cut by some reasonable percentage based on the country. The United States and European Unions are under pressure to reach a farming agreement that other WTO members can support. The WTO is also divided on the issue of providing necessary drugs to poor countries.
Exercise A:
This news item is about a world trade organization meeting on reducing taxes and government aid for certain services.
Exercise B:
The trade ministers have been debating the issue of reducing import taxes and government aid for certain services, especially farming. Major agricultural exporters like the United States, Australia and Brazil want all import duties cut to an average of 25%. Importers such as the European Unions, Japan and some developing countries say import taxes should be cut by some reasonable percentage based on the country.
News Item 3 Russian gas could soon be flowing back into Europe. A spokesman for Naftogaz, the Ukrainian state energy company, told the BBC that Ukraine would accept the presence of Russian monitors as part of a broader EU mission to check the volume of Russian gas entering and exiting Ukraine.
This appeared on Thursday night to be the key demand from Moscow, the condition on which Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, would agree to turn on the taps.
But, even if the deal is accepted by all sides and gas flows to Europe resume*, there are still difficult negotiations ahead on the underlying issue* that caused the switch-off in the first place: how much Ukraine should pay Russia for the gas it consumes, and how much Russia should pay Ukraine in return, in transit fees*. Until that issue is resolved, this crisis is far from settled. Exercise A:
This news item is about the crisis between Russia and Ukraine in terms of gas supply..
Exercise B:
1. Ukraine would allow Russian monitors to check the volume of Russian gas entering and exiting Ukraine. 2. Russia gave that key demand on Thursday night. 3. Yes, Ukraine would accept the deal.
4. The underlying issue was how much Ukraine should pay Russia for the gas it consumes, and how much Russia should pay Ukraine in return, in transit fees.
5. No, it isn’t. Until the underlying issue is resolved, this crisis is far from settled.