DP 1 Mr.

DRAME May 2023

Ndèye Astou Ndiaye
_________________________________________________________________________

Reading Comprehension text and questions

The world’s most and least powerful passports ranked: UAE moves
up index

UAE citizens can enter 175 destinations visa-free, according to Henley Passport
Index for the first quarter of 2022

1. The UAE is the only Arab country ranked on the list of the world's top 20 most powerful passports
in the first quarter of 2022, according to the Henley Passport Index. The Emirates moved up one
place into 15th place on the global index, the highest rank the Arab world's second-largest
economy has achieved since the index was launched in 2006. UAE passport holders can now
enter 175 destinations around the world visa-free, according to the index, which ranks the
strength of 199 passports.

2. Japan and Singapore were crowned joint first on the Henley Passport Index, which assesses the
travel documents based on how many countries citizens have access to without the need for a
visa, using data from the International Air Transport Association. Passport holders of the two
Asian countries can now enter 192 destinations around the world visa-free – 166 more than
Afghans, who spot last and only have access to 26 countries where they do not require a visa in
advance, according to the research findings released on Tuesday.

3. “Passports and visas are among the most important instruments [affecting] social inequality
worldwide as they determine opportunities for global mobility,” said Christian Kaelin, chairman of
global investment migration company Henley & Partners. Germany and South Korea held on to
joint second spot, with their passport holders able to enter 190 destinations visa-free, while
 Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain shared third place, with their citizens having visa-free
access to 189 destinations.

4. US and UK passports regained some of their previous strength after falling to eighth place in 2020
– the lowest spot held by either country in the index’s 16-year history. Both countries are now
ranked sixth, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 186, according to the index. Ukraine and
Georgia also made significant progress, with both moving up 25 spots in the rankings over the
past 10 years, making them the highest climbers in the Commonwealth of Independent States
region. Passports and visas are among the most important instruments [affecting] social inequality
worldwide as they determine opportunities for global mobility. In the Middle East, Qatar is ranked
53rd, followed closely by Kuwait in 54th place. Bahrain is ranked 62nd while Oman is 64th and
Saudi Arabia is in 65th position.

5. The most recent data from the Henley Passport Index shows a worrying gap in global mobility, the
biggest in the index’s history. In 2006, a person could, on average, visit 57 countries without
needing a visa in advance, according to Henley & Partners. Today, that number has grown to 107.
However, the overall increase masks a growing disparity between countries, with citizens from
nations such as Sweden and the US able to visit more than 180 destinations visa-free while
passport holders from Angola, Cameroon and Laos are only able to enter about 50 countries.
Wealthier countries’ gains in travel freedom have come at the expense of poorer countries, which
have experienced
mounting barriers to entry in recent years, according to research by Henley & Partners.

6. “The research reinforces the harsh realities of global mobility today: if you are fortunate enough to
have a passport from a rich and stable country – regardless of form of government – you can
move relatively easily across international borders,” said Erol Yayboke, director of the Project on
Fragility and Mobility at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “If not,
the difficulties of poverty and conflict forcing you to leave home are just the beginning of a tough
journey abroad.” The UAE passport is ranked 15th on The Henley Index. Meanwhile, the
movement restrictions imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19 resulted in a wider global move
to embrace other citizenships, the research found. Ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) are
seeking alternative residencies and citizenship as a result of the pandemic, property consultancy
Knight Frank said in a report last year. Globally, about a quarter of UHNWIs planned to apply for a
second passport or citizenship in 2020, the Knight Frank survey said. “During the current
economic crisis, countries with established residence-by-investment programmes have benefitted
from the alternative revenue stream,” said Juerg Steffen, chief executive of Henley & Partners.
"Clearly, governments that adjust their policies to allow foreign investors to settle with ease will
win the competitive race for both revenue and talent in 2022."

7. The UAE announced last year that non-Emiratis can obtain Emirati citizenship. Skilled
professionals will be nominated by government or royal court officials. People eligible for
nomination include investors, people with specialist qualifications – such as doctors or scientists –
as well as artists and other “talented” or “creative” people.

The strongest passports in the first quarter of 2022:

1. Japan and Singapore
2. Germany and South Korea
3. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain
4. Austria, Denmark, France, Netherlands and Sweden
5. Ireland and Portugal
6. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the UK and the US
 7. Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece and Malta
8. Hungary and Poland
9. Lithuania and Slovakia
10. Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia
The weakest passports in the first quarter of 2022:
1. Afghanistan
2. Iraq
3. Syria
4. Pakistan
5. Yemen
6. Somalia
7. Nepal and Palestine
8. North Korea
9. Bangladesh, Kosovo and Libya
10. Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Sudan

Updated: January 11, 2022, 1:11 PM

https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/money/2022/01/11/the-worlds-most-and-least-po
werful-passports-ranked-uae-moves-up-index/

Questions :

A. Find the missing words:

- [ 1 ] - powerful

- [ 2 ] - rank

- [ 3 ] – crowned

- [ 4 ] - visa

- [ 5 ] - spot

papers crowned travelled powerful rank visa ground spot

B. Grammar Investigation:

In the text, read and look for specific examples of the following grammar points
highlight each example using different colours - Annotate your text!

1. Find 5 verbs in the present simple and 1 verb in the present continuous
shows – can – assesses – do not require – determine
 forcing you
2. Find 5 verbs in the present perfect
Has grown – have come
3. Find 3 irregular and 3 regular verbs in the preterit tense
4. Find 3 sentences in the passive voice
Skilled professionals will be nominated

5. Find 5 verbs in the gerund

6. Find 1 comparative
7. Find 4 examples of superlatives
8. Find 3 different verbs with prepositions or phrasal verbs
9. Find 3 different sentences linked with connectives (different connectives)
10. Find 6 different adjectives - interesting ones

C. Vocabulary

Choose 5 words from this text and give their synonyms. The class will have to guess
what word you have chosen.
Nomination = Selection destination =
Spread = Expanse access =
Assesses = Evaluates determine =
Opportunities = Chances climbers =
Index = Catalog previous =