Terrorism

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 476.

E Complete the text using the words and phrases given.

Terrorism (the systematic use of terror or …………..(1) violence against governments, publics, or individuals to …………..(2) a political objective) has been used by political organizations with both rightist and leftist objectives, by nationalistic and ethnic groups, by revolutionaries, and by the armies and secret police of governments themselves.

The 20th century witnessed great changes in the use and practice of terrorism. Terrorism became the …………….(3) of a number of political movements stretching from the extreme right to the extreme left of the political spectrum. Technological advances such as automatic weapons and compact, electrically ……………..(4) explosives gave terrorists a new mobility and lethality. Terrorism was adopted as virtually a state policy, though an unacknowledged one, by such …………….(5) regimes as those of Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler and the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. In these states arrest, imprisonment, torture, and execution were applied without …………….(6) or restraints to create a climate of fear and to encourage …………….(7) to the national ideology and the declared economic, social, and political goals of the state.

Terrorism has most commonly become identified, however, with individuals or groups attempting to destabilize or ………………(8) existing political institutions. Terrorism has been used by one or both sides in anticolonial conflicts, in ………………(9) between different national groups over possession of a contested homeland, in conflicts between different religious …………….(10), and in internal conflicts between revolutionary forces and established governments.

Terrorism's public impact has been greatly ………………..(11) by the use of modern communications media. Any act of violence is certain to attract television ……………..(12), which brings the event directly into millions of homes and exposes viewers to the terrorists' demands, ……………(13), or political goals. Modern terrorism differs from that of the past because its victims are frequently innocent …………….(14) who are picked at random or who merely happen into terrorist situations. Many groups of terrorists in Europe ………………(15) back to the anarchists of the 19th century in their isolation from the political ………………(16) and the unrealistic nature of their goals. Lacking a base of popular support, extremists substitute violent acts for legitimate political activities. Such acts include kidnappings, assassinations, skyjackings, bombings, and hijackings.

F What are the motives behind terrorism?

Can you think of any acts of terrorism which rocked the whole world?

Using the vocabulary of the unit, discuss the following topic with the group: “HOW TO SURVIVE IF YOU ARE TAKEN HOSTAGE”. (For more information see Additional Resources, p. 164). Consider the following points: