Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. pressing (adj.) [pres-ing] – urgent; requiring immediate attention
Example: Pollution
is a pressing matter that needs to be solved by the government.
2. bottleneck (n.) [bot-l-nek] – something that slows down a
process
Example: Language
barrier is one of the bottlenecks I encounter at work.
3. cripple (v.) [krip-uhl] – to cause great damage or to make something
unable to work normally
Example: The union
strike crippled the company’s operation.
4. rapid (adj.) [rap-id] – done or occurring in a short period of time
Example: The
strong economy brought rapid changes to transportation.
5. pastime (n.) [pas-tahym, pahs-] – an activity that you enjoy during your free
time
Example: My
brother's pastime is trying out different kinds of food.
Article
Read the text below.
Read the text below.
Vietnam's
new transport minister, Dinh La Thang, has banned officials from playing golf
to encourage them to focus more with their work.
Thang has
been known for controversial initiatives. When he took over as transport
minister in August, he required senior staff to use the bus at least once a
week to solve the pressing traffic problem. He also removed the
official in charge of building a new international airport terminal in Danang,
Central Vietnam, because of slow construction.
He thinks
that banning officials from playing golf will give them more time to solve
problems like traffic jams, road accidents, and infrastructure bottlenecks
that cripple the country’s economy.
Meanwhile,
Pham Tang Loc, head of the Transport Ministry’s Personnel Department added that
in a very crucial time for Vietnam, senior officials should concentrate on
completing important projects instead of wasting time and money on golf.
Golf has
been popular to senior officials and businessmen in Vietnam since the late
1980s. This has resulted to a rapid conversion of
agricultural land to golf courses, which only benefit a few investors and
golfers.
While
officials may be banned from playing golf, they are not prohibited to engage in
other pastimes such as drinking, visiting karaoke parlors or
playing tennis.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion
A
·
Do you think that engaging in sports
(e.g., golf) makes officials lose focus on their work?
·
Must government officials be banned
from other activities besides golf? Why or why not?
Discussion B
·
What can motivate officials to work
more seriously?
·
Are the citizens of your country
contented with the kind of government service that they get?
