http://www.economist.com/news/essays/21596796-democracy-was-most-successful-political-idea-20th-century-why-has-it-run-trouble-and-what-can-be-do
TASK A.
Give short definitions of the following:
– Kleptocracy
– Autocracy, autocrat, authoritarian
– Totalitarian form of government
– Freedom House
– Government (give 4 different definitions and translations)
TASK B.
Answer the questions:
1. What were the demands of protesters in Kiev?
2. What are the reasons for democracy’s enduring appeal?
3. What troubling pattern has repeated itself in capital after capital?
4. What was the situation with democracy like in the world of the 2d half of the 20th century? What did the World Forum on Democracy proclaim?
5. Why does the triumph of democracy look less inevitable?
6. What proves that the progress of democracy has stalled in the 21st century?
7. What metaphor is used to characterize the state of democracy in different stages?
TASK C.
Fill in the gaps with the following prepositions:
for | with | over | to | on | in | out |
up | from | by | after | of | off | through |
a)
many decades | на протяжении многих десятилетий |
disillusion politics | разочарование в политике |
aspiration changes | стремление к переменам |
fighting corruption | борьба с коррупцией |
dominate the world | господствовать в мире |
to risk the idea | рисковать ради идеи |
Testimony democracy's enduring appeal | свидетельство постоянной привлекательности демократии |
average | в среднем |
the main square | на главной площади |
b)
But turfing an autocrat turns to be much easier than setting a viable democratic government.
2004 Mr Yanukovych was ousted office vast street protests, only to be re-elected the presidency ( the help huge amounts Russian money) in 2010, the opposition politicians who replaced him turned to be just as hopeless.
Democracy is going a difficult time.
Аutocratic regimes gave way democracy in Greece, Spain, Argentina.
State Department declared that having seen “failed experiments” authoritarian and totalitarian forms government, “it seems that now, at long last, democracy is triumphant.”
Faith in democracy flares moments of triumph.
