Defining the Obama doctrine

During the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama promised to roll back Bush-era abuses and restore the proper balance between security and freedom. A few days after being sworn in, he elated progressives by banning torture, beginning the process of closing Guantánamo, and putting military commissions on ice. But a year on, a majority of Bush's counterterror policies remain largely, if not entirely, intact. Critics on the left call Obama "Bush lite"; meanwhile, Dick Cheney hammers him for aiding and comforting the enemy. So who's right? And what philosophy is the administration adopting as a guide in the war on terror?
Neither criticism hits the mark. Dismantling the CIA's enhanced-interrogation program and shuttering Guantánamo are substantive reforms that improve our global image. The counterterror policies that remain are now on firmer legal footing. Obama's lawyers have sought the input of Congress and the blessing of the courts.
These changes represent a critical conceptual shift. Under Bush, policy sometimes seemed to be driven as much by a desire to vindicate ideology as a need to protect the American people. Obama starts from a different premise: that the tools we rely on to combat terrorism should be grounded in the rule of law and subject to congressional and judicial review.

1. Answer the following questions according to the instructions.
a. Answer the following question using your own words (10 to 20 words)
a.1. According to the text, what did Barack Obama promise in the 2008 campaign?

• Barack Obama promised to reduce the abuses of the previous president restoring the protection of the civil rights.

b. Say if the following statements are true or false. Indicate the line(s) in the text supporting your choice.
b.1. Soon after being sworn Barack Obama made important decisions for the U.S.

• TRUE: A few days after being sworn in, he elated progressives by banning torture, beginning the process of closing Guantánamo, and putting military commissions on ice.

b.2. Barack Obama is in favour of torture.

• FALSE: he elated progressives by banning torture...Dismantling the CIA's enhanced-interrogation program...   

c. Choose a, b or c in each question below. Only one choice is correct.
c.1. Put someone or something on ice means:

• a) to fail to convince 
• b) to postpone acting
• c) to get something started.

c.2. Shuttering Guantánamo:

• a) was the biggest mistake
• b) gave U.S. a better image
• c) dismantled the CIA's interrogation program.

2. Complete the following tasks according to the instructions.
a) Write a question for which the underlined words are the answer:
“During the 2008 campaign Barack Obama travelled all over America.”

• When did Barack Obama travel all over America?

b) Put into the passive:
“Critics on the left call Obama ‘Bush lite’.”

• Obama is called 'Bush lite' by critics on the left.

c) Transform into reported speech: “Dick Cheney hammers him for aiding and comforting the enemy.” Begin with:
“A High Commissioner stated that …” 

• A High Commissioner stated that Dick Cheney hammered him for aiding and comforting / having aided and comforted the enemy.

d) Complete:
“If Obama hadn’t shut Guantánamo …”

• If Obama hadn't shut Guantánamo, he would have broken his promise.

3. Find words in the text with the following meaning (a and b) and synonyms for each of the words below (c, d and e).

• a) a series of coordinated activities: campaign
• b) prohibiting by legal means: banning 
• c) whole: intact 
• d) change: shift  
• e) fight: combat

+EXÁMENES RESUELTOS