3.5. Work with your partner. Discuss the questions below. Use the multi-word verbs.

1. Give two reasons why someone might want to resign from an important position.

2. Think of a scandal that someone has tried to hide from the public.

3. What are some of the ways in which politicians try to win support?

4. What do you think the government or police should be stricter about in your country?

5. What new laws would you like the government to introduce?

3.6. Look at the following statements made during an election campaign. What do you think the idiomatic expressions in italics mean?

1. The government is out of step with public opinion.

2. The Minister said he wanted to keep an open mind on the issue of subsidizing the public transport system.

3. The government has been turning a blind eye to corruption within its own party.

4. People have accused the government of being out of touch with what is really going on in the country.

5. The outcome of the election hangs in the balance. “It’s very close,” said one commentator. “No one can say which side will win.”

• Which of these expressions has a negative connotation? Which has a positive connotation?

3.7. Complete the following sentences, using the idiomatic expressions from the exercise above.

1. I don’t want to decide until I know all the facts. I want to ________.

2. He’s seriously ill. We don’t know if he will live or die. His life ________.

3. I haven’t read any articles on this subject for five years, so I ________ with recent developments.

4. The boss knew his employees were being dishonest, but he did nothing about it. He ________.

5. Her opinions on this matter are ________ with those of the majority of people.

3.8. Work in groups of three. You are publicity writers who have been hired to write a pamphlet for the New Environment Party. Discuss the key issues and slogans you want to use in the pamphlet. Think of ways of criticizing the other parties and encouraging people to vote for you. Write the text for the pamphlet, using the multi-word verbs and expressions.

Political language – and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists – is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an impression of solidity to pure wind. George Orwell

IV. “crisis? what crisis?” (Phrasal verbs and idioms)

4.1. Work in pairs. Read the text and find as many reasons as possible why the statements below are false.

1. The Government’s policy has met with only a little opposition.

2. The Government is prepared to show flexibility.

3. The Government will lose the vote on Wednesday.

4. There is no crisis.

Mps up in arms as pm tries to play down crisis

There was a strong public outcry yesterday when the Government announced its intention to cut public expenditure on health and education. Opposition MPs were up in arms when the statement was read out in the Commons and immediately called for an emergency debate on Wednesday. Nigel Smith, a member of the Opposition, was particularly outspoken in his criticism of the Government.

‘The time has come for all of us to stand up for what we believe in. Our party stands for better health and education in this country, and we will do everything in our power to step up pressure on the Government and force them to back down. We must speak out against this policy and make it clear that it is unacceptable.’

A member of the Cabinet, speaking on behalf of the Government, ruled out any change in policy.

‘The Government is not going to climb down over this issue. There will be no U-turns. We have made the right decision and we are going to stick to it.’

However, the outcome of Wednesday’s vote is by no means certain as several Government MPs are refusing to back their own party. Some political commentators are predicting the downfall of the Government or a politically embarrassing climb-down. What is certain is that if the Opposition win the vote, it will be a serious setback for the Prime Minister and could bring down the Government. There has been mounting criticism of the Government’s performance recently, and now the Prime Minister himself is coming under fire from members of his own party. Last night he tried to play down the seriousness of the situation. When asked about the crisis, he replied: ‘Crisis? What crisis? There is no crisis.’

4.2. Match the multi-word verbs with the definitions.

1. to call for sth	a. to increase or intensify the speed, degree, quantity or quality of sth
2. to stand up for sb/sth	b. to continue to support sth, not abandon or change sth
3. to stand for sth	c. to defend sb / sth that is under attack
4. to step sth up	d. to express your views forcefully and publicly
5. to back down / climb down (over sth)	e. to represent certain ideas or attitudes
6. to speak out (against sth)	f. to make sth appear less important than it really is
7. to stick to sth	g. to demand sth
8. to bring sb / sth down	h. to cause sb / sth to lose power or be defeated
9. to play sth down	i. to admit you are wrong in an argument or dispute and agree to do what sb wants you to do