Article for masters
IRAN AND U.S. IN TALKS TO REVIVE NUCLEAR DEAL
(8TH APRIL, 2021)
Talks between Iran and the USA to revive
the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are set to resume. At this early stage, the
discussions will be indirect and there will be no face-to-face meetings between
high-level officials. The discussions will take place in Vienna and European
officials will act as intermediaries. On the table is the revival of the 2015
pact under which economic sanctions on Iran were eased in return for curbs on
Iran's nuclear program. This pact was intended to make it harder for Iran to
develop nuclear weapons and was abandoned by Donald Trump under his
administration. Officials in Tehran have always denied they have had any
intentions to develop such weapons.
Negotiators on both sides say the talks will be difficult and neither
side foresees any early breakthroughs. US President Joe Biden is keen to
re-engage with Iran and revive the nuclear deal. He hopes Iran will resume its
compliance with the 2015 deal. US negotiator Robert Malley said: "The
primary issues to be discussed are actually quite simple. They are, on the one
hand, the nuclear steps that Iran would need to take to return to compliance
with the 2015 nuclear accord, and on the other hand, the sanctions-relief steps
that the United States would need to take." Iran said it is ready to "reverse
its remedial measures, which were taken because of the opposite side's
violation of the treaty."
Vocabulary
Paragraph 1
|
1. |
revive |
a. |
A thing one set out to do; an aim or plan. |
|
2. |
resume |
b. |
A person who acts as a link between people in order to try to bring about
an agreement. |
|
3. |
intermediary |
c. |
Stop from happening; restrain or keep in check. |
|
4. |
pact |
d. |
Bring back to how it was before. |
|
5. |
curb |
e. |
Having been deserted or cast off. |
|
6. |
abandoned |
f. |
Begin to do or pursue something again after a pause or interruption |
|
7. |
intention |
g. |
A formal agreement between individuals or parties. |
Paragraph 2
|
8. |
negotiator |
h. |
The action or fact of following a wish or command. |
|
9. |
foresee |
i. |
Action taken by a nation to get another nation to conform to an
international agreement. |
|
10. |
breakthrough |
j. |
The action of breaking rules. |
|
11. |
compliance |
k. |
Be aware of beforehand; predict. |
|
12. |
sanctions |
l. |
Giving or intended as a cure. |
|
13. |
remedial |
m. |
A sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development. |
|
14. |
violation |
n. |
A person who conducts talks and discussions. |
Before reading / listening
1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or
false (F).
1. There will be high-level face-to-face meetings at the talks.
T / F
2. The talks will take place in the city of Vienna.
T / F
3. Officials from Asia and Africa will act as intermediaries at the talks.
T / F
4. Donald Trump's government abandoned the 2015 pact.
T / F
5. The negotiators say they predict a few early breakthroughs.
T / F
6. A U.S. negotiator said the primary issues are extremely complicated. T / F
7. The U.S. negotiator said he would talk about sanctions-relief steps.
T / F
8. Iran said it is ready to reverse remedial measures it took.
T / F
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.
1. revive
2. intermediaries
3. pact
4. intended
5. denied
6. foresees
7. compliance
8. primary
9. steps
10.
violation
a. breach
b. agreement
c. anticipates
d. refuted
e. go-betweens
f. adherence
g. measures
h. resuscitate
i. main
j. meant
3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)
1. set
2. At this early
3.
there will be no
face-to-face
4. economic
5. denied they
6. neither side foresees
any
7. resume its compliance
8. steps that Iran would
9.
Iran said it is
ready to reverse
10.
the opposite side's violation
a. have had any
intentions
b. with the 2015 deal
c. need to take
d. stage
e. of the treaty
f. sanctions
g. to resume
h. its remedial measures
i. meetings
j. early breakthroughs
Multiple choice quiz
1) At what stage of the meetings will
discussions be indirect?
a) stage three
b) at the early stages
c) towards the end
d) in the middle
2) In what European city will the discussions take place?
a) Berlin
b) Paris
c) London
d) Vienna
3) What things were eased in the 2015 pact?
a) economic sanctions in Iran
b) discussions
c) tensions
d) demands
4) What was the pact intended to make it harder for Iran to do?
a) sell nuclear power
b) buy nuclear weapons
c) develop nuclear weapons
d) use nuclear power
5) Who said Iran never had any intentions to develop nuclear weapons?
a) the US president
b) officials in Tehran
c) Iran's president
d) negotiators
6) What do negotiators not foresee in the talks?
a) early breakthroughs
b) a miracle
c) any progress
d) friction
7) Who is keen to re-engage with Iran?
a) the world
b) Iran's neighbours
c) the US president
d) China
8) What did a U.S. negotiator say about the primary issues?
a) they are quite simple
b) they are secondary
c) not much
d) a lot
9) What kinds of steps did the negotiator say the US would need to take?
a) sanctions-relief steps
b) baby steps
c) dance steps
d) complicated steps
10) What did Iran say it would reverse?
a) its decisions
b) its policies
c) nuclear fission
d) remedial measures
Put the words in the right order
1.
discussions
this be early will
At stage, indirect .
2.
will
officials . There meetings
between face-to-face no be
3.
return
. were Iran sanctions
eased on Economic in
4.
make
harder . it This to
was pact intended
5.
have
had any they Denied
to intentions develop .
6.
He
resume Iran will its
hopes compliance .
7. actually are to discussed
simple . be Issues quite
8.
the
nuclear to accord .
with 2015 Return compliance
9. sanctions-relief States The
steps would the need
. United
10.
said
ready measures . Iran
it's to reverse remedial
