№ 01 — Lead · Politics

The CIA, Deception, and the Permanent War Machine

18 February 20265 min readPoliticsB2· Upper intermediate

§ 01

Listen to the full report

Audio

0:00 · playedremaining 0:00

§ 02

Audio Word Matching

2 pairs

Match each word from the audio to its correct definition as used in context.

Tap a word, then tap another to swap positions. Confirm a position by tapping the word again.

0/6 checked

Words

Definitions

Match each word or phrase from the audio to the closest synonym as used in context.

Tap a word, then tap another to swap positions. Confirm a position by tapping the word again.

0/6 checked

Words

Definitions

§ 03

Audio Comprehension

9 questions

Comprehension Quiz

9 questions · Multiple choice

0/9

According to Jeffrey Sachs, what role have America's intelligence agencies played since 1947?

What did the CIA promise President Eisenhower about the U-2 spy plane pilot?

What was the consequence of the U-2 incident for President Eisenhower?

How does the audio describe the CIA's involvement in the Bay of Pigs?

What message did JFK try to communicate in his major speech about the Soviet Union?

According to the audio, how did security agencies and major media respond to JFK's message about the Soviets?

What actions did JFK take that, according to Sachs, may have led to his assassination?

What does the phrase "operates with total impunity" suggest about the intelligence machine described in the audio?

Which of the following best summarises the main argument made in the audio?

Please answer all questions to see your score

Match each word from the audio to its correct definition as used in context.

Words

Definitions

Match each word or phrase from the audio to the closest synonym as used in context.

Words

Definitions

Comprehension Quiz

According to Jeffrey Sachs, what role have America's intelligence agencies played since 1947?

What did the CIA promise President Eisenhower about the U-2 spy plane pilot?

What was the consequence of the U-2 incident for President Eisenhower?

How does the audio describe the CIA's involvement in the Bay of Pigs?

What message did JFK try to communicate in his major speech about the Soviet Union?

According to the audio, how did security agencies and major media respond to JFK's message about the Soviets?

What actions did JFK take that, according to Sachs, may have led to his assassination?

What does the phrase "operates with total impunity" suggest about the intelligence machine described in the audio?

Which of the following best summarises the main argument made in the audio?

Match each word from the audio to its correct definition as used in context.

Words

Definitions

Match each word or phrase from the audio to the closest synonym as used in context.

Words

Definitions

Comprehension Quiz

According to Jeffrey Sachs, what role have America's intelligence agencies played since 1947?

What did the CIA promise President Eisenhower about the U-2 spy plane pilot?

What was the consequence of the U-2 incident for President Eisenhower?

How does the audio describe the CIA's involvement in the Bay of Pigs?

What message did JFK try to communicate in his major speech about the Soviet Union?

According to the audio, how did security agencies and major media respond to JFK's message about the Soviets?

What actions did JFK take that, according to Sachs, may have led to his assassination?

What does the phrase "operates with total impunity" suggest about the intelligence machine described in the audio?

Which of the following best summarises the main argument made in the audio?

Complete the comprehension quiz to read the transcript.

Match the grammar forms with the correct sentences (Audio)

Grammar Form

Sentence

Discussion Questions

The audio ends with the question: "When a security state stops answering to elected leaders, is it even a democracy anymore?" Do you agree that a country can call itself a democracy if parts of its government operate without any real accountability? Where do you draw the line?

Jeffrey Sachs is an economist, not a historian or a former intelligence officer. Does it matter what kind of expert is making these claims? Do you think the source of an argument affects how seriously we should take it — and if so, why?