Nina da Cunha Esteves

130321015
Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Faculdade de Ciências Humanas
Inglês

English MidTerm Test - 4/11/2022

What is Investigative Journalism?

Investigative Journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters go in-depth to
investigate a single story that may uncover corruption, review government policies or of
corporate houses, or draw attention to social, economic, political or cultural trends. An
investigative journalist, or team of journalists, may spend months or years researching a
single topic. Unlike conventional reporting, where reporters rely on materials supplied by
the government, NGOs and other agencies, investigative reporting depends on material
gathered through the reporter’s own Initiative. The practice aims at exposing public matters
that are otherwise concealed, either deliberately or accidentally.

Trouble in Paradise? The Paradise Papers and the Ethics of Lawful

Tax Avoidance
Just last week, a group of investigative journalists unveiled a new source of records known as
the Paradise Papers. Following on the heels of the Panama Papers, this stash of records sent
from an anonymous source gives us a closer look at how wealthy individuals and
multinational corporations hide their assets in offshore jurisdictions, including
Caribbean island nations.

The reaction to the Paradise Papers has been less explosive than it was to the Panama
Papers. One key reason is that most, if not all, of the activity is legal—only one criminal
indictment has been filed (in India) since the papers started making the headlines. By
contrast, the Panama Papers led to the arrest of the law firm partners at the center of the
controversy for money laundering relating to illicit activities.

The Panama Papers may simply be a brief “lifestyles of the rich and famous” mini-series.
At the same time, the leaked documents show us pervasive patterns of the rich and powerful
moving their money as a tax avoidance strategy.

It may be highlighting to the less powerful citizens in many countries that while their taxes
are going to pay for police, roads, and essential services, others who can move money (and
often change citizenship) are not always sharing the burden. We are still in the early days of
revelations, however, and the sheer number of names linked to the papers may lead to
further pressure for regulatory reform.

What Are the Paradise Papers?

The Paradise Papers is the name for a leak of more than 13 million files, which span a period
from 1950 up to 2016. Of those roughly 13 million documents, 6.8 million are linked to one
law firm, Appleby, an offshore legal service provider.
It has offices in such prime offshore locations as Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the
Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Mauritius, and Seychelles, as well as the
bustling financial centers of Hong Kong and Shanghai. Its trust arm was subject to a
management buyout and is now called Estera. Appleby reportedly has 31,000 or more
American clients.
These papers were received by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung (“SZ”), who had
previously received the Panama Papers. SZ partnered with the International Consortium of
Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a US-based collaborative, to coordinate a global
dissemination of the documents among other journalists. This led newspapers such as the
New York Times to provide front-page coverage of key discoveries.

What Do the Papers Reveal?

The papers provide a sneak peek at how major companies and wealthy individuals—political
oligarchs and celebrities—stash their money. This is a veritable who’s who of the global elite,
politicians from all sides, and major multinationals. Apple, for example, is highlighted in
recent headlines. It needed a new tax home for two of its subsidiaries after Ireland, a former
shelter for its earnings, changed its tax policy. In addition, the European Commission
ordered Ireland to collect back taxes of up to $14.5 billion from Apple, finding that the
previous tax agreement between Ireland and Apple was the equivalent of illegal state aid.

Twitter and Facebook have investments that are now traced back to Russian state
financial institutions. Russian billionaire Yuri Milner has major stakes in both companies.
The Paradise Papers show that via a mind-boggling maze of offshore shell companies, the
Twitter investment was backed by VTB, a Russian state-controlled bank often used for deals
important to the Russian state.
Queen Elizabeth is also a subject of the leak. Her wealth advisors have invested 10 million
pounds in a Cayman Islands fund. One of her investments is in a retailer accused of
exploiting poor families in Britain via a high-interest “rent to own” business. The company,
BrightHouse, charges high interest rates on furniture it rents to some of the UK’s poorest
consumers.
Names such as Bono from U2 and Madonna have also been leaked. It’s surprising to see
someone like Bono, who has long campaigned against the tyranny of foreign debt on
developing nations, to have investments tied in offshore funds.
As those named in the papers contend, “it’s legal.” But it isn’t a victimless act when
companies and the wealthy shield their money from governments.

What’s Different? Panama Versus Paradise

Panama is considered the black sheep of the offshore world. Experts describe it as one
of the least improved tax havens. The Panama Papers revealed that the country was being
used primarily by the business and political elites of Russia, China, and Brazil. These are
countries where the governments are closely linked to business and which are less likely to
use new regulatory tools to pursue tax evaders.
Hence, relatively few Americans or Europeans were caught in the Panama story.
Mossack Fonseca, the law firm at the center of the leak has since been implicated in criminal
activity. The Panama Papers alluded to Panama as a haven for illicit proceeds of corruption
or crime.
The Consequences of Tax Avoidance—Moving Beyond the Veil of Legality
Why are the elite using these offshore vehicles to hide their wealth?
One reason is clear: avoiding higher tax rates in jurisdictions where they are located or
engaging in activity. Second, they may wish to obscure the nature of their investments.
Universities that are investing in fossil fuel, for example, may not want their stakeholders to
know this. As Queen Elizabeth’s investment shows—it may not be desirable to be linked to
certain kinds of investments. Each fund or transaction, or asset such as a yacht or jet is not
subject to tax. And it’s hidden from the public’s prying eyes.
The papers set out the myriad ways in which companies and individuals can avoid tax using
trusts and other artificial structures such as shell companies. Politicians and researchers
around the world are beginning to ask whether they should be banned. Are they
fair? Are they moral? Has tax avoidance gone too far? Have we crossed an ethical boundary
that needs to be fixed? And even if the structures are legal, is everyone who has funds in
these offshore locations declaring income and paying taxes when required to do so?

What is the relationship between Terrorism and the Media?

Amongst the first uses of the term ‘terrorist’ were in the context of the French Revolution.
Philosophers such as Edmund Burke described terrorists as:
‘the satellites of tyranny let loose on the people’ Letters on a Regicide Peace (1795)

Today, some consider there to be over 100 different definitions of ‘terrorism’ (Schmid and
Jongman 1988).

Here are some contemporary definitions:

a) “The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence against individuals or property in
an attempt to coerce or intimidate governments or societies to achieve political, religious or
ideological objectives” (NATO Definition)

b) “It is the use of violence or threat of violence in the pursuit of political, religious,
ideological or social objectives” (US Code of Law)

c) “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit
of political aims.” (top definition on Google)

On the Limitations of Defining ‘Terrorism’

“There is no general consensus on the definition of terrorism. The difficulty of defining
terrorism lies in the risk it entails of taking positions. The political value of the term
currently prevails over its legal one. Left to its political meaning, terrorism easily falls prey to
change that suits the interests of particular states at particular times.

The Taliban and Osama bin Laden were once called freedom fighters (mujahideen) and
backed by the CIA when they were resisting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Now they
are on top of international terrorist lists.

Today, the United Nations views Palestinians as freedom fighters, struggling against the
unlawful occupation of their land by Israel, and engaged in a long-established legitimate
resistance, yet Israel regards them as terrorists. Israel also brands the Hizbullah of Lebanon
as a terrorist group, whereas most of the international community regards it as a legitimate
resistance group, fighting Israel's occupation of Southern Lebanon.”
Sami Zeidan, Lebanese Diplomat and Scholar
(Source: Wikipedia)

Spotlight Movie:
Spotlight is a group of investigative journalists from the Boston Globe.
Marty Baron - The Editor
Sacha Pfeiffer - Spotlight Reporter
Michael Rezendes - Spotlight Reporter
Matty Carroll - Spotlight Reporter
Walter Robinson - Editor of Spotlight Team
Ben Bradley - Spotlight Reporter
Mitchell Garabedian - Lawyer who represents victims of sexual abuse
Phil Saviano - Founder of SNAP Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
Cardinal Law - Archbishop Emeritus of Boston 1984-2002
Eric McLeash - Lawyer who represented victims of sexual abuse in the 1990s

Complete the quotes…

Bishop: Sheila, you know what good work the church does in the community. I give you my
personal guarantee that I’m going to take Father out of the parish and this will never
happen again.

Marty: Well, apparently this priest molested kids in six different parishes over the last
thirty and the attorney for the victims, Mr..
Eileen: Garabedian
Marty: Thanks, Eileen. Mr. Garabedian says Cardinal Law found out about it fifteen years
ago and did nothing.

parish - paróquia, parishes - paroquianos

Marty: Well, I don’t know what the laws are here, but in Florida we would go to court.

Ben: You want to sue the church?

Marty: Technically, we wouldn’t sue the Church. We would file a motion to lift the seal on
those documents.

Saviano: You guys gotta understand, this is big. It’s not just Boston, it’s the whole country,
the whole world And it goes right up to the Vatican
Mike: Do you have any proof of that, Phil?
Saviano: No not yet, but think about it, there are so many of them, how else could they have
hidden it for so long?

Joe Crowley: Yeah. I know what you must be thinking, why would I ever do that with some
creepy guy thirty years older than me.
But you have to understand, this was the first time in my life that someone told it was ok to
be gay. And he was a priest.
Joe Crowley: It really messed me up. I’m sober now but that was the beginning of it all.
It’s very confusing, you know, to be introduced to sex like that and then to be attracted to
men…

Patrick McSorley: You can use my name if you want.

Mike: Thanks, Patrick.
Patrick McSorley: Don’t thank me, just get that a**hole, will you?
(He exits. Mike lets out a breath. It’s a lot, even for him)
Garabedian: He’s one of the lucky ones. He’s still alive.

KEY POINTS: Grooming

Throughout the movie there are various conversations surrounding the priests’ process of
seeking out, grooming and victimizing children from especially vulnerable families: those in
poverty, single mothers, and LGBT children.

Saviano: I was eleven. I was preyed upon by Father David Holley in Worcester. And I
don’t mean prayed for. I mean preyed upon.

KEY POINTS: Institutions and Power

A survivor describes a time when a priest sexually abused him in his home as a child. He
disclosed the abuse and the archbishop visited the home as a result.
Sacha asks the survivor what did this mother do?

“Do?” He replied incredulously, “She put out freakin’ cookies”

And when asked how she felt when Cardinal Law (who was the archbishop at the time)
visited, she said , “God came to our house”.

Spotlight Lead In
Spotlight is a 2015 American biographical drama film directed by Tom McCarthy. The film
follows The Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” team, the oldest continuously operating newspaper
investigative journalist unit in the United States and its investigation into cases of
widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Roman Catholic
Priests.
It is based on a series of stories by the “Spotlight” team that earned The Globe the 2003
Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
The film stars Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci,
Brian D’Arcy James, Liev Schreiber and Billy Crudup.

Interview Mark Ruffalo

1. Why was Mark Ruffalo interested in the film?
Mark Ruffalo was interested in the film because while reading the script, he felt that
it was the right time to tell this story, the world needed to know. He says that it had a
particular reach at the time that the Boston Globe published, but he felt that by
making a movie it would get to more people. Mark felt that the story was honest.
 2. What makes a ‘great reporter’ in the eyes of Ruffalo?
The actor believes that a great reporter dedicates his life to his work. He learned that
while working with Michael Rezendes.
3. What are Michael Rezendes thoughts on the film?
Michael was pleased with how real the movie was. The journalist says that the film is
‘incredibly authentic’ by capturing the substances and spirit of what they did in the
Boston Globe.
4. What does Ruffalo describe as ‘one of the more horrific aspects of the
story’?
Mark says that the religious aspect makes this story surprising because not many
people expect there to be a predator or a direct evil in a ‘sacred’ institution. One of the
most horrific aspects of the story is that it destroys someone’s faith.
5. According to Ruffalo, what type of children did certain priests prey upon?
And why were they mainly boys?
The priests preyed upon children who didn’t have father figures and were vulnerable.
They looked for kids that they thought wouldn’t speak out. The reason that they chose
predominantly boys is because they were the ones that were easily victimized. The
priests believed that the boys would be ashamed and therefore, wouldn’t speak out.

Relative Clauses:
Add information to the sentence (essential or extra information) without the need to start
another sentence.
Relative Clauses modify a word, phrase or idea in the main clause.
Introduced by a relative pronoun (that, who, whom, whose, which, where, when and why)
i.e a pronoun that introduces a relative clause referring to some antecedent.
We use who for people (and sometimes animals, especially if they are pets), which for
things, where for places and when for times. We can use that instead of who, which or
when (but never whose) as long as there is no comma before the relative pronoun.

Defining and non-defining Relative Clauses

Non defining:
E.g.: My grandfather, who is 87, goes swimming every day.
It adds extra information to the sentence. If we take the relative clause out of the sentence,
the sentence still has the same meaning.

Defining:
E.g.: I’m going to wear the dress which I bought in London.
It adds important information. The sentence would have a different meaning without the
defining relative clause.

I have one brother.

My brother who lives in Sidney came to see me last month.
My brother, who lives in Sidney, came to see me last month.

If you want it to sound more formal, use which

Relative pronouns: who, whom

Object Relative Clauses:
E.g.: I went fishing with John.
● John is the friend with whom I went fishing. (not whom I went fishing with)
● John is the friend who I went fishing with.

Subject Relative Clauses:

E.g.: Claire got the job instead of me.
● Claire is the girl who got the job instead of me.

Conclusion:
Whom - human referents; object clauses; very formal; usually preceded by a preposition
Who - human referents; suitable for both object and subject clauses

Possessive Relative Pronoun: whose

Whose
of whom
possessive pronoun
relative pronoun

E.g.:
● Whose camera is this?
● Several guests, whose cars were parked outside, were waiting at the door.

Omitting the Relative Pronoun

In defining object clauses:
● I’ve found the keys (which) I’ve been looking for.
● John is the friend (who) I went fishing with.

Which/who + to be:
● Jim was the only one of his platoon (who) had not been taken prisoner.
Jim was the only one of his platoon not taken prisoner.
● By 4.30 there was only one paiting, which had not been sold.
By 4.30, there was only one painting not sold.

We suggested a lot of things, which were all rejected.

Everything that we suggested was rejected.

The whole summer was sunny and warm, for a change.

The whole summer was sunny and warm which made for a nice change.

1. Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh. He wrote the Sherlock

Holmes stories.
Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote Sherlock Holmes, was born in Edinburgh.
2. Loch Ness is 37 km long. People know it for its friendly monster.
Loch Ness, which is known for its friendly monster, is 37 km long.
3. There we met an old man. He told us that he had seen Nessie.
An old man, who we met, told us that he had seen Nessie.
 4. We then traveled to a mountain. The mountain is near the town of Fort
William.
We then traveled to a mountain which is near the town of Fort William.

Rewrite the following sentences, beginning as shown and either joining two sentences into
one by means of a relative pronoun or using the word given. Please pay attention to commas
in non-defining clauses

1. My uncle is currently visiting me. He lives in Barcelona.

My…
My uncle, who lives in Barcelona, is currently visiting me.

2. My best friend told me the most extraordinary secret.

I…
was told the most extraordinary secret by my friend.
3. Jacob will take care of our dog during the Christmas holidays. LOOK
During…
the Christmas holidays, Jacob will look after our dog.
4. A wok is a pan. The pan is used to sauté vegetables.
A…
wok is a pan that / which is used to sauté vegetables.

5. People say that we really look like our mother TAKE

People …
say that we really take after our mother.

6. Julie stopped the car outside the cinema. UP

Julie…
pulled up the car outside the cinema.
7. “Please, don’t tell anyone.”
He…
asked/ begged not to tell anyone.
8. In five years' time there will be no houses in this street. DEMOLISHED
In five years' time they …
will have demolished all the houses in this street.
9. São Paulo is one of the biggest cities in the world. It is home to a large
Japanese community.
São Paulo…
,which is one of the biggest cities in the world, is home to a large Japanese
community.

10. Those of you who did not give in their names last week must do so today.
Unless you...
have given in your names last week you must do so today.
Phrasal Verbs:
A phrasal verb is made up of: main verb + preposition
Eg: keep up with, look down on, put up with…

Typically, their meaning is not obvious from the meanings of the individual words
themselves.
Examples:
She has always looked down on me.
Fighting broke out among a group of 40 men.
I’ll see to the animals.
Don’t put me off, I’m trying to concentrate.
The report spelled out the need for more staff.

Transitivity
Phrasal verbs can be intransitive (i.e. they have no object):
● We broke up two years ago.
● They set off early to miss the traffic.
● He pulled up outside the cottage.

or transitive (i.e. they can have an object):

● The police were called to break up the fight.
● When the door is opened, it sets off an alarm.

List of Phrasal Verbs to Learn:

1. Add up
- To make sense : to seem to be logical or true.
Example: “Her story didn’t add up, I think she was lying, it didn’t make sense”
2. Bear out
- To prove to be right or justified; confirm. Example: The test results bear out
our claims.
3. Break up
- To come to an end. Example.: The party finally broke up at 3.00 am.
4. Bring up
- To take care of and teach (a child who is growing up).
Example: “Their grandparents brought them up because their parents were
always traveling”
- To mention (something) when talking : to start to talk about (something).
Example: “Don’t bring up the fight again, please!”
5. Call off
- To cancel, stop doing or planning to do (something) .
Example: “Maria called off the wedding, she decided she didn’t love him”
6. Come across
 - To seem to have a particular quality or character : to make a particular
impression.
Example: “Julia came across as a bit bossy”
- To meet or find (something or someone) by chance.
Example: “Luis was leaving the fruit shop and he came across Tom, what a
coincidence”
7. Come up with
- To get or think of (something that is needed or wanted).
Example: “We finally came up with a solution to the problem!”
8. Fall for
- To feel love for; be in love with.
- To be deceived or swindled by: fell for the con artist's scheme and lost
$200,000.
9. Get away
- To avoid being caught : to escape.
Eg: “The thieves managed to get away in a stolen car”
- To not be criticized or punished for (something). Eg.: “Yvonne is always lying,
I can’t understand how she gets away with it”
10. Get over
- To stop feeling unhappy about (something).
Example: “Finally, Kylie got over her ex-boyfriend”
- To become healthy again after (an illness).
Example: “Have you heard? Dave has got over the flu”
11. Give up
- To stop an activity or effort : to admit that you cannot do something and stop
trying
Example: “We all gave up smoking on January 1st”
12. Look after
- To take care of (someone or something).
Example: “The nurse looked after the patient for months, until he was better”
13. Look up
- To become better; improve. Example: Things are at last looking up.

14. Make out

- To hear and understand (something)
Example: “I can’t make out what you’re saying, can you speak louder?”
15. Pull over
- To move a vehicle to the side of the road and stop.
Example: “That looks like a lovely restaurant, can you pull the car over and
park?”
16. Put off
- To decide that (something) will happen at a later time : postpone.
Example: “Graham was so tired he put the shopping off until next week”
- To cause (someone) to dislike someone or something
Example: “You’re putting me off my food, stop talking about insects!”
17. Put up with
 - To tolerate (someone or something unpleasant or annoying) to exist or
happen.
Example: “My mother won’t put up with my sisters or I swearing”
18. Take after
- To resemble a parent or ancestor. Example: I take after my father, but the rest
of us take after our mother.
19. Turn up
- To arrive at a place. Example: “As always, Julian turned up late”
- To increase the volume, temperature, etc., of something by pressing a button,
moving a switch, etc. Eg: “Please turn the music up, I love this song!”
20. See off
- To take leave of (someone).
Example: She saw the guests off at the door.
Mr. Smith went to the airport to see us off.

Writing Informal VS. Formal