Stanag6001 reading tasks tips

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Reading tasks
level 3
Tips & hints

1. Two Croatian generals, Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac, were convicted of war crimes in
the Hague and according to the verdict given as follows 22 and 18 years long prison
sentences. The convictions relate to a military operation in August 1995, when ethnic Serbs
were forced out of Croatia’s Krajina region. Tens of thousands of Croatian veterans took to
streets to protest against the verdict.
The aim of this text is to …
a) justify the jail sentence
b) inform about the verdict
c) show the society’s reaction
2. In Japan the Tokyo Electric Power Company proposed a ‘cold’ shutdown of its damaged
reactors at Fukushima, which would take up to nine months. Hillary Clinton, America’s
secretary of state, paid a visit to Japan to show support. Naoto Kan, the prime minister, who
is under pressure from the opposition, formally apologized for the nuclear accidents caused
by the earthquake and tsunami that struck in March.
The Japanese …
a) need American help with closing the reactor
b) forced the government to apologize officially
c) have to wait for the proposed “cold” shutdown
Task 1 - examples

Zadanie 1 – jak rozwiązywać
1. Two Croatian generals, Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac, were convicted of war crimes
in the Hague and according to the verdict given as follows 22 and 18 years long prison
Skoro mamy znaleźć cel artykułu, to popatrzmy na ilość miejsca poświęconego na 3 możliwe
cele.
uzasadnienie wyroku
informowanie o podjętej decyzji
pokazanie reakcji społeczeństwa
Wniosek: odpowiedź B wydaje się najbardziej prawdopodobna, a na pewno odpowiedź A nie
jest prawidłową.
Zazwyczaj, artykuł zaczyna się od części najważniejszej, czyli samego celu, tak samo, jak nasze
listy czy raporty. Skoro ukazanie reakcji społeczeństwa znalazło się na końcu artykułu, to
zapewne oznacza to, że nie był to cel artykułu. Możemy więc wykluczyć odpowiedź C.

Task 1 – how to solve it
1. Two Croatian generals, Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac, were convicted of war crimes
in the Hague and according to the verdict given as follows 22 and 18 years long prison
Since we are to find the aim of the text, let’s have a look at the volume of text devoted to the
three possible aims.
justification of the sentence
informing about the decision made
showing the reaction of the society
Conclusion: answer B seems to be most likely, and answer A for sure is wrong.
Usually, any article starts with the most important part, which is its aim, the same way as your
letters or reports. If the society reaction was placed at the end of the text, it may mean that it
was not that important, not the aim of the article. So we can exlude answer C too. The only
remaining option is then answer B.

The Japanese …
Zwróćmy uwagę, że podmiotem w tym zdaniu są Japończycy (The Japanese). Określenie to
odnosi się do wszystkich Japończyków. Ponieważ premier Japonii był pod presją (jedynie)
opozycji, to odpowiedź B nie może być prawidłowa.
Jedynie niebieski fragment mówi o jakimś „wsparciu”. Wprawdzie słowo support≈help, ale już
„to show support” oznacza jedynie okazanie wsparcia (polityczne poparcie, łączenie się w bólu,
itp.). No i wciąż nie wiadomo, czy sami Japończycy o to proszą. Odpada nam więc odpowiedź A.
Zaproponowane wygaszanie reaktora ma potrwać do 9 miesięcy. Ten fragment wskazywałby na
poprawną odpowiedź C. I jest ona poprawna ale z innego względu. Wygaszenie zostało jedynie
zaproponowane i nie ma wzmianki o tym, czy zostało zaakceptowane, a tym bardziej czy już się
odbywa. Wniosek: Japończycy muszą jeszcze poczekać na rozpoczęcie wygaszania. Tutaj
ostateczną wskazówką jest wyraz „proposed”

The Japanese …
Notice that the subject of the sentence is The Japanese. It means the whole Japanese nation.
Since the Prime Minister was under the pressure the opposition (only!), so answer B cannot be
correct.
Only the blue fragment mentions any help. Indeed a word support≈help, but an expression „to
show support” in a diplomatic language merely means political support, sympathy, etc. Even
though we still don’t know whether the Japanese need it or not. So we can exclude answer A.
The proposed shutdown is to last up to 9 months. This fragment suggest answer C. And indeed,
it is the right answer but for different reason. The shutdown was only proposed and it was not
mentioned whether this proposal was accepted or not, much less it has already started or not
yet. Conclusion: the Japanese will have to wait. The ultimate hint in the article is a word
„proposed.”

3. Turkish forces have killed at least 160 Kurdish separatists in a series of strikes on rebel bases
in northern Iraq. The strikes were ordered in response to attacks on Turkish military targets
by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which took up arms in 1984 with the aim of creating a
Kurdish homeland in southeastern Turkey, and have dashed hopes that Ankara might re-
open peace talks with separatists. PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the first Turkish leader to
admit the state’s “mistakes” in dealing with the Kurds. His government even held secret talks
with the PKK’s jailed leader. But since 2009, the prospects of peace deal have receded as a
result of a string of attacks by the PKK.
After the PKK’s attacks, …
a) the Turkish government admitted it was at fault
b) re-opening the peace talks is being considered
c) signing a peace agreement became less probable
Prawidłową odpowiedź można znaleźć w ostatnim zdaniu. Kluczem jest zrozumienie słówka „to
recede” = zmaleć, zmniejszyć się (w tym kontekście). „The prospects” (czyli szanse, widoki) na
„peace deal” (czyli umowę/zgodę pokojową) zmniejszyły się po atakach. Jeśli nie zrozumieliśmy
tego zdania, to zawsze można znaleźć odpowiedź drogą eliminacji. 1) Ponieważ rozmowy były
prowadzone przed 2009 (przed atakami), to odpowiedź B nie ma sensu - akcje zbrojne, to nie
rozmowy. W odpowiedzi A występuje wyrażenie „to be at fault”, czyli „być winnym czegoś”. Rząd
Turcji nie czuje się winny, bo naloty zostały przeprowadzone w odpowiedzi na ataki Kurdów
(„in response to attacks”).

3. Turkish forces have killed at least 160 Kurdish separatists in a series of strikes on rebel bases
in northern Iraq. The strikes were ordered in response to attacks on Turkish military targets
by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which took up arms in 1984 with the aim of creating a
Kurdish homeland in southeastern Turkey, and have dashed hopes that Ankara might re-
open peace talks with separatists. PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the first Turkish leader to
admit the state’s “mistakes” in dealing with the Kurds. His government even held secret talks
with the PKK’s jailed leader. But since 2009, the prospects of peace deal have receded as a
result of a string of attacks by the PKK.
After the PKK’s attacks, …
a) the Turkish government admitted it was at fault
b) re-opening the peace talks is being considered
c) signing a peace agreement became less probable
You can find the answer in the last sentence. The key word to solve this example is a verb „to
recede” = to reduce (in this context). „The prospects” (≈chances) for a „peace deal”
(≈agreement) have been reduced after the attacks. If you happen not to understand this
sentence, you still can come to the right answer by eliminating the wrong ones. 1) Because the
peace talks were conducted before 2009 (before those attacks), then answer B does not make
sense. In answer A, the expression „to be at fault,” means „to be guilty of… .” The Turkish
government does not feel guilty of anything, because strikes were provoked by Kurdish attacks.
(„in response to attacks”).

4. Indonesian authorities suspect that the July 17 suicide bombings of two Jakarta luxury
hotels were the work of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah, which was responsible for the
2002 Bali attacks that killed 202 people. The blasts were condemned by President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, who had kept the group at bay for four years after taking office and
was re-elected just nine days earlier.
Jemaah Islamiah …
a) protested against the president’s re-election
b) was held back during the last presidential term
c) claimed responsibility for the recent suicide attacks
Kluczem do zrozumienia tekstu jest wyrażenie „too keep sb at bay” czyli „trzymać kogoś na
dystans/zapobiegać rozprzestrzenianiu się”. Podobne znaczenie ma „to hold back”
(powstrzymywać kogoś), z tą różnicą, że pierwsze jest w stronie czynnej, a drugie w stronie
biernej. Zatem odpowiedź B jest tą właściwą. A teraz drogą eliminacji. Odpowiedź C nie jest
poprawna, bo bojownicy z tej grupy NIE przyznali się do zamachu, a jedynie podejrzewa się ich o
odpowiedzialność za wspomniane zamachy. Odpowiedź A nie ma swojego uzasadnienia w
tekście, bo nigdzie nie ma wzmianki czy Jemaah Islamiah protestuje przeciwko czemukolwiek.

4. Indonesian authorities suspect that the July 17 suicide bombings of two Jakarta luxury
hotels were the work of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah, which was responsible for the
2002 Bali attacks that killed 202 people. The blasts were condemned by President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, who had kept the group at bay for four years after taking office and
was re-elected just nine days earlier.
Jemaah Islamiah …
a) protested against the president’s re-election
b) was held back during the last presidential term
c) claimed responsibility for the recent suicide attacks
The key expression to solve the task is „too keep sb at bay” meaning „to keep sb at a distance/to
prevent sth from proliferation”. „To hold back” has a similar meaning (to stop/hold sb), and the
only difference is that the first one is in active voice and the second one in passive. If you get it,
you can easily mark answer B as the correct one. And now the negative selection approach:
Answer C is wrong, because the terrorists from that group did NOT claim their responsibility for
the attacks, they are only suspected of having done it. Answer A cannot be supported by any
fragment of the text, because it was not mentioned there whether Jemaah Islamiah protests
against anything.

Do it yourself now
(hints included)

5. Forty-five people were killed when a RusAir Tupolev jet – an aircraft notorious for its
appalling safety record – crashed in northwest Russia this week. The plane, which was on
route from Moscow to Petrozayodsk, was trying to reach the runway in bad weather when it
crash-landed on a motorway and exploded into flames. The national carrier, Aeroflot,
voluntarily retired its Tupolev fleet in 2006, after 400 people were killed on Tupolev planes
belonging to other airlines. However, the aircraft – dubbed "flying Ladas" by Russians and
banned in most of Europe on noise grounds – continue to be a mainstay of air transport in
the former Soviet Union.
Aeroflot stopped using the Tupolev jet because …
a) it was considered unsafe
b) it had high level of noise
c) it was banned in Europe
- Po lekturze tekstu, wytypuj twoim zdaniem poprawną odpowiedź (first impression)
- Podkreśl wszystkie nieznane słowa
- Czy możesz odgadnąć ich znaczenie z kontekstu?
- Zakreśl wszystkie fragmenty, które mogą świadczyć o tym, że Tupolev był uważany za
niebezpieczny (odp. A).
- Teraz wszystkie fragmenty mówiące o wysokiej głośności Tupoleva (odp. B)
- I wszystkie mówiące o zakazie ich lotów nad Europą.
- Czy istnieje logiczny związek pomiędzy zakreślonymi fragmentami, a podanymi odpowiedziami?
- Postaraj się wyeliminować odpowiedzi zdecydowanie nieprawdziwe.
Zadanie 1
Wykonaj następujące polecenia:

5. Forty-five people were killed when a RusAir Tupolev jet – an aircraft notorious for its
appalling safety record – crashed in northwest Russia this week. The plane, which was on
route from Moscow to Petrozayodsk, was trying to reach the runway in bad weather when it
crash-landed on a motorway and exploded into flames. The national carrier, Aeroflot,
voluntarily retired its Tupolev fleet in 2006, after 400 people were killed on Tupolev planes
belonging to other airlines. However, the aircraft – dubbed "flying Ladas" by Russians and
banned in most of Europe on noise grounds – continue to be a mainstay of air transport in
the former Soviet Union.
Aeroflot stopped using the Tupolev jet because …
a) it was considered unsafe
b) it had high level of noise
c) it was banned in Europe
- Once you read the text, choose the correct answer based on your first impression (gut feeling)
- Underline all unknown words
- Can you figure out their meaning from the context?
- Highlight all fragments which could support the claim that Tupolev was considered as
dangerous (answer A).
- now highlight all fragments mentioning Tupolev high noise level (answer B)
- and all fragments about the ban in Europe.
- Is there any logical connection between highlighted fragments and given answers?
- Try to eliminate definitely wrong answers at first.
Zadanie 1
Follow the points below:

6. In a move that has raised environmentalists' eyebrows, Turkmenistan has begun channeling
water to a 2,000-sq-km man-made lake in the middle of the vast Karakum Desert. Turkmen
leaders say the lake will help plant life bloom and attract migratory birds, but experts argue
that much of the water will simply evaporate and that the multibillion-dollar project could
cause an ecological catastrophe.
The project of creating a man-made lake in Turkmenistan …
a) aims at protecting endangered species
b) has taken the environmentalists aback
c) might bring multibillion dollars profits
-Po lekturze tekstu, wytypuj twoim zdaniem poprawną odpowiedź (first impression)
-Podkreśl wszystkie nieznane słowa
-Czy możesz odgadnąć ich znaczenie z kontekstu?
-Czy w tekście jest mowa o zagrożonych gatunkach (roślin/zwierząt)?
-Czy w tekście wspomina się o ochronie czegoś?
-Czy w tekście są wspomniane jakieś kwoty?
-Czy te kwoty są kosztami, czy szacowanym zyskiem?
-Znajdź 2 fragmenty mówiące o reakcji działaczy środowiskowych? Czy są sobie równoważne
znaczeniowo?
Wykonaj następujące polecenia:

6. In a move that has raised environmentalists' eyebrows, Turkmenistan has begun channeling
water to a 2,000-sq-km man-made lake in the middle of the vast Karakum Desert. Turkmen
leaders say the lake will help plant life bloom and attract migratory birds, but experts argue
that much of the water will simply evaporate and that the multibillion-dollar project could
cause an ecological catastrophe.
The project of creating a man-made lake in Turkmenistan …
a) aims at protecting endangered species
b) has taken the environmentalists aback
c) might bring multibillion dollars profits
- Once you read the text, choose the correct answer based on your first impression (gut feeling)
- Underline all unknown words
- Can you figure out their meaning from the context?
- Are any endangered species (plants/animals) mentioned at all?
- Is the text mentioning any protection of anything?
- Are there any amounts/numbers mentioned in the text?
- Are those numbers the costs or rather assessed profits.
- Find 2 fragments about the reaction of the environmentalists. Do they mean the same?
Follow the points below:

Ogólne porady
1) Zaczynaj od pierwszego zadania – szybsze, większe
prawdopodobieństwo trafnej odpowiedzi.
2) Po drugim zadaniu wróć do pierwszego. W drugim tekście mogły
pojawić się wyrażenia z pierwszego zadania w dodatkowym
kontekście, który pozwoli ci odgadnąć znaczenie nieznanych
wyrażeń.
3) Zaznaczaj sobie odpowiedzi, które na pewno nie są prawidłowe –
przyśpieszy to drugie czytanie i szukanie tej właściwej.
4) Jeśli nie jesteś pewny odpowiedzi od razu, to droga eliminacji też się
sprawdzi.
5) Jeśli nie znasz jakiegoś wyrażenia, to najprawdopodobniej jest to
wyrażenie przyimkowe/idiom o specjalnym znaczeniu – nie bierz go
dosłownie!
6) Jeśli wiesz/czujesz, że odpowiedź kryje się w jakimś akapicie, zaznacz
go sobie jakoś, aby do niego szybciej powrócić jak wrócisz do tego
konkretnego pytania.

General tips
1) Always start your reading test with task 1 – lasts less, higher
probability of chosing the correct answer.
2) Once you do task 2, return to task 1. In task you could spot the same
unknown words but in different context. Maybe you can now guess
their meaning.
3) Mark somehow the answers you consider to be definitly wrong. It
will speed up your second glance and pursuit for the correct answer.
4) When not sure, try negative selection approach (eliminating the
wrong/not suitable answers.
5) If you do not know some expressions, most probably it is an idiom or
a phrasal verbs with a special meaning. Do not translate it word for
word!
6) If you know/feel that the answer is hidden in a particular fragment,
mark it somehow as to return to it faster during second reading.

Stanag6001 reading tasks tips

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