Haiti, a country under eternal reconstruction

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World

Haiti, a country under

eternal reconstruction

Nature has been cruel to the poorest country in the Americas. A look back into the past helps explain how Haiti came to be so poor. Throughout the country’s history, the Haitians have suffered various coups [1], political crises and cruel tyrannical dictatorships [2]

It seems that nature has not been kind to Haiti. The earthquake on January 12^th (2010) aggravated the chaos and poverty in the country. According to the United Nations, up to January 23^rd the official number of dead was 111,000 and 200,000 had been injured [3]. It has been estimated, however, that the final death toll [4] could be 200,000.  Thousands of houses have been destroyed or damaged, and hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless. Before being hit by the earthquake the country was struck by a hurricane in 2008. However, nature cannot be held chiefly responsible for the Haitians’ suffering.  In this country of nine million souls, over half are living below the level of extreme poverty, earning just a dollar a day. It is the poorest country in the Americas. The country is very, very underprivileged – there is a lack of schools, jobs, hospitals, transport, security, infrastructure, basic sanitation, and – mainly – political stability. In political terms Haiti has always been in conflict. From the second half of the 19^th century until the beginning of the 20^th century, 16 Heads of State [5] were overthrown [6] or assassinated.

                 Governments that did not work

In the second half of the 20^th century, however, Haiti had two governments that stayed in power for a long time. François Duvalier, better known as Papa Doc, took power [7]  in 1957 and his government lasted until 1971, when he died. His son, Jean-Claude (known as Baby Doc) took over and remained in power until 1985. Both of them stayed in power by persecuting their opponentsmercilessly [8]. During these dictatorships, Haiti fell deeper and deeper into poverty. In the years that followed Haitians tried to stabilize their political situation, but a succession of military coups prevented any organization.

Matéria publicada na edição de número 53 da Revista Maganews

(Leia mais sobre o Haiti na edição impressa da revista)

Photo 1 (Marcello Casal – ABr) - Earthquake - Scenes of devastation in the Bel Air neighborhood of Port-au-Prince.
Photo 2 (Marcello Casal – ABr) - Port-au-Prince days after the earthquake – What does the future hold for this child?

Voice – David Hatton

Vocabulary

1 coup – golpe

2 dictatorship - ditadura

3 injured – ferido

4 death toll – exp. idiom. = número oficial de mortos

5 Heads of State – chefes de estado

6 to be overthrown – ser deposto

7 to take power – assumir o poder

8 mercilessly – cruelmente / sem piedade

We are the world

WHAT is “We are the world 25 for Haiti”?

It is a remake of the song "we are the world", recorded 25 years after theoriginal one to raise money to help reconstruction in Haiti after the 2010earthquake.

The Author of this posting is credit for Maria Helena Sabadini

Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=4069

EXERCISE ONE: WH

AT DOES THE MESSAGE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE VIDEO SAY?

READ THE FOLLOWING AND CHOOSE WHETHER THEY'RE RIGHT OR WRONG

1- it asks us to do more than just watch and to donate for Haiti truefalse

2- it says the original lyrics were by M Jackson alone truefalse

3- it says the original song was written by M Jackson and Lionel Ritchie truefalse

4- it says this video was made to remember M Jackson truefalse

5- it says this video was made to take action to help Haiti truefalse

6- it asks us to reach deep into our hearts and do something to help truefalse

7- it says you must donate big sums of money truefalse

8- it says this isn't a new version of the original song truefalse

9- it says 25 years have passed since the first version of the song was releasedtruefalse

EXERCISE TWO: LISTEN AND CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORDS TO FILL IN THE GAPS

[Justin Bieber]
There comecomes a time
When we heedneed a certain call
[Nicole Scherzinger & Jennifer Hudson]
When the world must come together as onewon

[Jennifer Hudson]
There are people dyingdoing

[Jennifer Nettles]
And it’s time to lend a hand to livelife

The greatest gift of all
[Josh Groban]
We can’t go on
Pretending day by dayevery day
[Tony Bennet]
That someone, somehow will soon make a changemake changes

[Mary J Blige]
We are all a part of
God’s great big family
And the truth, I knowyou know love is all we need


[Chorus]
[Michael Jackson]
We are the world
We are the children
[Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson]
We are the ones who make a brightbrighterday
So let’s start giving
[Barbra Streisand]
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lifelives

It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me


[Miley Cyrus]
Well, send them your heart
So they’ll know that someone cares
[Enrique Iglesias]
So their cries  for helpfor helping

 will not bewill be in vain
[Nicole Scherzinger]
We can’t let them suffer
No we cannot turn awayour way

[Jamie Foxx]
Right now they need a helpful handhelping hand
[Wyclef Jean]
Nou se mond la
We are the Children
[Adam Levine]
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
[Pink]
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving ourour own lives
[BeBe Winans]
It’s true we make'll makea better day
Just you and me


[Michael Jackson]
When you’re down and out
There seems  no hopehope at all
[Usher]
But if you just believe
There’s no way we can fallfeel

[Celine Dion]
Well, well, well, well, let us realize
That a change can only come
[Fergie]
When we stand together as one


[Chorus - All]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
[Nick Jonas]
Got to start giving
[All]
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
[Toni Braxton]
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me
[Mary Mary]
We are the world
We are the children
[Tony Bennet]

it's for the childrenit's for any children
[Isaac Slade]
We are the ones who make a brighter day
[Toni Braxton]
So let's start giving


[Lil Wayne]
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me


[Chorus - All]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
[Akon]
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we'll make a better day
Just you and me


[T-Pain]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
[Jamie Foxx imitating Ray Charles]
Choice we're making
Saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me


[LL Cool J, Will-I-Am, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Swizz Beatz]
1- We all need somebodysome that we can lean on
2- When you wake up look around and see that your dream's gogone
3- When the earth quakes we'll help youwe help you make it through the storm
4- When the floor breaks a magic carpetmagic car to stand on
5- We are the World unitunited by love so strong
6- When the radio isn’t on you can hear the songssoul

7- A guided light on the dark roarroad you'rewalking on
8- A sign post to find the dream you thought has gonewas gone
9- Someone to help you move the obstacles you stumbled on

10- someone that helps yousomeone to help you  rebuild after the rubble’s gone
11- We are the wordworld connected by a common bond
12- Love the whole planet sing alongsing it logsing it along


[Chorus - All]


[Kanye West]
Everyday citizens
Everybody pitching in


[Singing - Children & Wyclef Jean]
Nou se mond la
Nou se timoun yo


[Will-I-Am]
You and I
You and I
[Kanye West]
Uh, 12 days no water
Whats' your will to live?
[Will-I-Am]
We amplified the love we watching multiply
[Kanye West]
Feeling like the World's end
We can make the World win
[Will-I-Am]
Like Katrina, Africa, Indonesia
And now Haiti needs us, they need us, they need us


[Chorus - All]
[Wyclef Jean]
Haiti, Haiti, Ha, Ha, ha, ha, ha
Haiti, Haiti, Ha, Ha, ha, ha, ha
Haiti, Haiti, Ha, Ha, ha, ha, ha

EXERCISE THREE: THERE'S A PART OF THE SONG THAT IS RAPPED: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ABOUT IT

1- how many are the people singing?  345

2- what's the number of the line where the lyrics say that friends can help...

- to rebuild 

- to find a lost dream   

- to walk on a dark road 

- when you stumble on something, to remove those obstacles 

- to hear the music even when the radio isn't on