Biden Accidentally Calls Ukrainian President 'Putin'

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July 12, 2024

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Exercise 1

Vocabulary

Repeat each word, definition, and example sentence after your tutor.

courage

Noun

ˈkərɪdʒ

the ability to do something that is frightening; strength when facing pain or sorrow

Rosa Parks showed a lot of courage by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger.

Ryota displayed great courage by facing his cancer diagnosis with a hopeful, optimistic attitude.

determination

Noun

dɪˌtərməˈneɪʃən

the quality of being willing to continue doing something difficult

Rock climbing requires strength and determination.

up to

Phrase

ʌp tʊ

to be capable and skilled enough to do something

Mark was hired as a security guard but often fell asleep during his shifts, showing he was not up to the job.

poll

Noun

poʊl

a study of public opinion by questioning people who are representative of a larger group

According to recent polls, support for the president has declined significantly in the last month.

drop out

Verb

ˈdrɒp aʊt

to stop doing or taking part in something

Bernie Sanders dropped out of the Democratic primary race in April 2020 and supported Joe Biden.

swear in

Phrasal Verb

swer ɪn

to formally accept someone into a government position by making them promise to fulfill their obligations

Barack Obama was sworn in as US president on January 20, 2009.

Exercise 2

Article

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your tutor.

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

Biden Accidentally Calls Ukrainian President 'Putin'

Joe Biden accidentally introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "President Putin" at an event in Washington on July 11.

Speaking before a number of world leaders, the US president said: "Now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination."

He added: "Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin!"

Some people are reported to have looked surprised after hearing the introduction.

Biden quickly noticed his mistake and said: "President Putin! We're going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy. I'm so focused on beating Putin. We've got to worry about it. Anyway, Mr. President."

“I'm better," Zelenskyy said, meaning he is better than Putin.

"You are a hell of a lot better," Biden replied.

Biden moved quickly to correct his mistake, but many have been just as quick to point to the moment as more evidence that he's no longer up to the job of president — and isn't the best person to run against Donald Trump in this year's presidential election.

The US president is now 81, and after a number of recent similar mistakes, more and more members of his own Democratic party — as well as the party's supporters — are saying he should drop out of the presidential race.

In fact, at a press conference later in the day, Biden called his vice president "Vice President Trump." But his vice president is Kamala Harris.

Some would like Harris, aged 59, to replace Biden as the Democratic candidate for the November 5 election.

Others have suggested their own ideas for candidates — including Michelle Obama, who says she isn't interested in the job. But Biden insists he's not dropping out unless polls show there's "no way" he can win.