President. Why do you think this is? Give some examples. 6 Webquest Watch part of an online video of Obama delivering his inauguration speech. Each student or small group of students should listen to or watch a particular aspect. or example: he words and language structures Obama uses. Obama s use of pauses. Obama s body language. he crowd s response. Obama s accent and pronunciation. How loudly or quietly Obama speaks. he emotional aspect. Who Obama is addressing. PHOOCOPIABLE ROM WEBSIE

5 KEY 1 Key words 3 Language inauguration sombre acknowledge struggling sacrifice oath obstructions grave consequences collective failure shuttered adversaries expedience echoed sentiments transformation 2 ind the information... a single political moment... he glistening cream dome of the Capitol... cold enough to freeze breath he cheer rippled and roared all the way from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol... the shimmering sea of upturned faces... the economic hurricane blowing through America... clouds began rolling over what had until then been a pure blue sky 4 Collocations verb noun word pairs deliver a speech meet challenges take time swear an oath shed jobs eachers notes adjective noun word pairs You can watch Obama s whole 20-minute inauguration speech here: Unless your students are interested in watching the whole video, choose a section approximately five minutes long for ask 6, the Webquest. sombre speech cloudless sky enthusiastic applause thinly-veiled reference mutual respect rousing cheer

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