[...] The Empire that rules the world today is both more and less than its British begetter (прародитель). It has a much bigger economy, many more people, a much larger arsenal. But it is an empire that lacks the drive to export its capital, its people and its culture to those backward regions which need them most urgently and which, if they are neglected, will breed the greatest threats to its security. It is an empire, in short, that dare not speak its name. It is an empire in denial.
The American Secretary of State Dean Acheson famously said that Britain had lost an empire but failed to find a role. Perhaps the reality is that the Americans have taken our (British) old role without yet facing the fact that an empire comes with it. The technology of overseas rule may have changed — the Dreadnoughts may have given way to F-158. But like it or not, empire is as much a reality today as it was throughout the three hundred years when Britain ruled, and made the modern world.
LISTENING 1
What are American Values? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9pkYyzkJhM
VOCABULARY
1. To pull oneself up by one's bootstraps — to improve your position and get out of a difficult situation by your own efforts, without help from other people
2. To hold sway (literary) — to rule or influence people
3. To weight — to change something slightly so that you give more importance to particular ideas or people
PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS
1. Do you think Americans have their own unique values different from any other nation? If so, what are they?
2. If your answer to the first question is positive, how can you explain the fact that American values differ from those of other democratic countries?
VIEWING
Watch the video and answer the following questions:
1. What universal values do the students mention when asked about the values of the American society?
2. Which of the values they name are unique to the United States?
3. There was a note of criticism in one of the comments. What exactly did the student say?
4. One of the students names a value and comments on its downside. What is the value and what is its negative side?
5. Is there a negative side to any of the other values cited by the students?
Speak Up
DISCUSSION QUESTION
How do you think the values mentioned in the video affect the American society?
READING 1
PRE-READING QUESTIONS
1. How do you understand the term the “American dream”?
2. What basic values underpin the American dream?
