VIDEO NSA
(‘Merkel calls Obama’, RT America, Oct. 23, 2013)
What did Merkel find out?
discovered she might have been spied on [=tapped]
not even world leaders’ communications are secure [=safe from the watchful eye of the NSA]
How did she react?
gave a call to Obama to demand an explanation [=you have some explaining to do]
said Obama had gone too far (/had stepped out of line) [=‘unacceptable’]
VIDEO NSA
(‘Merkel calls Obama’, RT America, Oct. 23, 2013)
1
What did Obama say?
denied present or future monitoring of Merkel
but left out any mention of potential surveillance in the past would not answer [=specify to] Der Spiegel about that
VIDEO NSA
(‘Merkel calls Obama’, RT America, Oct. 23, 2013)
2
What do you learn about Germany & the NSA?
Germany has already challenged [=taken on] the NSA for being overly (/much too) intrusive (/invasive)
(/for its intrusive [=overarching] spying capabilities)
Germany aside, were other countries spied on?
according to the Snowden disclosures [=leaks] , many
more countries were monitored [=were kept a close eye on]
VIDEO NSA
(‘Merkel calls Obama’, RT America, Oct. 23, 2013)
3
How are Germans reacting?
rushing [=flocking] to their Internet providers for information increasingly concerned over their privacy
/ worried their privacy should be invaded upon (violated) [=keep Big Brother’s nose out of their business]
What information did the journalist repeat twice / conclude on?
that even heads of state & US allies can’t escape the NSA / can’t keep the U.S. spying agency at bay
[=keep their data out of American hands]
VIDEO NSA
(‘Merkel calls Obama’, RT America, Oct. 23, 2013)
4
What novel is the journalist alluding to?
George Orwell‘s anticipation novel 1984 (publ. 1949)
a dystopian universe of mass state surveillance
How can you tell?
this is implicit in:
1. ‘Big Brother’ = Orwell’s fictional dictator
2. ‘the watchful eye’ = a reference to a line of the novel
(‘Big Brother is watching you’ // ‘the eye is watching you’)
5
VIDEO NSA
(‘Merkel calls Obama’, RT America, Oct. 23, 2013)
A possible answer :
• This video relates yet another disclosure on the part of the NSA.
• It was reported that German Chancellor Merkel had been spied on.
• Merkel gave a call to the US President to demand explanations.
• Washington was quick to limit the damage, admitting to (/
acknowledging) no such spying at present or in the near future.
‘Compte-rendu’
VIDEO NSA
(‘Merkel calls Obama’, RT America, Oct. 23, 2013)
1/2
• Yet the White House’s statement was felt to be ambiguous as it kept quiet about monitoring the Chancellor in the past
• The surveillance topic isn’t new to Germany, Merkel having already challenged Obama about it.
• Also, Germans are turning to their service providers as they grow worried over their privacy. (/they feel their privacy is intruded upon)
• Astonishing though it is, even allied heads of state are being watched (/ might be under NSA scrutiny).
‘Compte-rendu’
VIDEO NSA
(‘Merkel calls Obama’, RT America, Oct. 23, 2013)
2/2
Methodology : Pick up on one piece of information & elaborate on it.
Structure your comments. Below are 3 possible Ex.
Ex. 1
: 1.- this was Merkel’s reaction (‘unacceptable’)
- let’s consider another head of state’s (Cameron’s) - whose position is poles apart from Merkel’s
- security may prevail on privacy
2. a debate which breaks down into simple terms:
- privacy vs. safety (/security)
- drawing the line somewhere is harder than it seems (/strike a balance /find a trade-off)
VIDEO NSA
(‘Merkel calls Obama’, RT America, Oct. 23, 2013)
‘Commentary’ 1/3
Methodology : Pick up on one piece of information & elaborate on it.
Structure your comments. Below are 3 possible Ex.
Ex. 2
: 1.- Does spying on Merkel come as a suprise? (2* ‘not even’) - it shouldn’t = that’s what intelligence is all about
(/nothing new under the sun) (/not newsworthy, as such)
2. the ‘Merkelgate’ simply reveals just how intrusive the NSA really is = yet another leak, perhaps one too many) - has sparked controversy in recent months
- led to the moderate NSA reform announced mid Jan.
VIDEO NSA
(‘Merkel calls Obama’, RT America, Oct. 23, 2013)
‘Commentary’ 2/3
Methodology : Pick up on one piece of information & elaborate on it.
Structure your comments. Below are 3 possible Ex.
Ex. 3
: 1.- Germans ‘flocking’ to their service providers: useless?
- Europe might put pressure on the US, opinion surveys may be carried out, and referendums held, ..
2.
- won’t amount to much unless the US tackles the issue - any hope for reform ultimately rests with the US itself - and Obama’s NSA reform bill is insufficient (/won’t make much of a difference) (called ‘cosmetic’ by the Guardian)
VIDEO NSA
(‘Merkel calls Obama’, RT America, Oct. 23, 2013)
