Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in
today’s article.
1. editorial (n.) [ed-i-tawr-ee-uhl] – an article in a
newspaper or magazine that expresses the opinion of the writer
Example: The city mayor expressed his gratitude
to the people who voted for him in an editorial
last Tuesday.
2. diplomacy (n.) [dih-ploh-muh-see] – in government and
politics, it is the skill or practice of managing international relations between countries and
states
Example: The United Nations promotes
peace by encouraging diplomacy
between its member- states.
3. uprising (n.) [uhp-rahy-zing] – rebellion or revolt
against an authority usually a government of a state or country
Example: Our country has learned so many
lessons from the past uprisings.
4. criticism (n.) [krit-uh-siz-uhm] – a spoken or written
opinion (usually unfavorable) about qualities of somebody or something
Example: The newspaper company received
a lot of criticisms from readers
after publishing a false report.
5. blatant (adj.) [bleyt-nt] – obvious and direct
Example: Smoking in public areas is a blatant violation of the Anti-smoking
law.
Article (10
minutes)
Read the text below.
Apple has recently pulled out a mobile application called "The
Third Intifada" in its app store after the government of Israel sent a letter
asking them to remove it for its anti-Israel contents.
This mobile application, written in Arabic, allowed users to post photos
and comments against Israel and its policies. It also announced upcoming
protests and featured news stories and editorials
in Arabic with links to nationalistic Palestinian songs and videos.
In the letter, Israel Minister for Diplomacy
Yuli Edelstein wrote that “The Third Intifada”, by its name, was anti-Israel
because it encouraged an uprising
against the country. In Arabic, “Intifada” means "shaking off", a
word used to describe a revolt or rebellion.
Historically, Palestinians already had two intifadas in 1987 and 2000,
respectively. Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians suffered during the second
intifada.
Several months ago, Facebook also had to remove a similar page set up by
activists calling for a third intifada. The removal came after Facebook faced criticisms from the Israeli government
and pro-Israel organizations. Edelstein added that the page was a blatant abuse of freedom of speech.
Viewpoint
Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Who do you think is more responsible in the
approval of mobile applications, the company producing the applications or the
government?
·
What steps do you think should be taken to avoid
the existence of these kinds of applications?
Discussion B
·
Do you think that there should be a limit to this
right?
·
In what situations do you think should people voice
their opinions?