Reading activity: How the World Will Look After the Coronavirus Pandemic

coronavirus-world-after-brian-stauffer-illustration_response5Activity-based on the analysis article:

How the World Will Look After the Coronavirus Pandemic

Published by Foreign Policy Insider on March 20, 2020

(The first click is free)

STEP 1

Read the text and find out how the words in the glossary are used in context.

If you have printed it, highlight the sentences. If you are using a screen, you could write down the sentences in your notebook.

Note: Scroll down to find the glossary.

STEP 2

In this pdf document, you will find key ideas expressed in each of the global thinkers’ predictions. Go through them one by one, reading first the headline, and then the extract sentence. Express your agreement or disagreement orally or in writing. If you do not see eye to eye with the author, give your reasons.

Key ideas from the article - How the World Will Look After the Coronavirus Pandemic

STEP 3

Write your own piece. It should approximately be the same length as these articles and include your own view of what the post-pandemic future will bring.

Note to my students: send it to me for correction if you wish so.


GLOSSARY

 

weigh in: offer an opinion, contribute

to be loath to do sth: be unwilling to do something

tarnish: Give a bad reputation.

usher: show someone where they should go, often by going with them.

bipartisan: involving two parties.

atrophy: decrease in size, degree, or effectiveness because of lack of use or care.

overt: shown in an open and obvious way.

complacency: feeling of satisfaction, esp extreme self-satisfaction; smugness

futile: cut it off from the world 

zero-sum: a situation in which again for one of the two parties always means a loss for the other one.

prevail: to exist and be accepted among a large number of people, or to get a position of control and influence:

tenet: principle, doctrine 

bereft of: deprived of 

trade off: sacrifice for

redundancy: backup system 

exacerbate: intensify  

polarization: opposing viewpoints

polities: organized societies, such as a nation, city, or church.

craft: create

societal: relating to society

strain:  pressure

multilateralism: involving many sides 

showcase: present, put on display           

reshuffle: reorganise 

dislocation: disruption of plans 

farm out: subcontract 

bypass:  proceed without regard to something

gun-shy: hesitant, nervous

redundancies: back-up systems 

near-term: short term  

render: make, leave 

Sino-American relations:  Of or relating to diplomatic relations between China and the United States of America.  

bungling incompetence: characterized by many clumsy mistakes. 

solely: only, exclusively 

woefully: sadly 

at stake: at risk

stem: stop

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