dubairulerpromisestosellu.s.ports-currentevents（11页）.doc

www.Breaking News E Ready-to-use ESL / EFL Lessons The Breaking News E Resource Book “1,000 Ideas Activities For Language Teachers” /book.html Dubai ruler promises to sell U.S. ports URL: /0603/060316-ports-e.html Contents The Article 2 Warm-ups 3 Before Reading / Listening 4 While Reading / Listening 5 Listening Gap Fill 6 After Reading 7 Discussion 8 Speaking 9 Homework 10 Answers 11 16 March, 2006 THE ARTICLE Dubai ruler promises to sell U.S. ports The U.A.E. company that recently bought the shipping company that controlled 22 American ports has changed its mind. The Dubai-based DP World offered to sell its $6.8bn share in PO, which had controlled the ports, as a goodwill gesture towards the U.S. DP World is the world’s third largest ports company. It wanted to increase its power in international shipping but American politicians were furious that a foreign company would control U.S. ports. Many Senators said the situation was a major security threat. Few Senators openly admitted fears of an Arab group controlling U.S. docks. The White House said it was very happy that Dubais ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, promised to sell the ports. A political storm had broken out in America. Lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted 377-38 against DP World running port terminals in America. Sheik Mohammed’s action immediately ended American fears. Michael Seymour, head of DP Worlds U.S. group, said there was “already significant interest…from American buyers”. He added any buyer must be “a wholly owned American organization”. He stated a sale would take place within the next four to six months. WARM-UPS 1. TAKEOVERS: How do you feel when companies from other countries take over companies from your nation? What examples can you think of? What do you think when companies from your country buy companies from other countries? 2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring. The U.A.