Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today

Level 2 Intermediate

1 Key words

Matchthefollowingwordswiththedenitions.

obstructions struggling expedience oath adversaries inauguration

transformation sentiments grave collective failure
shuttered acknowledge consequence echoedsacricesombre

1. The day on which a recently elected US president begins his job. _____________________ (title)
2. Sad, serious, gloomy. _____________________ (para 2)
3. To accept or admit that something exists, is true, or is real. _____________________ (para 2)
4. Tryinghard.Havingtoghttokeepitselfgoing._____________________(para2)
5. Theactofgivingupsomethingimportantorvaluablesothatyouorotherpeoplecandoorhave
something else. _____________________ (para 3)
6. Aformalpromise._____________________(para4)
7. Thingsthattrytopreventsomeonefromdoingsomethingortopreventsomethingfromhappening.
_____________________ (para 5)
8. Soseriousthatyoufeelworried._____________________(para7)
9. Aresultoreffectofsomething._____________________(para8)
10. Thelackofsuccessofallmembersofagroup,orthepeopleofthecountry.____________________(para8)
11. Closed, or (here) ceased trading. _____________________ (para 9)
12. Ones enemies or opponents. _____________________ (para 9)
13. Speed, especially when used to get an immediate result. _____________________ (para 10)
14. Expressedtheideasorfeelingsthatsomeoneelsehasexpressed._____________________(para13)
15. Beliefsorattitudestowardssomething._____________________(para14)
16. Agreatchangeortheprocessbywhichthishappens._____________________(para14)

2 Find the information

Skim-read the article and decide whether the sentences are true (T) or false (F).

1. Therehavebeen44previouspresidentsintheUnitedStates.
2. Obama expects the American people to change their behaviour.
3. The weather in Washington on 20 January 2009 was cold, sunny and dry.
4. It is thought that slaves helped to build the US Capitol building in Washington.
5. Thecentraltopicsofthespeechwerewar,torture,jobs,housingandteenagepregnancies.
6. Obama denied that global warming is a problem.
7. Themaintoneofthespeechwaspositiveanduplifting.
8. Afterthespeech,formerPresidentGeorgeW.BushleftWashingtonforhishomeinTexas.
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NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Intermediate
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Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today
Level 2 Intermediate
Obama inauguration: Let the
remaking of America begin today
Alan Rusbridger in Washington
January 20, 2009
1 BarackHusseinObamatodaybecame44th
presidentoftheUnitedStatesofAmericainfrontof
quitepossiblythelargestcrowdofpeopleeverto
havegatheredinoneplaceforasingle
political moment.
2 As many as two million people in Washingtons
National Mall heard their new president deliver
a sombre 20-minute speech in which he
acknowledgedthatthecountrywasinthemidstof
crisis caught up in wars, its economy struggling
anditsnationalcondenceweakened.
3 He promised the mostly silent crowd that the
challengeswouldbemet,butwarneditwouldtake
time,somesacrice,anewformofpoliticsanda
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.
4 PresidentObamatooktheoathjustaftermidday
underacrispandcloudlessazureskyinfrontofthe
glisteningcreamdomeoftheCapitol,whichwas
partly built by slaves.
5 Theday,coldenoughtofreezebreath,hadbegun
withmillionsofindividualjourneysbycoach,train
andonfootasthecrowdsbeganarrivingbefore
dawn.Thiswastobetheendofthelasteight 12
yearsofRepublicanruleandoftheobstructions
which, at any previous time in history, would have
madetheelectionofanAfricanAmericanpresident
unthinkable.
6 Theyhadcometocelebrateandfordaysthey 13
had been doing just that in parties all over town.
The cheer as Obama swore his oath on Lincolns
Biblerippledandroaredallthewayfromthe
Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol, nearly two
miles away.
7 ButwhenObamaspokeitwasimmediatelyclear
thatthetoneofthisinaugurationwasgrave,
addressedasmuchtothehundredsofmillions
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009
NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Intermediate
tuned in around the world as to the shimmering sea
ofupturnedfacesinfrontofhim.
8 Thatweareinthemidstofcrisisisnowwell
understood, he said. Our nation is at war, against
afarreachingnetworkofviolenceandhatred.Our
economyisbadlyweakened,aconsequenceof
greedandirresponsibilityonthepartofsome,but
alsoourcollectivefailuretomakehardchoicesand
preparethenationforanewage.
9 Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses
shuttered. Our healthcare is too costly; our schools
failtoomanyandeachdaybringsfurtherevidence
that the ways we use energy strengthen our
adversaries and threaten our planet.
10 Inoneofthefewlinestobegreetedbyenthusiastic
applause,heturnedtodefence,proclaimingwe
rejectasfalsethechoicebetweenoursafety
andourideals.Inathinlyveiledreferenceto
Guantnamoandtorturehepromisednotto
abandontheruleoflawandhumanrightsfor
expediencessake.
11 Therewascriticismofhispredecessorspolicies
in his comments on science and the environment.
Hevowedtorestoresciencetoitsrightfulplace
andmadeseveralreferencestoclimatechange,
acknowledgingthethreattoourplanetandsaying
Americawouldinfutureusethesunandthewinds
andthesoilforenergy.
Oninternationalaffairs,hesingledouttheMuslim
world,offeringanewwayforwardbasedonmutual
interest and mutual respect. America would leave
Iraqtoitspeopleandmakehardearnedpeace
inAfghanistan.
Obamasserioustoneandhisacknowledgementof
the economic hurricane blowing through America
echoedRooseveltsspeechatthetimeofthelast
serious global depression, in which an incoming
presidentvowedtospeakthetruth,thewhole
truth,franklyandboldly.
14 The endless crowd listened to the same sentiments
today. They might have wanted to hear something
moreuplifting,but,formany,thedaywasa
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Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today
Level 2 Intermediate

momentofgenuinetransformationafterwhich
nothing could be the same again.

15 AsObamaheadedbackintotheCapitolbuilding
attheendoftheceremony,cloudsbeganrolling
overwhathaduntilthenbeenapurebluesky.But
therewasonenal,rousingcheerasthehelicopter
carryingGeorgeWBushroseoverthegleaming
domeofgovernmentandtooktheformerpresident
offtoTexasandoutofpubliclifeforever.

GuardianNews&Media2009
First published in The Guardian, 20/01/09

3 Language

Theauthorusessomeverynicelanguageinthearticle.Lookbackandndaphrasethatmeans:

1. one short but important event in history and politics (para 1)

__________________________________________________
2. the(sunny)roofofthegovernmentbuilding(para4)
__________________________________________________
3. extremely cold (para 5)
__________________________________________________
4. thesoundwascarriedallthewaydownfromthefronttothebackofthecrowd(para6)
__________________________________________________
5. thepeoplelookingupathim(inthesun)(para7)
__________________________________________________
6. thenancialcrisisintheUSA(para13)
__________________________________________________
7. the weather got worse (para 15)
__________________________________________________
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NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Intermediate
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Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today
Level 2 Intermediate
4 Collocations

1. Match the word pairs from the article.

verb-noun word pairs

deliver challenges
meet time
take jobs
swear a speech
shed an oath

adjective-noun word pairs

sombre speech
cloudless applause
enthusiastic reference
thinly-veiled cheer
mutual sky
rousing respect

2. Write example sentences for four of the collocations (two from each set).

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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. For example:

1. The words and language structures Obama uses.

2.Obamasuseofpauses.
3. Obamas body language.
4.Thecrowdsresponse.
5. Obamas accent and pronunciation.
6.HowloudlyorquietlyObamaspeaks.
7.Theemotionalaspect.
8.WhoObamaisaddressing.
D
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

O DO O
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NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Intermediate
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