Term 3 Unit Practice 2: “What does the word/phrase imply/suggest about…”

1. What does the word ―Darwinian‖ (line 9), suggest when applied to ―global civil society‖ (line 8)? Answer in

your own words as far as possible. [2 m]

Optimistic observers posit a global meritocracy of suffering in which all deserving causes attract international support. But even while a handful of groups such as the Tibetans have capitalised on the globalisation of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOS) and media to promote their causes, thousands of equally

deserving challengers have not found their place in the sun. While the world knows about East Timor, similar insurrections in Indonesian Irian Jaya remain largely off the international radar screen. To groups challenging powerful opponents in these conflicts, global civil society is not an open forum marked by altruism, but a harsh, Darwinian marketplace where legions of desperate groups vie for scarce attention, sympathy, and money.

2. From the phrase ―the response of the international community has been little more than smoke and mirrors‖ (line 37 – 38), what can be said about the international community‘s attitude towards environmental conservation efforts? [1m]

Unfortunately, although the problems are real, the response of the international community has been little more than smoke and mirrors. With much pomp, leaders of 178 nations gathered for the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 with the goal of mobilising, coordinating and financing international action on an ambitious environmental agenda. But the so-called road from Rio, on which the rhetoric of the conference was to be translated into action, has turned out to be a lost highway. Post-Rio environmental treaties have been weak, when they have materialised at all.

3. What does the author imply about the television when she says even the widespread use of the Internet has not eaten into TV time‘ (lines 5-6)? Use your own words as far as possible. [2]

Text

The average American spends four hours a day watching television, and keeps the set turned on for longer than that; the average German, Briton and Frenchman spends over three hours. Watching TV was the single most popular way to spend an evening, Americans said in a recent Gallup poll: three times more so than seeing their friends. And according to research by MTV, even the widespread use of the Internet has not eaten into TV time.

4. What is the writer suggesting in her choice of words ―Unavoidably glimpsing‖ in line 68? [1m]

Unavoidably glimpsing Big Brother this summer, I was truly shocked by the Reality TV shows. I found them utterly degrading in their blatant cheapening of sexuality, their recruitment of victims willing to collaborate in their own exploitation in a desperate search for hyper-reality, or fame. These shows seemed an emblem of a morally vacuous culture, a spiritual hole. There, now I've turned into a Daily Telegraph leader too.

5. What does the phrase ―obscene phone call‖ imply about the writer‘s view on plagiarism? [1m]

Strange: we know that plagiarism may be fatal to reputation. But it is seldom so savage that it actually kills the writer. Plagiarism is usually too squalid and minor to take a part in tragedy; maybe that was the suicide‘s true