Brazilian Leader’s Protégée Likely to Prevail in Election

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Mauricio Lima / Agence France - Presse - Getty Images
Silva Izquierdo/Associated Press
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, right and Workers Party presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff greeted by supporters during a campaign rally.
By Alexei Barrionuevo
Published October 2nd, 2010 - The New York Times - Sunday (online) issue
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São Paulo, Brazil - Though Dilma Rousseff is a political novice and lacks the charisma of her former boss, President Luiz Inácio da Silva, voters appear likely to make her the first woman to be president of Brazil in Sunday's election.
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Opinion surveys her leading by a wide margin and suggest that she could get more than 50 percent plus one vote of the valid vote, enough to squeak by and avoid a runoff.
Ms. Rousseff, 62, was able to ride Mr. da Silva's popularity and make the election essentially a referendum on his eight years in the office, a period of widespread prosperity that cemented the country as a rising global player.
"This turned out to be a predictable plebiscite, a thumbs-up for the Lula years," said Timothy J. Power, director of the Latin American Center at the University of Oxford.
Mr. Silva spent the better part of a year trying to introduce his chosen successor to Brazilians. She was initially unknown to the masses and not very dynamic in public. Mr. Silva joined himself to her hip, crisscrossing the country to campaign on her behalf.
He trumpeted his government's accomplishments and passed some the credit to Ms. Rousseff, who also formerly served as his minister of energy and mines and as a chairwoman of Petrobras, the Brazilian Oil Company.
Last year there was some concern that he would stick with Ms. Rousseff as the Worker's Party Candidate after she was given a diagnosis of lymphatic cancer. After chemoterapy treatment, which led her to wear a wig for several weeks, doctors said her cancer had been driven into remission.
Still, not even a scandal involving Ms. Rousseff's successor as chief of staff has been able to diminish her lead much in the polls.
Two weeks ago, media reports here accused Erenice Guerra, who took over for Ms. Rousseff in April so she could campaign, of participating in an influence-peddling scheme with her son, involving kickbacks for public work contracts. Mr. da Silva swiftly asked for Ms. Guerra's resignation and managed to contain the scandal. Ms. Rousseff was never linked to directly to any wrongdoing.
Ms. Rousseff appeared to have taken a slight dip in the polls at that time, but she has recovered. In the latest poll, conducted Sept. 28 and 29 by Datafolha, a Brazilian polling company, Ms. Rousseff was backed by 52 percent of voters, among her rivals, José Serra the former Governor of São Paulo, had 31 percent and Marina Silva, Mr. da Silva's popular former environment minister, had 15 percent. But with a marging of sampling error of plus or minus two percentage points, it is impossible for the poll to suggest that a runoff would be necessary.
Polling data showed that the scandal only seemed to resonate with upper-income voters, while her support from the poor, which benefited greatly under Mr. da Silva, held strong.
Barring any major surprises, even if Ms. Rousseff does not prevail Sunday she would be all but assured a victory in an Oct. 31 runoff, analysts said.
The campaign was devoid of big issues that divided the candidates, Mr. Serra, who ran for president in 2002, tried to campaign on his deep political experience as a governor, senator and health minister under President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. He tried to bill himself as a better continuation candidate than Ms. Rousseff. An early campaign slogan was "Brazil can do more," and he used images in his television time of him working side-by-side with Mr. da Silva.
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Analysts said that Mr. Serra's strategy was confusing, but that he never really had a change once Ms. Rousseff became better known as the president's pick.
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Mr. da Silva, whose approval ratings hover around 80 percent, deepened the economic policies begun under Mr. Cardoso, policies that have won him wide support, especially among the poor in the northeast and among a rapidly growing lower-middle class.
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Ms. Rousseff, has vowed to create millions more jobs and housing units for Brazilians, and to deepen the infrastructure development of the country.
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Whether Ms. Rousseff of Mr. Serra wins will matter little for Brazilian's economic policy direction, analysts say. While some predict that Ms. Rousseff, who was a guerrilla fighter in the 1960s battling the military ditactorship, will steer Brazi left, favoring a larger role for the state in the economy, most see her as a pragmatist in the mold of Mr. da Silva, who initially drew similar concerns.
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But few see the next president, whether it is Ms. Rosseff or Mr. Serra as having the same swagger on the international stage that Mr. Silva had.
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Despite having only a fourth-grade education, Mr. da Silva, a former union leader, used his emotional charismatic personality to win over leaders in the region and abroad.
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During his time in office, Brazil secured the 2014 Soccer World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He engaged Brazil in Middle East politics, forging warm ties with Iran, to the chagrin of the United States.
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"Lula is a hard act to follow in terms of the public face of Brazil, "Mr. Power said. "The foreign policy goals will be the same, but the presidentially led diplomacy, the summitry, will be dialed back"
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VOCABULARY:
Protégeé: noun, feminine, a person who is protected and aided by the patronage of another person (from French: Protéger - to protect)
Likely: adj., possessing or displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable.
Privail: verb intransitive, to be greater in strength or influence, triumph: prevail against the enemy.
Lacks: noun, a particular deficiency or absence: Owing to a lack of supporters, the reform did not succeed.
Surveys: noun, a gathering of a sample of data or opinions, considered to be representative of a whole (can also be used as a transitive or intransitive verb).
Squeak by: idioms, manage one's existence barely: I guess I can squeeze by on this louzy salary.
Runoff: noun, an extra competition held to break a tie.
Widespread: adjective, occurring or accepted widely.
Thumbs-up: noun, an act, instance, or sign of approval.
Crisscrossing: Verb transitive, to move back and forth through or over: Crisscrossed the country on a speaking tour (it can be used as transitive verb, noun, adjective and adverb)
On her behalf: idioms, as the agent of, on the part of.
Trumpeted: Verb transitive, to sound or proclaim loudly (it can be used as a noun or intransitive verb).
Accomplishments: noun, something completed succefully, an achievement.
Chairwoman: noun, the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization.
Wig: noun, an artificial covering of human or synthetic hair worn on the head for personal adornment, as part of a costume, or to conceal baldness.
Remission: noun, the period during which the symptoms of a disease abate or subside.
Peddling: noun, the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money.
Kickbacks: noun, part of an income paid to a person having influence over the size or payment of the income, esp. by some illegal arrangement.
Swiftly: adverb - derivative from the adjective swift - quick to act or react, prompt.
Devoid: adjective, completely lacking, destitute or empty.
Hover: verb intransitive, to remain floating, suspended, or fluttering in ther air: Gulls hoverign over the waves.
Has vowed: verb transitive, verb tense: Present Perfect of vow - to promise solemnly, to pledge.
Swagger: verb intransitive, to walk or behave in an arrogant manner.
Chagrin: verb transitive, to cause to feel chagrin, mortify or discomfit.
Summitry: noun, the practice of conducting international negotiations by summit conferences.

Obama is Sworn In as the 44th President of The United States of America

The inaugural ceremony at the the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday.
Pool photo by Scott Andrews

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Obama Is Sworn In as the 44th President
Published: The New York Times – January 20, 2009
By Carl Hulse
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“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real,” Mr. Obama said in his inaugural address minutes after he took the oath of office on the same bible used by Abraham Lincoln at his first inaugural in 1861. “They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.”

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Mr. Obama, the first African American to serve as president, spoke to a sea of cheering people, hundreds of thousands of Americans packed on the National Mall from the Capitol to beyond the Washington monument. The multitude was filled with black Americans and Mr. Obama’s triumph was a special and emotional moment for them.

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With his wife, Michelle, holding the Bible, Mr. Obama, the 47-year-old son of a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Africa, was sworn in just after noon, a little later than planned, and spoke immediately thereafter.

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In his speech, Mr. Obama promised to take “bold and swift” action to restore the economy by creating jobs through public works projects, improving education, promoting alternative energy and relying on new technology.

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“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America,” Mr. Obama said in a prepared copy of his remarks.
The new president also noted the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the “far-reaching network of violence and hatred” that seeks to harm the country. He used strong language in pledging to confront terrorism, nuclear proliferation and other threats from abroad, saying to the nation’s enemies, “you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

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But he also signaled a clean break from some of the Bush administration’s policies on national security. “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals,” he said, adding that the United States is “ready to lead once more.”
He acknowledged that some are skeptical of his ability to fulfill the hope that many have in his ability to move the nation in a new direction.

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“What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply,” said Mr. Obama, who ran for stressing a commitment to reduce partisanship. “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.”

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Hundreds of thousands of people packed the National Mall from the West Front of the Capitol to beyond the Washington monument, buttoned up against the freezing chill but projecting a palpable sense of hope as Mr. Obama becomes the first African American to hold the nation’s highest elected office. It was the largest inaugural crowd in decades, perhaps the largest ever; the throng and the anticipation began building even before the sun rose.

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After his speech, following a carefully designed script that played out all morning, Mr. Obama was to head inside the Capitol and sign nomination papers for the Cabinet members he chose in the weeks following his Nov. 4 victory. The Senate is to confirm some of those new Cabinet secretaries this afternoon, but Republicans planned to delay the confirmation of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state for at least one day.

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Mr. Obama, who attended church earlier in the day, had coffee with President Bush and his wife, Laura, and then rode with them in a motorcade to Capitol Hill, will then join Congressional leaders and other dignitaries at a luncheon in Statuary Hall. That will be followed by a review of the troops — his first as commander-in-chief — before he travels back downtown at the front of the inaugural parade, which he will then watch from the reviewing stand at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

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The crowd, before noon, was easily well into the hundreds of thousands.
Even before the sun rose or the mercury rose to the freezing point, people had streamed from all directions to the West Front of the Capitol, making their way on foot and by mass transit, since traffic was barred from a wide area around the grounds and the National Mall for security and to prevent gridlock.

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Given the historic nature of Mr. Obama’s election, black Americans appeared to be much more prevalent in the gathering crowd than at inaugurals of the recent past.
Earlier in the morning, the Obamas went to church, followed by coffee with President and Mrs. Bush.

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They left Blair House at 8:47 a.m. for the short drive in their new presidential Cadillac limousine to St. John’s Episcopal Church, just a few blocks away, for a prayer service. Mr. Obama wore a dark suit and red tie. Michelle Obama wore a sparkling golden dress and matching coat.

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As the Obamas sat in the center of a front row pew, next to Vice President-elect Joseph Biden Jr. and his wife, Jill, the keynote speaker, Bishop T.D. Jakes of the Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston, read a Biblical passage from Daniel 3:19. He then offered some lessons clearly aimed both to brace and hearten the president-elect: “In time of crisis, good men must stand up”; “You cannot change what you will not confront,” and “You cannot enjoy the light without enduring the heat.”

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Shortly before 10 a.m., the Obamas arrived at the White House, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Biden. The Obamas were met at the door by the Bushes. The two men shook hands and with their wives posed for a picture before going inside for a traditional coffee and a final few moments for the Bushes in the home they have occupied the past eight years.
Mr. Bush and Mr. Obama left the White House at 10:47 and, pausing only momentarily for photographers, entered the limousine that would take them to the Capitol. They arrived there 10 minutes later.

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Aides said Mr. Obama was expected to emphasize personal responsibility in his speech.
“He is going to be counting on the American people to come together,” Colin Powell, the former military leader and secretary of state, said in an appearance on MSNBC on Tuesday morning. “We all have to do something to help the country move forward under the leadership of this new president.”
As a black American who grew up in a segregated nation, Mr. Powell said the inauguration was looming as a powerful and emotional moment for African Americans. “You almost start tearing up,” he said.

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The crowd that stretched down the mall was festive and enthusiastic. They were bundled against the cold, with the temperature just above 20 degrees at 9 a.m., and the forecast calling for it to remain in the low 30s.

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Mr. Obama’s assumption of the presidency caps a remarkable rise for a man first elected to national office in 2004, winning a Senate seat in a year when he also delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston.
To win the presidency, he defeated Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, who will become his secretary of state, in a pitched presidential primary battle and then beat Senator John McCain of Arizona in a general election conducted against the backdrop of a national economic collapse.

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Though Mr. Obama did not emphasize his African American heritage as a candidate, the symbolism was evident and was reinforced by the fact that the swearing in was taking place the day following the national holiday to mark the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King. He will take office less than a month before the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, another Illinoisan who took the office at a time of national turmoil and a man whom Mr. Obama clearly looks to as an inspiration for his own presidency.

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“Today is about validation of the dream Dr. King enunciated 45 years ago on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial,” Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 Democrat in the House and the highest ranking black lawmaker in Congress, said on Tuesday morning.
Responding to warnings that the huge crowd could cause long waits and security screen checkpoints, people packed Washington’s subway trains by 5:30 a.m., filling all the parking lots at the outer stations; the subways had carried more than 400,000 riders by 8 a.m. An accident halted service on one of the main lines around 10 a.m.

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Shortly after 7 a.m., as the sun rose above the Capitol dome, there was a glittering burst of flash-bulbs as the teeming crowd collectively snapped thousands of photos of the dramatic moment. Around the Capitol, ticket gates opened for the long lines that were already waiting.
Before long the Mall was packed with people for as far as the eye could see; by 9 a.m the eastern half of the Mall, closer to the Capitol, was completely full. Large crowds continued to stream in on foot from many blocks away, heading to the area near the Washington Monument. On the East Front, where the swearing in of the president used to occur, Marine One was parked in the plaza, ready to be re-designated for the flight taking President Bush and Mrs. Bush to the airport.

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Inside the Capitol, staffers were scurrying about putting the final touches on the Inaugural Luncheon in Statuary Hall. The corridor leading to the House chamber had been transformed into staging grounds for the caterers, with huge serving tins of beets and green vegetables. Outside the House chamber, were dozens of cases of Korbel Champagne.

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The tables were set with large centerpieces of red roses. And a lectern, fashioned from a brass statue of a bald eagle, was positioned behind the dais. Decorators were making final adjustments to the lighting of “View of Yosemite Valley” an 1885 painting by Thomas Hill that was positioned directly behind the President Obama’s seat at the center of the dais.

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VOCABULARY:
Challenge(s): adjective difficult, in a way that tests your ability or determination
inaugural address: [n] an address delivered at an inaugural ceremony (especially by a US president) – (Discurso Inaugural)
oath: [n] a solemn promise, usually invoking a divine witness, regarding your future acts or behavior ; "they took an oath of allegiance".
be met: verb [T] met, met - to be fulfilled, satisfied, or achieved
span: noun - A period of time: a span of life.
cheering: verb [I] to give a loud shout of approval or encouragement
was sworn: Past Tense of swear – Transitive Verb – to assert as true or promise under oath
thereafter: adverb - from that time on Synonym: thenceforth
bold: adj., bold·er, bold·est. Fearless and daring; courageous.
swift: adj., happening or moving quickly or within a short time, especially in a smooth and easy way
relying: phrasal verb to need a particular thing or the help and support of someone or something in order to continue, to work correctly, or to succeed
ongoing: adj., continuing to exist or develop, or happening at the present moment
seeks: verb [I + to infinitive] sought, sought FORMAL to try or attempt
harm: verb [T] to hurt someone or damage something
outlast: verb [T] to live or exist, or to stay energetic and determined, longer than another person or thing
acknowledged: Past tense of acknowledge - verb [T] to accept, admit or recognize something, or the truth or existence of something
skeptical: adjective doubting that something is true or useful
fulfill: verb [T] to satisfy; to make happy
fail: verb [I] to not succeed in what you are trying to achieve or are expected to do
has shifted: Present Perfect Tense of shift - verb [I or T] to (cause something or someone to) move or change from one position or direction to another, especially slightly
commitment: noun [C or U] when you are willing to give your time and energy to something that you believe in, or a promise or firm decision to do something
partisanship: noun / partizan adjective strongly supporting a person, principle or political party, often without considering or judging the matter very carefully
whether: conjunction (used especially in reporting questions and expressing doubts) if, or not
retirement: noun - [U] the period in someone's life after they have stopped working because they reached a particular age
buttoned up: adjective having a very formal appearance or way of behaving (neste testo tem o sentido de estarem encasacados por causa do frio….)
throng: noun multitude, a large gathering of people
motorcade: noun [C] (US ALSO autocade) a series of cars and other motor vehicles which moves slowly along a road carrying someone important, especially during an official ceremony
commander-in-chief: noun [C] (ABBREVIATION C-in-C) a commander in charge of all the armed forces of a country or of all the forces fighting in a particular area or operation
1600 Pennsylvania Ave: Este é o endereço oficial da Casa Branca (The Official Address of the White House)
Streamed: Past tense of stream- to move continuously in one direction
National Mall: Neste caso o Mall não se refere a um Shopping Center mas sim a uma mistura de Alameda/Parque /Passeio (uma mistura dos 3...) se extende desde o Capitol Hill até o Lincoln Memorial e desde a White House até o Jefferson Memorial
Gridlock: noun [U] a situation where roads in a town become so blocked by cars that it is impossible for any traffic to move
Prevalent: adjective existing very commonly or happening frequently
prayer service: um culto (easier explained in Portuguese)
sparkling: adjective shining brightly
Front row pew: Assento na primeira fileira (easier explained in Poruguese)
Aimed: Past tense of Aim - verb [I] to intend
Enduring: verb [T] to suffer something difficult, unpleasant or painful
Shortly: adverb - shortly after/before sth a short time after or before something
Aides: noun [C] a person whose job is to help someone important, such as a member of a government or a military officer of high rank
Emphasize: verb [T] (UK USUALLY -ise) to show or state that something is particularly important or worth giving attention to
Forward: adverb (also forwards) towards the future
grew up: Past tense of grow up - phrasal verb to gradually become an adult
segregated: adjective – separated or treated differently because of race or sex
looming: Present continuous of Loom - verb [I] to appear as a large, often frightening or unclear shape or object
bundled: verb [I or T; + adverb or preposition] to push or put someone or something somewhere quickly and roughly
backdrop: noun [C] (MAINLY UK backcloth) a large piece of cloth with buildings, countryside, etc. painted on it that is hung at the back of a stage during a performance
heritage: noun [U] features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages or buildings, which still exist from the past and which have a historical importance
bicentennial: noun, adjective US for bicentenary (200 years)
Illinoisan: Natural from the State of Illinois
Huge: adjective extremely large in size or amount
Crowd: group noun [C] a large group of people who have gathered together
Halted: Past Tense of Halt - verb [I or T] to (cause to) stop moving or doing something or happening
Dome: noun [C] a rounded roof on a building or a room, or a building with such a roof
Glittering: adjective – very bright
Burst: nouns (C) a sudden increase in something, especially for a short period
Staffers: noun [C] mainly US an employee, often of a political organization
Scurrying: Present Continuous Tense – Verb Scurry - to move quickly, with small short steps
Statuary Hall: National Statuary Hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is the large, two-story, semicircular room south of the Rotunda. The meeting place of the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly 50 years, and now the main exhibition space for the National Statuary Hall Collection, this room is one of the most historic chambers in the Capitol.
Caterers: noun (C) – people or companies specialized in preparing food for receptions, parties, etc…
Tins: noun [C] (UK ALSO tin) a closed metal container, especially a cylindrical one, in which some types of drink and food are sold
Beets: noun [C or U] a plant with a thick root, which is often fed to animals or used to make sugar (in Portuguese – beterraba)
House chamber: The room in which the House of Representatives normally holds its sessions. The House Chamber is officially called the Hall of the House.
bald eagle: Águia Calva – ave símbolo dos Estados Unidos
dais: noun [C] a raised surface at one end of a meeting room which someone can stand on when speaking to a group

Learning in the News - XXIV

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Life With The Secret Service
The Obamas have a head start among First Families in learning to live with the Secret Service's constant presence.
By Katie Paul - Published on NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE
Publishing date: Nov 13, 2008
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How would you feel if a frowning man in dark sunglasses and wires in his ears grabbed the back of your pants every time you walked into a crowd? That's just one of many less-than-enjoyable aspects of presidential life that the Obama family have been living with, ever since they were christened with their recently-released official Secret Service code names: Renegade (Barack), Renaissance (Michelle), Radiance (Malia), and Rosebud (Sasha).

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The Obamas have had some time to adjust; they have had a Secret Service detail since May 2007, the earliest one ever assigned to a presidential contender. The detail was assigned because of concerns that the African-American candidate might face greater dangers. Those concerns were not misplaced, as evidenced by the discovery of several plots to do the candidate harm this fall.

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The Obamas aren't the only ones keeping the Secret Service busy. Since 9/11, the ranks of the protected have swelled to include key cabinet and congressional leaders, and even their assistants. Files are kept on some 40,000 U.S. citizens, including about 400 deemed by the agency to pose a specific threat. Using gadgets that would make James Bond envious, agents sweep offices and hotel rooms for surveillance devices, test food for poison and measure air quality to check for dangerous bacteria. The cute code names might make for good stories, but they're functionally obsolete; Secret Service agents actually rely on modern encryption technology to help keep discussions about those they protect confidential.

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Of course, all the technology and planning in the world can't protect a candidate or president if he won't do what he's told. Some politicians have been cooperative—Dwight Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush, for example—while others have gone rogue; Bill Clinton, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson all loved to make mischief. What can agents expect from the new First Family? With the help of two valuable books on the subject—"The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency" and "Standing Next To History: An Agent's Life Inside the Secret Service"—and interviews with an agency staffer, NEWSWEEK compiled a tip sheet of anecdotes from administrations-past illustrating the sundry ways Renegade, Renaissance, Radiance, and Rosebud might manage to stir up trouble for the folks in the dark glasses.

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Lesson 1: Expect the Unexpected At a pet show at Ethel Kennedy's Virginia estate, Secret Service agents had to scoop up and whisk away Jimmy Carter's daughter Amy when Suzy, a 6,000 pound elephant, charged in her direction. With Amy in his arms, the agent jumped over a split-rail fence—which the rogue elephant soon splintered—and carted the First Daughter to safety inside Kennedy's house, while crowds scattered and trainers struggled to get Suzy back under control.

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Lesson 2: Agents Protect, Not Serve President Jimmy Carter, accustomed to asking his state trooper guards to do errands for him, initially used his Secret Service detail as bag carriers—much to their dismay. He eventually backed off, but other presidents have requested such favors as babysitting and providing a fourth for a bridge game; all of which, agents have complained, detracted from their ability to do their jobs. Jackie Kennedy was the opposite: after JFK died, her children continued to have protection until they were 18. She insisted that the guards remain as inconspicuous as possible—and that they not pick up after or run errands for her children.

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Lesson 3: Leave the Shrubbery to the Gardeners The Obamas might want to watch the security improvements made to their home. The Secret Service spent over $10 million on Richard Nixon's three residences, including some $12,000 a year to "keep the landscape from interfering with security." This raised more than a few eyebrows among Congress and the press, which alleged that Nixon had finagled inappropriate home improvements for his friends as well. (Nixon maintained the upgrades had been suggested by the agency).

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Lesson 4: The Words ' Public Restroom ' Will Assume New Meaning Presidents and their families quickly learn that even trips to the bathroom come with security precautions. Lyndon Johnson, never very subtle, had perhaps the most direct way of expressing his frustration. Once, after pulling his car over to the side of the road for a pit stop, agents quickly surrounded him as he relieved himself. A sudden breeze prompted one agent to alert the president, "Sir, you're pissing on my leg." Johnson, not budging, replied, "I know. That's my prerogative."

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Lesson 5: You Are Not Normal A proud Everyman, President Harry Truman liked to preserve a sense of normalcy at the White House by going on strolls to buy newspapers, walk the dog, spend time with his family, and deposit checks at the local bank. Unfortunately for Truman, gawking pedestrians and drivers weren't as nonchalant about his wanderings—and neither was the Secret Service. Agents responded by rigging traffic lights to turn red in all four directions as Truman walked past, though the president soon noticed and scolded them for ruining his walks.

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Lesson 6: Mind the Models While staying in a hotel room one night, Secret Service agents placed a small model, shaped like the Washington Monument, next to the bed of Vice President Dan Quayle and his wife. If they knocked it over, they would trip an alarm hidden inside—giving the Quayles a convenient means of alerting security to any problems. About half an hour after they had retired, the vice president accidentally knocked over the device, prompting agents to rush in and surprise a very off-guard Mr. and Mrs. Quayle.

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Lesson 7: Kids Will Be Kids Presidential kids often give their protectors trouble. Tricia Nixon was called a "tough and troubled cookie" for ordering agents to wait on her hand and foot, then claiming that she caught them staring at her legs. Luci Johnson liked to race ahead of agents in her car, trying to lose them in traffic. One time, she slipped out the back door during a private party so that she and her fiancé could enjoy a night on the town free of surveillance. In a famous First Kid escapade, in 2001, Jenna and Barbara Bush used Jenna's fake ID to order drinks at a bar in Austin, Tex. Secret Service agents hustled the girls out before police officers could detain them, but they were later cited for underage drinking.

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Lesson 8: Play Nice with the Agents She vehemently denied the reports, but rumors circulated widely in the early days of the Clinton administration that Hillary Clinton often yelled and cursed at her Secret Service detail. Some unproven reports even had her chucking objects in fits of anger—including, one time, a lamp intended for the president's head. Regardless of whether the stories are true, aides said Clinton was deeply upset by the possibility that Secret Service agents had started the rumors, making the relationship between agents and the president and First Lady tense.

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© 2008

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Vocabulary
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head start: idioms - An early start that confers an advantage
frowning: Present Continuous Tense of frown: verb [I] to bring your eyebrows together so that there are lines on your face above your eyes to show that you are annoyed or worried.
crowd: group noun [C] a large group of people who have gathered together
christened: Past Tense of to be christen - christen - verb [T] to use something for the first time
plots: noun [C]a secret plan made by several people to do something that is wrong, harmful or not legal, especially to do damage to a person or a government
have swelled: Present Perfect Tense referring to a Past situation of swelled –swelled, swollen or swelled [I or T] to become larger and rounder than usual; to (cause to) increase in size or amount
deemed: Past Tense of deem - verb [T not continuous] formal to consider or judge something in a particular way
threat: noun [C] a suggestion that something unpleasant or violent will happen, especially if a particular action or order is not followed
gadgets: noun [C] a small device or machine with a particular purpose
surveillance: noun [U] the careful watching of a person or place, especially by the police or army, because of a crime that has happened or is expected
devices: noun [C] an object or machine which has been invented to fulfil a particular purpose
poison: noun [C or U] a substance that can make people or animals ill or kill them if they eat or drink it
rely: rely on sb/sth phrasal verb - to trust someone or something or to expect them to behave in a particular way
gone rogue: As a noun, "rogue" refers principally to "An unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person; a scoundrel or rascal." And as an adjective, "rogue" means "Vicious and solitary. Used of an animal, especially an elephant." – gone rogue: pretending to be something you're not, lying or acting in order to deceive others
mischief: noun [U] behavior, especially a child's, which is slightly bad but is not intended to cause serious harm or damage
an agency staffer: an employee of the C.I.A. Agency
sundry: adjective [before noun] formal several different; various
to stir up trouble: verb [I] -rr- UK INFORMAL DISAPPROVING to cause trouble intentionally between other people, especially by telling false or secret information
folks: plural noun [as form of address] INFORMAL used when speaking informally to a group of people
to scoop up: scoop sth/sb up phrasal verb [M] to lift something or someone with your hands or arms in a quick movement
whisk away: Verb - take away quickly and suddenly (synonym) whisk off (hypernym) take away, bear off, bear away, carry away, carry off
split-rail fence: A split-rail fence and log fence is a type of fence constructed out of timber logs, usually split lengthwise into "rails" and typically used for agricultural or decorative fencing. (um tipo de cerca de madeira).
splintered: Past Tense of splinter - verb [I] to break into small, sharp pieces – in the text used figuratively
to do errands: to go out to buy or do something
dismay: noun [U] a feeling of unhappiness and disappointment
backed off: (STOP) phrasal verb INFORMAL to stop being involved in a situation, usually in order to allow other people to deal with it themselves
detracted: phrasal verb [not continuous] to make something seem less valuable or less deserving of admiration than it really is or was thought to be
inconspicuous: adjective not easily or quickly noticed or seen; not attracting attention
pick up after: phrasal verb - pick up after someone – to collect things bit by bit left from someone else
eyebrows: noun - The bony ridge extending over the eye (sombrancelhas)
finagled: v. .intr. - To use crafty, deceitful methods. [Probably from dialectal fainaigue, to cheat.]finagler fi·na'gler n. improvements: The act or process of improving (making it better – melhorias)
subtle: So slight as to be difficult to detect or describe; elusive (sutil)
pissing:Present continuous form of to piss - (fazer xixi!!!!)
strolls: verb [I] to walk in a slow relaxed manner, especially for pleasure
gawking: Past continuous form of to gawk - verb [I] (UK ALSO gawp) INFORMAL to look at something or someone in a stupid or rude way
scolded: Past Tense of Scold - scold verb [T] OLD-FASHIONED to tell off someone of whose behavior you disapprove
knocked over: Past tense of knock over - HIT) phrasal verb [M usually passive] to hit someone or something
off-guard: unprepared
tough and troubled cookie: used to describe somebody difficult (character) and trouble maker
to wait on her hand and foot: With concerted, never-ending effort: had to wait on them hand and foot.
hustled the girls out:Verb – cause to move furtively and hurriedly; "The secret service agents hustled the speaker out of the amphitheater"
cited: verb [T] LEGAL to officially name or mention someone or something in a court of law, or to officially request someone to appear in a court of law
underage drinking: to drink alcohol under the age limit

vehemently: adjective expressing strong feelings, or characterized by strong feelings or great energy or force
denied: Past Tense of deny - verb [T] to not admit that you have knowledge, responsibility, feelings, etc
yelled and cursed: gritar e blasfemear – (easier explained in Portuguese)
aides: noun [C] a person whose job is to help someone important, such as a member of a government or a military officer of high rank

Learning English in The News - XXII - For Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate Students

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

The World’s Tallest Building
From: Business Week Magazine – week from October 13 to 19, 2008

The Supertall Skyscrapers
By Matt VellaDespite the financial crisis currently rippling through the global economy, the world is in the midst of an unprecedented skyscraper boom. Architects, engineers, and developers have raced to begin building towering structures, transforming the definition of modern skyscrapers. According to the Council on Tall Buildings & Urban Habitat, a nonprofit based at the Illinois Institute of Technology, some 36 buildings have reached heights of 1,000 ft. or more, meeting the definition of "supertall" structures. The Burj Dubai, shown here, is currently the world's tallest building—and nearly 1,000 ft. taller than the famed Sears Tower in Chicago.It remains unclear how the current global economic issues will affect the supertall trend. But frozen credit markets in developed economies may not affect developments already in progress in locations such as the Middle East and Russia.

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Vocabulary
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Skyscrapers: noun [C] a very tall modern building
Rippling: verb [I or T] to (cause to) move in small waves (ondas – mas no Inglês usado como verbo)
In the midst of: (expression) in the middle of an event, situation or activity
Boom: noun [C or U] a period of sudden economic growth, especially one that results in a lot of money being made
Towering: adjective - LITERARY very high and impressive
Nonprofit: adjective (MAINLY US nonprofit ) describes an organization which does not make a profit, usually intentionally (sem fins lucrativo)
Issues: noun [C] a subject or problem which people are thinking and talking about
Trend: noun [C] a general development or change in a situation or in the way that people are behaving
Middle East: Oriente Médio (easier explained in Portuguese)

Learning in the News XXI - For Intermediate Business Students

Fears of a Recession Growing in Europe

Publishe in the New York Times – October 14,2008.
By DAVID JOLLY
Published: October 14, 2008

PARIS — If there is a bright spot amid the chaos in the financial markets, it is that it helps to settle a debate among economists about the outlook for the European economy.
Even before the credit crisis exploded back into the headlines last month with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, European economists were increasingly pessimistic about regional prospects. With the financial sector’s problems weighing directly on the broader economy, many economists say Europe is already in recession and will be lucky to get out of it by summer.
There will be no official confirmation until Nov. 14, when Eurostat, the European Union statistics agency, announces third-quarter growth figures, but the agency said Tuesday that industrial production in the euro zone fell 0.7 percent in August compared with output in the month a year earlier.
Gross domestic product in France contracted by 0.1 percent in the third quarter, the French central bank said, reversing the previous estimate of an increase of 0.1 percent. That means France has joined Spain, Ireland and Denmark in posting two consecutive quarters of economic contraction, a widely accepted definition of recession.
And the ZEW research institute said its economic sentiment indicator for Germany tumbled this month by 21.9 points, to minus 63.0, a number suggesting tough times ahead. The institute, based in Mannheim, Germany, did note, however, some indications that sentiment had improved somewhat after the announcement Monday of taxpayer bailouts for the global financial system.
The German finance minister, Peer Steinbrück, acknowledged the danger that the country’s economy, which declined in the second quarter, might be heading into recession, saying such fears were not “mere pessimism.”
Jörg Krämer, chief economist at Commerzbank in Frankfurt, said: “There may not be a consensus yet, but the optimists are giving in. The camp of those who forecast a recession is rapidly growing.”
“Even before the financial market crisis, there was a problem of falling house prices in Europe — in the U.K, Spain and Denmark,” Mr. Krämer said. “That’s a big burden.”
A report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors showed British real estate agents sold on average just 11.5 properties for the three months through the end of September. That is a 52 percent decline from a year earlier and was the lowest since at least 1978. In London, the figures were worse, with just 8.3 properties sold on average by real estate agents in the last three months. And most agents reported that home sale prices were falling.
Spanish home prices, meanwhile, fell 4.9 percent in September from a year earlier, according to a report Tuesday from Tinsa, a property company.
Germany, the largest European economy, has been the big question mark, with its export powerhouses thriving despite the slowdown elsewhere. But Mr. Krämer said there was no way the country’s exports could keep growing as the economies of its main trading partners declined.
Gilles Moëc, senior economist at Bank of America in London, said European growth would be hurt by a declining labor market.
Mr. Moëc said the job market had been resilient, aside from in Spain, because companies had been hanging on to employees in the hope that any downturn would be only temporary. But the credit crisis is now directly hurting nonfinancial businesses, he said.
“We’ll probably see the labor market start to deteriorate quite rapidly in the next few months,” he said, and that will hurt consumer spending.
Inflation, which just a few months ago ranked among Europe’s biggest concerns, has largely dropped off the radar in the face of the credit crisis. Relatively benign consumer price reports Tuesday from Italy, France and Spain confirmed expectations that price pressures would ebb with the sell-off in the commodities markets. But British consumer prices rose 5.2 percent in September from a year earlier, accelerating from the 4.7 percent rise in August, as natural gas and electricity bills rose.
Economists are now predicting that with long-term inflation expectations stabilizing, the European Central Bank could cut benchmark interest rates several times by the middle of next year.
Mr. Moëc said he was optimistic that growth would be back on track by the summer. The caveat, he said, was that oil prices could rebound or credit markets could freeze up again. In either of those cases, “you can say goodbye to a recovery,” he said.
“The question is not whether we get a recession or not,” Mr. Krämer said. “To me the question is do we get a multiyear recession like in Japan” in the 1990s.

Vocabulary:
Amid: among, amongst
Broader: wider
to get out of: to leave
third-quarter: 3ro semester (easier explained in Portuguese)
figures: numbers
output: results
Gross domestic product: Produto Doméstico Bruto (easier explained in Portuguese)
Tumbled: felt greatly in value in a short time
tough times: hard times, difficult times
taxpayer: a person who pays tax
bailouts: to help a person or organization that is in difficulty, usually by giving or lending them money
acknowledged: accepted, admitted or recognized something, or the truth or existence of something
forecast: to say what you expect to happen in the future
burden: something difficult or unpleasant that you have to deal with or worry about
real estate agents: Corretores de imóveis (easier explained in Portuguese)
average: the result obtained by adding two or more amounts together and dividing the total by the number of amounts (a media – easier explained in Portuguese)
meanwhile: while something else is happening
powerhouses: a country, organization or person with a lot of influence, power or energy
thriving: growing, developing, getting to be very famous
trading: buying and selling, or exchanging, goods and/or services
labor market: Mercado de trabalho (easier explained in Portuguese)
resilient: able to quickly return to a previous good condition
aside: on or to one side
downturn: a reduction in the amount or success of something, such as a country's economic activity
ebb: to become less strong or disappear
sell-off: when the price of goods in a shop or factory is reduced so they can be sold quickly
bills: a request for payment of money owed, or the piece of paper on which it is written
benchmark: a level of quality which can be used as a standard when comparing other things
rebound: to bounce back after hitting a hard surface

LEARNING IN THE NEWS - XVIII (For Business Students Beginners Level ad Up)

The renovated McDonald’s, designed with the help of experts in feng shui, the Chinese art of creating harmonious surroundings.

I’ll Have a Big Mac, Serenity on the Side
Published on The New York Times by Jennifer Steinhauer
Sunday, march 2nd, 2008

HACIENDA HEIGHTS, Calif. — On a busy commercial strip in this Los Angeles-area community is a quiet place where the walls are dabbed with red, the booths form a semicircle — perfect for a palaver with a paramour — and two waterfalls flow silently.
It is not a new cafe heralding gentrification, but rather a McDonald’s, newly renovated with the consultation of experts in feng shui, the Chinese practice of creating harmonious surroundings.
“We wanted to make the restaurant a little bit more of a destination,” said Bryan Carmack, one of its franchisees, who runs 23 McDonald’s restaurants with other members of his family around Southern California. “It’s not so much décor as a theme, our theme being we want this to be a harmonic, peaceful place for people to be.”
The design clearly reflects the owners’ desire, shared by many purveyors of fast food, to keep customers in their establishments as long as possible. The goal is opposite that of fast-food restaurants of yore, whose greatest wish was high customer turnover.
To that new end, the remodeled store also has a “McCafe” — essentially an outlet for McDonald’s coffee sold at Starbucks prices — a flat-screen television and soft cushioned chairs, all intended to encourage lingering.
But the use of feng shui experts and the multiple Asian touches — a vase at the entry filled with bamboo, and red accents galore, among other things — are also nods to the ever-expanding Asian population here in eastern Los Angeles County, where streets with Spanish names are peppered with stores bearing Chinese-lettered signs and where one of the largest Buddhist temples in the nation makes its home.
In the evermorphing county, the feng shui McDonald’s, as it has quickly become known, is “a perfect example” of global capitalism’s co-opting people’s cultures, said Gilda L. Ochoa, an associate professor of sociology and Latino studies at Pomona College, who grew up here in the 1970s. “Hacienda Heights,” she said, “is a microcosm of a changing United States.”
From 1990 to 2000, census figures show, the number of Asians as a proportion of the 53,000 residents in the unincorporated town increased to 36 percent from 27 percent. The number of Hispanics, 38 percent of the population in 2000, also grew in that time, though less significantly.
Mr. Carmack said he decided that the McDonald’s here, which opened in the early 1970s, needed to be rebuilt last year, and he wanted the place to reflect the community. So he consulted with a feng shui study group, made up of McDonald’s operators and officials and led by a feng shui master. They gave an extensive list of recommendations.
He then turned to Brenda Clifford at JBI, a Long Beach firm that has designed many of Mr. Carmack’s themed McDonald’s restaurants, like one with a running train inside in Buena Park, near the Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park, and a ’50s-style drive-in in La Verne, a nod to Route 66.
But not everything recommended for this McDonald’s was practical, Ms. Clifford said. One has to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, among other things.
Nonetheless, the traditional McDonald’s was radically altered. The walls are now curved, the ceiling and floor tiles are placed at distinctive angles, and the doors swing open and shut in opposite directions, all in the name of keeping luck within the restaurant. The number 4, considered bad luck in some Asian cultures, is absent in the street address and the phone number. The walls are painted in earth tones — close to nature and soothing to boot, Ms. Clifford said — with red accents.
“A lot of things are subliminal,” she said. “Balance in life, that’s what you want.”
There is also a wall displaying three pieces of brushed aluminum graphic art, one featuring a crane — because “it represents fertility,” Ms. Clifford said — another a koi fish (prosperity, she said) and the third an iguana. Yes, an iguana.
“That last one was because I have to meet the demographics in the community,” Ms. Clifford said. “I have a Latino community that eats lunch there, and you don’t want to alienate anyone.”
Calvin Liu sat in one of the cushy red booths the other day, finishing up a snack with his brother Willie. They work in nearby City of Industry, and were struck by the restaurant’s new look. They were not sure if it made them feel more balanced as they polished off their French fries, but they did concede that the design was appealing.
“A lot of feng shui is conceptually esoteric,” Mr. Liu said. “But it does seem a lot more high-end.”
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Vocabulary:
Serenity: The state or quality of being serene, peace, peacefulness, peace of mind, repose, heartsease
Surroundings: the area in which something exists or lives, Synonyms: environment, environs, surround
Commercial strip: commercial area
Dabbed: covered (in this context: painted)
Booths: A seating area in a restaurant with a table and seats whose high backs serve as partitions
Palaver: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly - Synonyms: chatter, piffle, prate, tittle-tattle, twaddle, clack, maunder, prattle, blab, gibber
Paramour: A person's regular sexual partner: lover
Heralding: praising vociferously - Synonyms: acclaiming, hailing
Gentrification: The restoration and upgrading of deteriorated urban property by middle-class or affluent people, often resulting in displacement of lower-income people
Franchisees: One that is granted a franchise, as to market a company's goods or services in a certain local area
Décor: Decoration
Purveyors: someone who supplies provisions (especially food)
Goal: Objective
Yore: A former period of time or of one's life: past, yesterday, yesteryear. Idioms: bygone days, days gone by, the good old days, the old days
Turnover: The amount of business transacted during a given period of time
Outlet: a place of business for retailing goods - Synonyms: mercantile establishment, retail store, sales outlet
Cushioned: a soft bag filled with air or a mass of padding such as feathers or foam rubber etc (Assentos macios)
Lingering: continuing for a long time
Galore: in great numbers
Nods: The act or process of accepting: acceptance, acquiescence, agreement, assent, consent, yes. Informal OK.
Peppered: To mark with many small spots
Evermorphing: always transforming one image into another
Comply: To act in conformity with
Americans With Disabilities Act: civil-rights law, enacted 1990, that forbids discrimination of various sorts against persons with physical or mental handicaps. Its primary emphasis is on enabling these persons to enter the job market and remain employed, but it also outlaws most physical barriers in public accommodations, transportation, telecommunications, and government services.
Nonetheless: In spite of a preceding event or consideration
Soothing: Tending to soothe – calming, placating
Subliminal: below the threshold of conscious perception
Appealing: Attractive

LEARNING IN THE NEWS - XVII (For Business Students - Beginner Level)

Northrop Grumman, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

U.S.-Europe Team Beats Out Boeing on Big Contract
By Leslie Wayne

The New York Times - Published: March 1, 2008

WASHINGTON — The Air Force, in a stunning upset against the Boeing Company, awarded a $40 billion contract for aerial refueling tankers on Friday to a partnership between Northrop Grumman and the European parent of Airbus, putting a critical military contract partly into the hands of a foreign company.

The contract, one of the largest at the Pentagon, is initially valued at $40 billion but has the potential to grow to $100 billion. It is also a sign of the growing influence of foreign suppliers within the Pentagon and breaks a relationship that has lasted decades with Boeing, which had built the bulk of the existing tanker fleet and had fought hard to land the new contract.
Under the contract, Northrop and the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company build a fleet of 179 planes, based on the existing Airbus 330, to provide in-air refueling to military aircraft, from fighter jets to cargo planes. It gives a huge lift to Airbus, whose commercial aviation program has suffered a number of setbacks in recent years. While final assembly of the craft would take place at an Airbus plant near Mobile, Ala., parts would come from suppliers across the globe.
At a news conference, Air Force officials said that the creation of domestic jobs was not a factor in the decision. In response to questions about possible negative reaction to the deal in Congress, Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, head of the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, said, “This will be an American tanker, flown by American airmen with an American flag on its tail and, every day, it will be saving American lives.”
Reaction from some in Congress, however, was swift.
“We are outraged that this decision taps European Airbus and its foreign workers to provide a tanker to our American military,” the Washington State delegation said in a joint statement. Boeing planes are assembled outside of Seattle. “This is a blow to the American aerospace industry, American workers and America’s men and women in uniform,” the statement added.
For its part, Boeing, which had been considered the strong favorite to retain the contract, said it was “very disappointed” in the outcome. But it did not say whether it would file a formal protest — something that Gen. T. Michael Moseley, chief of staff of the Air Force, has said that he hoped the losing bidder would not do because it would only further delay the tanker replacement program.
In its statement, Boeing said, “We believe that we offered the Air Force the best value and lowest-risk tanker for its mission.” The company added that only after a debriefing by the Pentagon would the company “make a decision concerning our possible options, keeping in mind at all times the impact to the warfighter and the nation.”
A Boeing victory was considered so certain that many Wall Street analysts had already factored the contract into their economic forecasts for the company. One senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican of Texas, sent out a press release prematurely praising Boeing for its victory.
“This isn’t an upset,” said Loren B. Thompson, a military analyst at the Lexington Institute, a Washington-area research group. “It’s an earthquake.”
The Air Force decision is also a surprise ending to a protracted contracting process that went on for nearly a decade and became mired in scandal and international politics.
Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, scuttled an earlier attempt by the Air Force to award the contract to Boeing, opening the door for the Northrop-Airbus bid.
Senator McCain’s campaign spokeswoman referred calls to his Senate office, which could not be reached for comment.
Representative Norm Dicks, a member of the defense subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee and a Democrat from Washington State, said he was attending an anticipated victory party at Boeing’s offices in Washington when the mood suddenly darkened.
Mr. Dicks added: “Here we are in the middle of a recession, and we give this to Airbus? That is not going to go down well.”
Ronald D. Sugar, the chief executive of Northrop Grumman, said in a telephone interview that he expected members of Congress would have a “variety of views” depending on whether their districts would be gaining or losing jobs under the deal.
Mr. Sugar said that 60 percent of the content of the new tanker would come from the United States and that it would create 2,000 jobs in Mobile and 25,000 overall in the United States.
“This is more about the capability that we will give to the kids fighting the wars and the cost to the taxpayer,” Mr. Sugar said.
Backing Mr. Sugar’s view was Senator Richard C. Shelby, an Alabama Republican who hailed the decision as “great news for Alabama.”

The Alabama and Mississippi delegations had lobbied hard in Congress to polish the image of Airbus. In Paris, at the annual air shows, Airbus officials and these politicians proudly displayed the proposed European tanker offering and made the argument that if the United States wanted to sell its weapons to European countries, it should also open its doors to foreign suppliers.
In terms of the craft itself, the Airbus 330 is far larger than the 767 that Boeing proposed using. The Air Force said it was attracted by the plane’s larger fuel capacity, its cost and its ability to also carry cargo and passengers.
The deal is the first phase of a multidecade program to replace the aging aerial tanker fleet, which dates to the Kennedy and Eisenhower eras. The fleet, which now numbers about 535 refitted Boeing 707s and DC-10s is one of the largest but oldest fleets of jets in the world.
Replacing these tankers has been the Air Force’s top priority since 1996, when the government first proposed obtaining new planes. The first 179 tankers will be acquired at a pace of about 15 a year. But it is expected that over time, nearly 400 new refueling planes will be needed, which could bring the program’s total cost to $100 billion.
For more than a decade the Air Force’s effort to modernize the fleet has been thwarted by global politics, Washington scandals and an aggressive attack by Mr. McCain, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
In the end, a procurement scandal led to the departure of Philip M. Condit, the chief executive of Boeing; the resignation of James G. Roche, the Air Force secretary; and the imprisonment of two Boeing executives, one of whom had worked on the program as a Pentagon acquisition official.
The Air Force, short on cash and wanting to acquire the planes as fast as possible, proposed an arrangement to Congress in late 2001 under which the Pentagon would lease the Boeing 767s in a sole-source contract that would keep Boeing’s aging 767 production line alive.
But just as the Air Force was about to sign that deal, it came under sharp attack from Senator McCain, a former Navy pilot. He denounced the deal as a sweetheart arrangement between Boeing and the Air Force that would shortchange the taxpayer and that was arranged with insufficient scrutiny and oversight.
Soon afterward, it was reported that the Air Force’s No. 2 weapons buyer, Darleen A. Druyun, had been promised jobs for herself, her daughter and son-in-law in return for steering the tanker contract and billions of dollars of other Air Force business to Boeing.
Soon after she joined the company in a $250,000-a-year post, Ms. Druyun and Michael M. Sears, Boeing’s former chief financial officer, pleaded guilty and received prison terms.
The weight of the scandal caused the Boeing deal to collapse in 2004 and opened the door to competition from Boeing’s archrival EADS, which teamed up with Northrop.
Each side spent millions to sharpen its proposal, hire lobbyists and former generals to argue its case and wage extensive advertising efforts in Washington and at military gatherings.

VOCABULARY:
Stunning: Causing or capable of causing emotional shock or loss of consciousness
Upset: disturbance, perturbation
Awarded: give on the basis of merit, granted
Aerial refueling: The capability to refuel aircraft in flight, which extends presence, increases range, and serves as a force multiplier. Also called AR.
Bulk: Size, mass, or volume, especially when very large
Huge: enormous
Setbacks: A change from better to worse: backset, reversal, reverse
Assembly: The putting together of manufactured parts to make a completed product, such as a machine or electronic circuit
Craft: make by hand and with much skill
However: In spite of a preceding event or consideration
Swift: Quick to act or react; prompt
Outraged: shocked, offended, scandalized, appalled
Blow: Something that jars the mind or emotions: jolt, shock
Outcome: Results
File: To enter (a legal document) on public official record
Bidder: One who bids or offers a price – Participantes de uma concorrência publica
Delay: To cause to be later or slower than expected or desired
Replacement: The act or process of replacing or of being replaced; substitution
Debriefing: report of a mission or task
Concerning: In reference to, related to
Praising: Expression of approval, commendation, or admiration
Earthquake: (easier explained in Portuguese) terremoto
Protracted: Of long duration: chronic, continuing, lingering, persistent, prolonged
Decade: same as 10 years
Mired: involved
Presidential nominee: Presidential Candidate
Scuttled: Past Simple of Scuttle which means: to move about or proceed hurriedly
Spokeswoman: (easier explained in Portuguese ) Portavoz
Mood: (easier explained in Portuguese) o clima (no ambiente)
Darkened: to became dark (escureceu)
Taxpayer: (easier explained in Portuguese) contribuintes
Hailed: praised, acclaimed (elogiar – neste artigo elogiou)
Lobbied: Past Simple of Lobby: A group of persons engaged in trying to influence legislators or other public officials in favor of a specific cause
Fuel: A material such as wood, coal, gas, or oil burned to produce heat or power
Multidecade program: (easier explained in Portugues) programa com duração de varias decadas
Aging: becoming older
Fleet: group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
Refitted: prepared and/or equipped for special use
Be acquired: be purchased, bought
Thwarted: Past Simple of thwart - To prevent from accomplishing a purpose
Procurement: A fancy word for "purchasing."
Sole-source: (easier explained in Portuguese) – unica fonte
Sharp attack: intense adverse criticism
Denounced: accused formally
Sweetheart arrangement: or sweetheart contract is used to describe an abnormally favorable contractual arrangement
Shortchanged: To treat unfairly or deceitfully; cheat
Scrutiny: A close, careful examination or study
Oversight: An unintentional omission or mistake
Soon: In the near future; shortly
Afterward: At a later time; subsequently
Weapons: arms
Steering: the act of setting and holding a course (manobrar uma situação)
Joined: become part of
Former: (easier explained in Portuguese) Ex- , antigo..
pleaded guilty: (easier explained in Portuguese) declarou-se culpado
Sharpen: heighten, make more acute; as of one's sensesGatherings: meetings (reuniões)

Gatherings: meetings (reuniões)

Note: Criteria for the Ratings of the Student Level s on the articles – When I post an article like Beginner Level it means that my Business Student must have the Pre-Intermediate level of the Colloquial English.