Listening podcast

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/fooc/fooc_20071013-1341.mp3

I have chosen podcast which was for native English speakers. Its length was about thirty minutes. The report was weekly news from BBC correspondents. The first news was about Russia’s president Vladimir Putin who has to be replaced. But, correspondent states that, despite his resignation next year, his influence will be around quite long. For the last two years the biggest question for Kremlin and duma was: who will replace president Putin. And as a matter of fact, his resignation is a must. There were reports that he will replace his old friend from KGB A. Medvedev. But these news changed dramatically. V. Putin openly suggested that perfect candidate to replace him would be the Prime Minister V. Zubkov. Besides, he, V. Putin, would be great Prime Minister after his retirement. So, BBC correspondent argues that for real, the man who will replace V. Putin will be exactly V. Putin and his reports about his heir were only misleading speeches. Correspondent sees evidences for this in V. Putin’s promotional tricks like photos during his holidays, where he can be seen as a strong and relaxed man. But according to some persons close to duma, V. Putin’s epoch is not ending but just beginning. The question is just how he will remain in government. By the way, correspondent sees another big danger- will Russia become authoritarian society again, while Russian people are relieved that country is again stable. Another report is about Chinese investment in Africa’s natural resources. Correspondent was doing her investigation in Angola. She thinks that it is Chinese government’s impact that fabrics in Chinese do not employ workers from Angola, country which is suffering from unemployment. More over Chinese workers are sent to work in Angola despite that hiring native people. The project that the most interested BBC correspondent is reconstruction of eight hundreds long railway that was the most important for transporting the minerals from Congo to Angola. Chinese are blaming Angola for money, involved in this project, disappearance. But Angola’s government is not likely to talk about important questions like: how many workers are involved in this project and its finishing day. It is difficult to understand cash flows and the relationships between Chinese and Angola. What is clear, that decisions about Angola’s politics are taken by a very small group of people who are close to president. In next report the BBC journalist investigates the icy Northwest Passage around Canada which can become the shipping route because of impact of changes in climate. This passage is invincible when the sea is frozen. By the way, correspondent mentions J. Franklin, the first man who begin trip through this road to find North passages, and get stuck into an ice for several months. But journalist presses the point that this summer has broken the records of melting in the Antarctic. The warming was so intense that melted some toughest ices in the North Pole and they are moving to the south. Journalist remembered that because of moving ices J. Franklin had spent two winters in the traps of an ice. And his expedition’s disappearance is still big mystery because there was no way for communication. After all, the first successful expedition which reached the North Pole had been lasting for four years. Next report is about problem of unsafe abortions that are done because of the banning them. Correspondent met some women in Nicaragua who has faced this problem. There is huge number of pregnant teenage girls. But in this catholic country abortions are banned. Unfortunately, in this country women are often sexually abused by men without any respect. Still, there is a little chance that law will be changed because government is not interested that women are still going to do abortions. The last report is about flights. And not the simply one’s but those who are really comfortable. Speaker was impressed by the flight. Advantages during flight with Zeppelin were these: speaking without efforts, dining and sleeping rooms, wonderful sight cause height was not like flying with planes but much nearer the earth. Besides, after the flight you can get off refreshed and relaxed. Summarizing everything up, speakers speeches were understandable. But I have found difficulties in understanding specific terms. That's way, I have put across only main idea of the last report, cause there were too many terms of planes and navigation. Of course, the same problem appeared in previous reports as well. As far as my opinion is concerned, it is problem not with my listening skills, but with dictionary. So, listening to podcast as useful, because now I know what part of my English I should improve.