противостоять угрозе распространения оружия массового уничтожения», — добавил он.

SECTION B

I

1. Read the interview and Look up the underlined words and phrases in a dictionary.

Interviewer — Director of the Institute of the USA and Canada. Interviewee — Analyst and expert on Russian-American relations.

QUESTION: US and Russian presidents are meeting on Friday. What «sharp angles», if any, now exist in relations between the two countries?

ANSWER: Russia and the US have some issues over which they disagree. We and the Americans do not exactly see eye to eye on the Iraqi issue, and on a number of other problems such as NATO's expansion, and some problems in the military and political field. But their existence does not alter the central feature — that today we are witnessing the consolidation of a new model of Russian-American relations, a partnerlike model, one that emerged following September 11, with Russia and the US recognizing a common enemy — international terrorism — and acknowledging common interests in other fields as well.

QUESTION: Can we say that Russia and US relations are much closer than those between NATO allies?

ANSWER: Indeed, the Europeans and the Americans have very serious disagreements, not only in the economy, where the European Union and the United States have always been main rivals, but also in the political area. And here I can state that on some issues Russia and the US are closer to each other. This concerns many aspects of the struggle against international terrorism and some other issues of global security, where the Europeans hold a position different from the US, or do not show a particular interest in these problems at all.

But on other major problems, such as the role of the UN, or the UN Security Council in the modern world, and the Iraqi issue, Russia and Europe are closer than the US and Europe or the US and Russia. We now have a kind of triangle — Russia, the United States and Europe — where on most issues the sides are agreed and understand each other, but on some there are discrepancies. A distinctive feature of the present-day situation is that our disagreements with America and the European Union are not greater than those between the US and the EU, and in some instances the differences among western allies are much more serious.

QUESTION: What option in Iraq will suit the US — an obedient Baghdad or one resisting inspections? What does the US actually want from Iraq?

ANSWER: Different groups in Washington give different assessments of the situation. And if the inspections show that Iraq does have weapons of mass destruction (WMD) then the use of force will become very likely. If the inspections present convincing evidence that Iraq is violating the UN resolutions, then, as 10 years ago, the UNSecurity Council may mandate the use of force against Baghdad. But if the outcome of inspections is unclear and unpersuasive, then the Europeans, the Chinese and many others would not think that Iraq breached its commitments. And this is a case where the Americans may resort to unilateral action. That is, the party of war in Washington in the case of unclear reports from international inspectors would take an international forceful action without a new UN Security Council resolution.

QUESTION: Won't American foreign policy doctrine clash in time with the Russian foreign policy line?

ANSWER: The USA's foreign policy doctrine, proclaiming the role of the US as the only superpower, is in contradiction with the positions taken by all other countries. No one wishes to accept as a norm the situation when one state decides for all. Neither we, nor the Europeans, nor the Chinese agree with that. But any doctrine, I want to remind you,

is a declarative document. Real politics never matches the doctrine, it is connected with circumstances or some or other factors associated both with domestic political issues and with an alignment of forces on the world stage.

2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases.

To breach one's commitments; disagreements; discrepancies; to be likely; to emerge; to violate a resolution; a partner-like model; to hold a position; a rival; to resort to (force); the present-day situation; to be in contradiction with; to mandate the use of force; alignment of forces; the only superpower; domestic political issues; unilateral action.

3. Give English equivalents of the following words and phrases.

Соперник; разногласия; распределение/расстановка сил; нарушить свои обязательства; несоответствия; вероятный; нарушить резолюцию; разрешить применение силы; появиться; современная ситуация; вопросы внутренней политики; противоречить; единственная сверхдержава; прибегать к (силе); одностороннее действие; модель сотрудничества в духе партнерства; занимать позицию/придерживаться позиции.

4.Complete the following statements using the active words and phrases.

1.Russia and the USA do not see eye ...

2.But today we are witnessing a consolidation of...

3.Europeans and Americans have many serious...

4.On some issues Europeans hold ...

5.We now have a triangle — ...

6.If the inspectors present evidence that Iraq violates...

7.The USA's foreign policy doctrine...

5.Answer the following questions.

1.Are there any sharp angles between Russia and the USA according to the interview?

2.Have our positions become closer after the September 11 terrorist attacks?

3.Can we say that today Russian position on many international issues is closer to the USA than that of European countries? Give examples.

4.What does the USA want from Iraq?

5.What does American military doctrine proclaim? What to your mind can it lead to?

II

1. Read the article and look up the underlined words and phrases in a dictionary.

On the way to nuclear deal

Verification measures to be discussed at meeting with Russian president

A deal between the United States and Russia to sharply reduce nuclear weapons is «just about done», and the two countries are now looking for ways to verify that theyabide by the proposed limits, US Secretary of State said today.

The US Secretary of State, who is scheduled to meet Russian President on Monday, said discussions were focusing on how to apply verification measures included in the earlier START I and START II arms control treaties to the new limits proposed for offensive weapons.

The US administration has said it was willing to reach a written agreement extending these measures, such as mutual inspections. Asked by reporters whether this agreement could take the shape of a formal treaty, a senior State Department official said today the administration was not ruling out any option.

At a meeting with Russian president in the United States last month, the US President announced he was prepared to reduce the US stockpile to between 1,700 and 2,200 long-range nuclear warheads. Russian president said he was willing to cut his weapons to roughly 2,000 warheads.

«The offensive weapons are just about done. All we have to do is hear a number from them and then talk through the verification and other issues», Secretary of State said on his airplane en route to Moscow, the sixth stop on his tour of European and Central Asian countries. There will be a «big concentration on transparency so both sides know what the other is doing [and on] exchange of information on our various programs».

Secretary of State sounded less optimistic, however, about breakthrough in talks on the ABM Treaty that could allow the US administration to proceed with testing a missile defense, system, now barred by the 1972 accord. US officials consider the treaty outmoded, but Russian president has called it central to maintaining stability between the nuclear powers.

«There is still this disagreement with respect to our missile defense programs», Secretary of State said. «Increasingly, the ABM Treaty constrains what the president feels we must do in order to get our missile defense systems».

While US officials want to scrap the treaty, many in the administration have been willing to reach an interim understanding with Russia that could allow testing to proceed while putting off a final decision about withdrawing from the accord. Secretary of State said he would be seeking «new ideas» in talks with Russian officials about how to permit the Pentagon's test program to move ahead. The United States is eager to proceed in the coming months with tests that could violate the treaty.

Although missile defense remains one of the administration's top foreign policy priorities, the most noticeable progress in talks with Russia has been in the field of reducing offensive weapons, which has become Moscow's priority in nuclear talks.

Although Bush has also called for sharp reductions in warheads, US officials have consistently said they want to avoid a new, burdensome arms control treaty. But in response to Russian president's insistence on written commitments, US president said last month he would be willing to put a new agreement on paper. «We're willing to do this in written form», a senior State Department official repeated today. «Not necessarily a treaty».

«What we don't want to lose is the verification and notifications and other provisions of START I and some of the provisions of START II», Secretary of State said.

In a statement released Friday, the State Department said, «A significant aspect of the START Treaty's regime lies in its use of verifiable methods to monitor its implementation». These include «the right to do on-site inspections and other verification measures». The treaty also calls for «data exchanges and notifications on each side's strategic systems as well as exchanges of telemetry data from missile flight tests».

2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases.

To be scheduled to do smth; to verify; to abide by; to focus on; to apply; verification measures; START I; to rule out; an option; a stockpile; transparency; a breakthrough; the ABM Treaty; testing a missile defense system; outmoded; to constrain; to scrap; to withdraw; an accord; a top foreign policy priority; a notification; a provision; to do onsite inspection.

3. Give English equivalents of the following words and phrases.

Проводить инспекцию на местах; прозрачность; договор по ПРО; средства проверки; уделять внимание; договор СНВ-1; положение/статья договора; запас; вариант; планируется; придерживаться; применять; испытание системы противоракетной обороны; договор; ограничивать; главный приоритет внешней политики; прорыв; разрушать; устареть; уведомление; проверять; выйти (из договора), исключать.

4. Read the article again and complete the following statements using the active words and phrases.

1.The US Secretary of State is scheduled to...

2.Both the US and Russia are now looking for ways to ...

3.The discussions were focusing on how to ...

4.The US President announced he was prepared to reduce ...

5.There will be a big concentration on transparency so ...

6.The Secretary of State sounded less optimistic about a breakthrough in ...

7.US officials consider the ABM treaty outmoded, but Russian president...

8.The ABM Treaty constrains...

9.US officials want to scrap ...

10.Missile defense remains...

11.What the US does not want to lose is ...

12.Verification measures include ...

5.Answer the questions on the article.

1.Who is the US Secretary of State scheduled to meet?

2.What deal does the article focus on?

3.What ways do Russia and USA look for in the nuclear field?

4.What do the discussions between the Russian president and US Secretary of State focus on?

5.What is the US president prepared to do?

6.Does the US Secretary of State sound optimistic about any breakthrough in the talks?

7.How do the US officials consider the ABM treaty?

8.What does the ABM Treaty constrain?

9.What remains one of the US administration's top foreign policy priorities?

10.What important provisions are there in the START I and START II agreements?

6.Using the «package words» express your agreement or disagreement with the following.

1.The discussions between the Russian president and the US Secretary of State focus on human rights issues.

2.The US administration considers the ABM Treaty outmoded.

3.The ABM Treaty does not prevent the US administration from developing its missile defense systems.

4.The reduction of offensive weapons is Moscow's top foreign policy priority.

7.Retell the article using the active words and phrases.

8.Questions for discussion.

1.What is the US position on the missile defense systems?

2.What is Russian position on the missile defense systems?

3.Why do you think the US administration considers the ABM Treaty outmoded?

4.How does the US stance on the missile defense system and its desire to scrap treaties in this field may affect international security?

5.What do you think both sides should do to come to an agreement?

III

Translate the following text into English.

Визит в Россию представителей администрации США

ВАШИНГТОН /ИТАР-ТАСС/. Отправляющаяся на этой неделе в Москву группа высокопоставленных сотрудников администрации США намерена обсудить с российским правительством не только экономическую ситуацию в РФ и ряд внешнеполитических вопросов, но и проблемы нераспространения ядерных и ракетных технологий. Об этом сообщил в беседе с корреспондентом ИТАР-ТАСС официальный представитель Белого дома.

Он подчеркнул, что продолжающиеся в России финансово-экономические трудности беспокоят Соединенные Штаты по поводу утечек из страны технологий и материалов.

По его словам, сейчас между США и Россией установлен хороший канал для обсуждения этих проблем.

Представитель Белого дома подтвердил, что особую озабоченность США выражают по поводу сотрудничества России с Ираном, который они подозревают в стремлении заполучить ядерное оружие и новые средства его доставки. Однако правительство России неоднократно заявляло, что его сотрудничество с Тегераном носит исключительно мирный характер и не нарушает никаких международных соглашений в области нераспространения.