News Exercise #104

1) What is the claim made by various sources?

2) What is the army’s response to the claims?

3) What has the army been unable to do?

4) Can you complete this quotation from 2:45?
The ___________________, but ________________. To get one, __________________________________. The army _________________. The _____________________. The Syrian _____________________________, which ___________________________. If _________________, they ________________________.(ends 3:25)

Answers:
1) What is the claim made by various sources?
The claim is more civilians are killed by the Syrian army than by any other armed force here in Syria.
2) What is the army’s response to the claims?
He replied that it was all propaganda to slam the reputation of the army. He said that it was all lies, and that they were brought up (maybe means “trained”?) not to harm peaceful civilians. He also said that they only killed people they see with their own eyes holding a weapon. he also said that any civilians near armed rebels must be supported.
3) What has the army been unable to do?
They have been unable to drive the rebels out of the city centre.
4) Can you complete this quotation from 2:45?
The war ebbs and flows, but no side has a decisive edge. To get one, the rebels have dug tunnels under army positions. The army has been blowing them up. The war has gone underground. The Syrian army dug into this 800-metre tunnel which it says was part of a rebel plan to attack the city centre. If armed rebels broke through here, they could be in the heart of Damascus in minutes. (ends 3:25)