Obama's Speech at Cairo Universiy

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Obama's Speech at Cairo Universiy
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Barack Hussein Obama
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Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the
44th and current President of the United States.
The first African American to hold the office, he
served as the junior United States Senator from
Illinois from January 2005 until he resigned
after his election to the presidency in November
2008. Obama is a graduate of Columbia University
and Harvard Law School, where he was the
president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a
community organizer in Chicago before earning his
law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney
in Chicago and also taught constitutional law at
the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to
2004.
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Obama served three terms in the Illinois Senate
from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid
for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives
in 2000, Obama ran for United States Senate in
2004. His victory, from a crowded field, in the
March 2004 Democratic primary raised his
visibility. His prime-time televised keynote
address at the Democratic National Convention in
July 2004 made him a rising star nationally in
the Democratic Party. He was elected to the U.S.
Senate in November 2004 by the largest margin in
the history of Illinois.
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He began his run for the presidency in February
2007. After a close campaign in the 2008
Democratic Party presidential primaries against
Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won his party's
nomination, becoming the first major party
African American candidate for president. In the
2008 general election, he defeated Republican
nominee John McCain and was inaugurated as
president on January 20, 2009.
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Background of the Speech
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The stage is being set for President Obama's
speech to the world's Muslims. The White House
has confirmed Cairo University as the location of
the address, and the campus is getting a quick
makeover to host Obama. A few hundred students of
Cario University will be chosen to attend the
speech. Many students welcome the changes, but
change in U.S. foreign policy is really what
they're looking for. The American President
Barack Obama will hopefully speak about the
actions he plans to take to make the Middle East,
the Arab world, and the whole world better.
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Cairo University is the site of President Obama's
speech to the world's Muslims. On Thursday June
4, from the university's domed Great Hall, the
president took center stage. Cario University has
made good preparation for US President. Before
President Obama came, the public university is
concentrating on landscaping, planting flowers
and giving some of these landmarks a fresh coat
of paint.
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Outside the university, there are more signs that
an important guest is coming. A bridge is being
painted in preparation. Chief painter Michel
Labeeb says Egyptians are inspired by Mr. Obama.
"In the Middle East, there will be peace God
willing. We are optimistic about what to expect
from Obama," he said. It's a view many hold. They
like the newly paved roads, like this one, but
they hope Mr. Obama's visit will pave a new path
in US-Muslim
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Words and Expressions
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timeless If you describe something as timeless,
you mean that it is so good or beautiful that it
cannot be affected by changes in society or
fashion. e.g. There is a timeless
quality to his best work.
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beacon A beacon is a light or a fire, usually
on a hill or tower, which acts as a signal or a
warning. e.g. The beacon is raised, supplied and
sponsored by British Gas.
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proxy If you do something by proxy, you arrange
for someone else to do it for you.
e.g. Those not attending the meeting may vote by
proxy.
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exploit If you exploit something, you use it
well, and achieve something or gain an advantage
from it. e.g. Cary is hoping to
exploit new opportunities in Europe.
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potent Powerful Something that is potent is
very effective and powerful. e.g. The drug is
extremely potent, but causes unpleasant side
effects.
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empower To empower someone means to give them
the means to achieve something, for example to
become stronger or more successful.
e.g. What I'm trying to do is to empower people,
to give them ways to help them get well.
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exclusive If two things are mutually
exclusive, they are separate and very different
from each other, so that it is impossible for
them to exist or happen together.
e.g. They both have learnt that ambition and
successful fatherhood can be mutually exclusive.
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eradicate To eradicate something means to get
rid of it completely. e.g. If tedious tasks
could be eradicated, the world would be a much
better place.
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heal When a broken bone or other injury heals
or when something heals it, it becomes healthy
and normal again. e.g. Within six
weeks the bruising had gone, but it was six
months before it all healed.
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calligraphy Calligraphy is the art of producing
beautiful handwriting using a brush or a special
pen. e.g. Oriental calligraphy might be called
the handwriting of the arist.
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enmity Enmity is a feeling of hatred towards
someone that lasts for a long time.
e.g. I think there is an historic enmity between
them.
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stereotype A stereotype is a fixed general
image or set of characteristics that a lot of
people believe represent a particular type of
person or thing. e.g. Many men feel
their body shape doesn't live up to the
stereotype of the ideal man.
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mosque A mosque is a building where Muslims go
to worship. e.g. The photo of Cardiff skyline
looked more like the Middle East also with a
mosque in the foreground.
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aspiration Someone's aspirations are their
desire to achieve things. e.g. She never had
high aspirations, she says, and was quite happy
to absorb herself with routine police work.
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slaughter If large numbers of people or animals
are slaughtered, they are killed in a way that is
cruel or unnecessary. e.g. Thirty
four people were slaughtered while queuing up to
cast their votes.
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subjugate If someone subjugates a group of
people, they take complete control of them,
especially by defeating them in a war. e.g.
Their costly and futile attempt to subjugate the
Afghans lasted just 10 years.
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affiliate An affiliate is an organization which
is officially connected with another, larger
organization or is a member of it. e.g. The
World Chess Federation has affiliates in around
120 countries.
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agonizing Something that is agonizing causes
you to feel great physical or mental pain.
e.g. He did not wish to die the agonizing
death of his mother and brother.
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coalition A coalition is a group consisting of
people from different political or social groups
who are co-operating to achieve a particular
aim. e.g. He had been opposed by a
coalition of about 50 civil rights, women's and
Latino organizations.
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irreconcilable Incompatible If two things
such as opinions or proposals are irreconcilable,
they are so different from each other that it is
not possible to believe or have both of them.
e.g. These old concepts are irreconcilable with
modern life.
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be better off If you say that someone would be
better off doing something, you are advising them
to do it or expressing the opinion that it would
benefit them to do it. e.g. If you've
got bags you're better off taking a taxi.
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consensus A consensus is general agreement
among a group of people. e.g. The
consensus amongst the world's scientists is that
the world is likely to warm up over the next few
decades.
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sovereignty Autonomy Sovereignty is the power
that a country has to govern itself or another
country or state. e.g. Britain's
concern to protect national sovereignty is far
from new.
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trauma Trauma is a very severe shock or very
upsetting experience, which may cause
psychological damage. e.g. The officers are
claiming compensation for trauma after the
disaster.
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unequivocal If you describe someone's attitude
as unequivocal, you mean that it is completely
clear and very firm. e.g.
Yesterday, the message to him was unequivocal
Get out.'
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persecute If someone is persecuted, they are
treated cruelly and unfairly, often because of
their race or beliefs. e.g. Mr Weaver
and his family have been persecuted by the
authorities for their beliefs.
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vile If you say that someone or something is
vile, you mean that they are very unpleasant.
e.g. She was in too vile a mood to work.
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humiliation Humiliation is the embarrassment
and shame you feel when someone makes you appear
stupid, or when you make a mistake in public.
e.g. She faced the humiliation of
discussing her husband's affair.
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stalemate Stalemate is a situation in which
neither side in an argument or contest can win or
in which no progress is possible.
e.g. President Bush has ended the stalemate over
moves to cut the country's budget deficit.
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elusive Something or someone that is elusive is
difficult to find, describe, remember, or
achieve. e.g. In London late-night
taxis are elusive and far from cheap.
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segregation Segregation is the official
practice of keeping people apart, usually people
of different sexes, races, or religions.
e.g. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that
racial segregation in schools was
unconstitutional.
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devastate ravage, wreck If something
devastates an area or a place, it damages it very
badly or destroys it totally. e.g. A
few days before, a fire had devastated large
parts of Windsor Castle.
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align If you align yourself with a particular
group, you support them because you have the same
political aim. e.g. There are signs
that the prime minister is aligning himself with
the liberals.
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tumultuous A tumultuous event or period of time
involves many exciting and confusing events or
feelings. e.g. It's been a tumultuous day at the
international trade negotiations in Brussels.
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rectitude Rectitude is a quality or attitude
that is shown by people who behave honestly and
morally according to accepted standards. e.g.
An informal thought police, I imagined, checked
every pronouncement for political rectitude.
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coercion Coercion is the act or process of
persuading someone forcefully to do something
that they do not want to do. e.g. It
was vital that the elections should be free of
coercion or intimidation.
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envoy An envoy is someone who is sent as a
representative from one government or political
group to another. e.g. Three years after that,
he and his wife started working at Laurieston as
envoys", non-commissioned officers.