A - Comprehension Test 5

Part 4

Part 3

Part 2

Part 1

B - Comprehension Test 5

1) Why did the European politicians have to address the problem of oil and gas in January 2007?

2) Why did Belarus threaten to cease supplies to Europe?

3) How many countries was Belarus going to “switch off”?

4) Why did Belarus decide to shut off the pipeline?

Europe Correspondent Rafael Epstein and EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs

RAFAEL EPSTEIN: Belarus and Russia _____________over gas and oil prices, but on the 1st of January, Russia ____________of its gas. The response from Minsk was a massive rise in the price of oil carried across its territory. Moscow refused to pay, and the result was Belarus _______________

_______________________________________________________________.

That pipeline carries half of all Russia's oil exports to Europe, and with Russia supplying around______________, and even more of its imported gas, it's a ______________that has Europe worried.

The EU's Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, says such dramatic disputes mean Europe must_______________________________________________.

ANDRIS PIEBALGS: I would say it is really not acceptable. Security of supply can't be built on_______________________. But we should look generally for_______________, because now we are most dependent if our economy is from oil. So it means that we should work______________. We should look in the ______________. We really should look upon what could be alternatives if there is a really definite problem with our supplies globally.

Europe Correspondent Rafael Epstein and an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London Tim Williams

RAFAEL EPSTEIN: With Germany currently holding the presidency of the EU, Chancellor Angela Merkel said the dispute is__________________, and she'll _________________________later this month. She also questioned the wisdom of plans in Germany __________________________over the next decade.

In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin told his government ministers that negotiations with Belarus must continue, and that Russia must "do everything _________________________".

Tim Williams is an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

TIM WILLIAMS: A lot of European countries are having to think about energy security in ways that they didn't have to before. There is a need for Europe to try and develop_________________, because otherwise big players such as Russia can just ____________and ___________________________.

Europe Correspondent Rafael Epstein and an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London Tim Williams

RAFAEL EPSTEIN: Is the response then, if that's the way Russia's going to act, that's even more of a reason why ____________________is an option?

TIM WILLIAMS: Possibly, yes, but I think, in any case, countries would never be happy in the long-term to have__________________, so they'll always look at alternatives.

Obviously if Russia is going to use energy as _______________, then that will only increase governments' feelings that that's what they should do, that they should diversify.

But it may well contribute to_______________________, yes.

1) How does the Europe correspondent characterize disputes between Russia and Belarus over gas and oil prices?

2) What steps were made by Russia on the 1st of January 2007?

3) What were the countermeasures of Belarus?

4) How much of Europe is supplied by this pipeline?

5) What were European countries concerned about?

6) What according to Andris Piebalgs Europe must do to avoid the repetition of the crisis?

7) What situation is impermissible when it comes to security of supply in Energy Commissioner’s opinion?

8) What are possible alternatives to oil and gas energetics?

9) What is Angela’s Merkel attitude towards the dispute? What did she promise to do right after the oil scandal broke out?

10) What plans of German politicians she believes to be ill-considered in the view of oil and gas supply insecurity?

11) What is Vladimir Putin quoted to say in response?

12) What is first thing for Europe to do reckoning its dependence on Russia’s oil and gas?

13) What are the fears, regarding Russian oil and gas policy that the London analyst articulates?

14) What source of energy is precisely viewed in this part as an option?

15) What can be a source of dissatisfaction for any European country in the long term?

16) What use is Russia going to make of being rich in oil and gas according to London analyst?

17) How is it likely to affect investment flows?

Дата добавления: 2015-03-29