Say whether the following statements are true or false. Use the introductory phrases for agreement or disagreement.
4. Say whether the following statements are true or false. Use the introductory phrases for agreement or disagreement.
Agreement: Yes, that's true./I can't but agree./Yes, I fully agree.
Disagreement: I'm afraid it's not quite right./No, I can't agree with it./I'm sorry, but that's not correct.
- The US Defense Secretary said that Russia and the USA had signed an accord on weapons reduction.
- The USA and Russia are likely to sign an agreement that the two countries will be obliged to fulfill.
- This agreement will be valid only during the terms of both presidents.
- Large numbers of arms are no longer needed because the situation in tin-world has improved a lot.
- Russia and the United States found other areas of cooperation, such as a struggle against terrorism.
5. Render the article in English using the active words and phrases.
II
1. Read the article and look up the meaning of the underlined words and phrases in a dictionary.
Russians wonder what they'll gain
Disillusionment with Russia's friendship with the USA has grown recently as many Russians see few gains from the relationship. Russia wants to preserve good ties with the USA, according to analysts and lawmakers, yet hard-liners say the president has given up too much to an ungrateful Washington.
The doubts about the United States came after a year of remarkable change. Russian president Putin was the first world leader to call the American president with condolences after the terrorist attacks. Later, he not only allowed US forces to use bases in Central Asia but also agreed to US withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and to NATO membership for the former Soviet republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
He closed Soviet-era bases in Cuba and Vietnam, accepted the deployment of US military advisers to the former Soviet republic of Georgia and swallowed a three-page treaty on strategic arms cuts instead of the pact he wanted.
In return, as Russians see it, they have received little. Overall, foreign direct investment has gone down. Soviet debt has not been restructured or forgiven. Russia is no closer to membership in the World Trade Organization.
Now, as Russian policymakers and opinion leaders study the balance sheet, the United States has failed to live up to many promises of a new partnership envisioned following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, particularly in strengthening economic ties.
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