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