MONDAY
1. THEORY
Shanghai Cooperation Organization
2. ANALYTICS
Will China Win the Middle East?
WEDNESDAY
3. CURRENT ISSUES
4. THE WORLD THIS WEEK
5. TEST
VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR
KEY TERMS
| intergovernmental | conducted between or involving two or more governments |
| inception | the beginning, as of a project or undertaking |
| ongoing | continuing without ending or without interruption |
| entitle | give a rank or right |
| high-ranking representative | the authorized delegate or agent having an important position in a government, company, or organization |
| preliminary agenda | provisional, tentative programme, draft of a document |
| request | formal demand, appeal, petition |
| on a regular basis | occurring in regular time intervals or patterns |
| division | one of the parts into which an organization is divided for political, judicial, military, or other purposes |
| applicable | relevant; suitable; appropriate |
FOCUS WORDS
| bargaining | торги, переговоры, заключение сделки |
| attempt | пытаться, пробовать; сделать попытку |
| dissolution | распад, роспуск, расторжение |
| embark | начинать, браться (за что-л.); предпринимать (что-л.) |
| seek | искать, стремиться, добиваться |
| restore | восстанавливать, возобновить, возвращать |
| account | отчитываться; давать отчёт, отвечать, нести ответственность |
| footprint | след, отпечаток, зона охвата, зона влияния |
| overdue | просроченный, запоздалый |
| far-reaching | далеко идущий, чреватый серьезными последствиями |
PREPOSITIONS
- approach to
- tensions over
- embarked on
- comparable to
- solution to
- stake in
- alternative to
- accounts for
- remain in place
- involvement in
WORDS FOR REPORT
| a clear age gap on the issue |
| compared with a smaller share |
| more likely to favor |
| the survey explored the public’s views about |
| Overall, |
| In regard to the negative consequences, |
| substantial majorities |
| no statistically significant difference by age |
GRAMMAR PATTERNS
Last month, however, the kingdom approved a memorandum of understanding granting it the status of “dialogue partner” in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – the first step toward full membership.
The SCO’s foundations were laid in the 1980s, when the Soviet Union and China were attempting to navigate tensions over their shared border.
The SCO charter establishes security cooperation as central to the organization’s purpose, and SCO members regularly hold joint military and anti-terrorism exercises.
Saudi Arabia’s move to join the SCO represents a victory for China, which has been seeking to boost its geopolitical influence and challenge the current United States-led international order.
No one should be surprised if China soon sets its sights on mediating a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Conceived in 2001 by Goldman Sachs as an asset class, the BRICS grouping soon took on a life of its own.
Given that China accounts for 72% of the BRICS’ total GDP, the bloc – possibly in an expanded form – could well decide to start settling trade payments in renminbi.
Even if that does not happen yet, China may decide to settle its hydrocarbon purchases from Saudi Arabia in renminbi, as it has been doing with Russia.