Conservatives Win Austrian Parliamentary Election

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

shift

Verb

ʃɪft

to change in focus, direction, etc.

The speed with which market sentiment can shift confuses many investors.

If we shift the offices to the second floor, we can double the size of our showrooms.

Their friends helped them shift the furniture to their new house.

The worker is shifting boxes.

rule

Verb

ruːl

to control a group of people, country, etc.

For a long period, China was ruled by emperors.

My manager acts like he rules the world.

This king ruled the country for over forty years.

There was a time when England and Scotland were ruled by the same king.

likely

Adjective

ˈlaɪkliː

probable or having a good chance of happening

The project is more likely to succeed if you participate in it.

This approach is not likely to work.

A poker hand like this is possible, but not very likely.

A large earthquake is likely to occur in California in the next ten years.

It is likely that the only reasonable course of action in this case is dismissal of the president.

It is very likely that our team will win the game.

coalition

Noun

ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən

an agreement to work together towards a shared goal, especially between political parties forming a government

The two political parties formed a coalition.

The coalition was formed by representatives of many different groups.

Some supporters of the Japanese Communist Party expect it to be part of a ruling coalition.

shake off

Phrasal Verb

ʃeɪk ɔːf

to get rid of something

The actor is trying to shake off his bad-boy image.

Exercise 2

Article

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

Conservatives Win Austrian Parliamentary Election

After more than six decades, Austria appears to be shifting to the political right after conservative Sebastian Kurz and his People's Party won the recent parliamentary election.

The People's Party took nearly 32 percent of the vote while the far-right anti-immigrant Freedom Party won 27 percent. The ruling Social Democrats finished with a little less than 27 percent.

The 31-year-old Kurz, Austria's current foreign minister, will likely become Europe's youngest leader.

"Today is not the day of triumph over others, but today is our chance for real change in this country," he told cheering supporters.

Austrian political observers say Kurz is likely to form a coalition with the Freedom Party and send Austria on a right-wing path after decades of centrism.

The Freedom Party has been working to shake off its neo-Nazi image.

Immigration dominated the 2017 campaign. The People's Party and Freedom Party called for a tougher immigration policy, including cuts in social services for migrants and asylum seekers.

Exercise 3

Questions

What party won Austria's recent parliamentary election?

What score did the ruling party achieve in the election?

What do analysts think is Austria's likely political path?

What are the winning parties' main policies?

Exercise 4

Discussion

What are your thoughts on the result of the Austrian parliamentary election?

Why do you think many Austrians voted for a far-right wing party?

Would you be reluctant to vote for a 31-year-old politician? Why? Why not?

Why do you think "immigration dominated the 2017 campaign?"

Why do you think immigration is currently such a big issue in Europe?

Exercise 5

Further Discussion

When is the next parliamentary election in your country? Do you plan on voting in it? Why? Why not?

What issues do you think will dominate the next election in your country? Why do you think so?

Would you describe your country's ruling party as right-wing or left-wing? Why?

In what ways would you say this party's leadership has benefited your country? Please explain your answer.

Do you disagree with any of this party's policies? Please explain your answer.

Exercises for Further Self-Study

These self-study exercises are optional and should be carried out after the lesson has finished.

Exercise 6

Sentence Building

Write at least one sentence for each of the words in Exercise 1: Vocabulary. Begin by making sure you understand the definition of each word. Use the example sentences as a guide if you are unable to think of a sentence. Practice reading your sentences out loud.

Exercise 7

Summary

Make a brief summary of the article. Focus on the main topic and consider which pieces of information are most important. Make sure you include details such as what the article is about, who is mentioned in it, where and when the events took place, and also how and why they happened.

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by Voice of America.