COMPREHENSION CHECK

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 503.

ACTIVE VOCABULARY

1. to demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of forces
2. a slain Chechen military leader
3. to announce the takeover of the theater
4. to have grenades and other explosives strapped to ones bodies
5. to deploy more explosives throughout the theater to blow up the entire building
6. to indicate willingness to die for ideas
7. to pump sleeping gas (actually an aerosol) into the theater in order to storm the building
8. to die of the effects of a combination of the fentanyl-based aerosol
9. to die through the lack of adequate medical treatment
10. to issue official requests
11. to refuse to release any information
12. to respond to increasing domestic and international pressure
13. to approve broad new restrictions on press coverage of terrorism related incidents
14. to form an investigative commission charged with probing the government's actions
15. to prompt Putin to tighten Russia's grip on Chechnya
16. to take henceforth unspecified measures in response to terrorist activity
17. to dismiss unconditional offer for talks with Russia
18. to exert little influence
19. to be released through the lack of sufficient evidence
20. to be released on bail and be given a political asylum

I. Answer the following questions to check how carefully you have read the texts:

1. What did Chechen terrorists demand during the siege of Moscow theatre?

2. Who was released in the first days?

3. How did Spetsnaz commando manage to storm the building?

4. What consequences was the Spetsnaz siege pregnant with?

5. What caused the death of 120 hostages?

6. Why were the efforts to treat victims complicated?

7. Why were the doctors ordered not to release any of the theater patients?

8. How did the lower house of the Duma try to take control of all Russian media?

9. What long –term effects had the siege of Moscow Theater?

10. What security measures were undertaken in order to arrest the supposed ring-leaders of the

siege?

II. Now decide whether the statement is true or false; correct those that are wrong:

1. Barayev, nephew of a slain Chechen military leader, and approximately 40 heavily armed terrorists entered the theater during a sold out performance of Nord-Ost and threatened to execute hostages until Chechnya receives independence

2. The escapees reported that there were a few women among terrorists.

3. The terrorists indicated that they would blow up the entire building if government security grenades attempted to attack.

4. In the first days, the terrorists released all the foreigners.

5. Early Saturday morning, October 26, forces from Russia's elite Spetsnaz commando unit of the Federal Security Service (FSB) stormed the building from the roof and from all entrances and then pumped sleeping gas (actually an aerosol) into the theater through a hole in the wall.

6. Efforts to treat victims were complicated because the doctors didn't know what type of gas had been used.

7. The Duma agreed to consider a proposal by the liberal Union of Right Forces party to form an investigative commission charged with probing the government's actions in the theatre siege.

8. The attacks prompted Putin to tighten Russia's grip on Chechnya.