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Nato Brief History and Mission
Nato Brief History and Mission
Nato Brief History and Mission
http://allprofessionalenglish.blogspot.com/2019/05/nato-brief-history-and-
mission.html
I Lead-in
A) What ideas come to your mind when you hear the word ‘NATO’? Take 3
minutes to write down your associations or ideas and then compare your
lists with other students.
B) Do you know what the word NATO means? What does this abbreviation
stand for?
C) Have you heard any news about NATO recently? What news about
NATO can you find on TV, online or in newspapers?
III Watch the video and fill in the gaps with the words from the list. There
are some words you don’t need to use.
Organization; setting; partners; increasingly; satellites; soulmates; guard;
defender; various; immigrants; set; superpower; emigration; trade;
pressure; spend; defensive
NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty 1)______, was 2)______up in 1949. It
began as a 3)______alliance between American and Western European powers
to 4)______against the Soviet Union and its Communist 5)______involved in a
tense rivalry with the West after the Second World War.
It is now 6)______particularly from Donald Trump in the United States
who thinks that his European 7)______don’t carry their fair share of the burden
and wants them to 8)______a lot more money on defence. And there are
9)______fundamental reasons why Europe and America are not quite the same
10)______ as they used to be. Time was 100 years ago when almost all of the
11)______in America or the foreign-born population were from Europe, now
only 10% are. America’s 12)______is getting pulled off towards China and
China itself is the rising rival 13)______, so America’s attention is
14)______drawn towards the Pacific rather than across the Atlantic.
IV Match the words from two columns to make collocations used in the
text. Use four collocations in your sentences.
V Study the transcript above and fill in the gaps in the sentences with the
prepositions.
against towards
up on
under in off
with
1. NATO is now ____ pressure from Donald Trump in the United States.
Donald Trump thinks that his European partners don’t spend much
money ____ defence.
2. It began as a defensive alliance to guard ____ the Soviet Union and its
Communist satellites.
3. Today America’s trade is getting pulled ____ towards China.
4. Communist countries were involved ____ a tense rivalry ____ the West
after the Second World War.
5. America’s attention is increasingly drawn ____ the Pacific.
6. NATO was set ____ in 1949.
VI Watch the video again and choose the correct option to complete the
sentences.
VII Find the words in the text that have the following meanings.
VIII Match the words from two columns to make collocations used in the
text. Use four collocations in your sentences.
1. extraordinary a) story
2. average b) lifespan
3. collective c) values
4. success d) market
5. in e) regime
6. emerging f) defence alliance
7. shared g) interest
8. shared h) successful
9. authoritarian i) particular
a) indulge
b) gap
c) spend
d) vigorously
e) nostalgia
f) geopolitics
g) promise
h) capability
i) GDP
j) take something into account
k) woefully
l) fed up
m) challenger
n) threaten
o) prosperity
p) relevant
1. to tell someone that you will cause problems if they do not do what
you want
2. connected with what is happening
3. to tell someone that you will certainly do something
4. the state of being successful and having a lot of money
5. to allow yourself or another person to have something enjoyable
6. to give money for something
7. the total value of goods and services produced by a country in a year
8. bored, annoyed, or disappointed
9. in a very bad or serious way
10. an empty space
11. a feeling of slight sadness when you think about the past
12. in a very energetic way
13. someone who tries to win a competition from the previous leader
14. to consider or remember something when judging a situation
15. the ability to do something
16. the study of the influence country's size and position have on its
relationships with other countries
XI Match the words from two columns to make collocations used in the
text. Use four collocations in your sentences.
XIII Watch all parts of the video and answer the questions.
1) Where and when was NATO founded?
2) What was the original mission of NATO?
3) Why is NATO under pressure from Donald Trump?
4) How are the relations between America and its European partners different
today?
5) What is the role of China in America’s interests and trade?
6) Why is NATO often believed to be the most successful defence alliance in
history?
7) What do America and Europe share or have in common?
8) What does NATO have to do to stay relevant for the future?
9) What do the Europeans need to do to help NATO stay successful?
10) What are the dangers for NATO?
XIV These sentences have been scrambled. Can you put them in the
correct order?
1 as began alliance a defensive American between and It Western
European powers.
2 they and America are be. the same soulmates Europe as used to not
3 NATO was created the its Soviet Second against Union and to
Communist satellites after the guard World War.
4 is NATO 70.
5 off towards is getting pulled America’s trade China.
6 have and America and lots of Europe interest shared shared values.
7 NATO was in up 1949. set
8 In the past almost were from the immigrants in America all of Europe.
9 NATO’s most the called often successful alliance in history.
10 thinks on Trump spend that European partners need to Now more
money Donald defence.
11 and The between Europe relationship America remains strong a one.
12 NATO needs to work a America. new Europeans of partnership
between towards and sort
XV OVER TO YOU.
A) Think about the role of NATO today. What challenges or concerns
does it deal with? What are the problems NATO will face in
future? Note down your thoughts. Be ready to share your ideas
with the rest of the class and give a 2 minutes speech about
NATO’s role today.
B) What are the relations between your country and NATO? How will
these relations change in future? Note down your thoughts. Be
ready to share your ideas with the rest of the class.