a: are you watching another news report about the war?
B: yes. The two sides declared a short ceasefire but it broke down earlier today. Several military target were destroyed by bombing. Many civilians² were among the dead and wounded.
A: how did this war start?
B: bout¹ side claim a small area of territory. Both sides tried to build border fences and began attacking each other.
A: politicians from both sides sound increasingly belligerent³. Neither side wants to compromise.
B: relief agencies report that many civilians are in desperate need of food and shelter. Several European countries have agreed to send aid, but are afraid that their planes will be shot down.
A: what do you think will happen?
B: both countries are very poor. Soon they will run out of money to finance⁴ the war. Then, perhaps, they will negotiate⁵. The thing is to find the real problem for the war and solve that.
A; it would be much simpler and cheaper if they negotiated⁶ first.

Intermediate⁷
A; what do you think are the main causes of war today?
B: I’d say the main reason is poverty. Countries and their people get frustrated⁸ because they have so little. If their neighbors have some resources, they try to steal them by military force.
A: it seems that a lot of wars nowadays are really civil wars. People from different ethnic⁹ groups in the same country sometimes fight for power in that country.
B; several of those civil wars have been going on for years and years. It seems they will never end.
A; how do you think they could be ended?
B; I don’t think that there is any easy way. The united nations could send peacekeepers into the country. At least then the warring parties could be forced to negotiate. The thing is to find the real problem form the war and solve that.
A; so, if the cause is poverty, there should be a programme to make the country richer. If the problem is resources, share them.
B; it sounds easy when you say it like that. In reality, it’s harder to make peace between countries.
A; yes. It is. One way to stop countries fighting is to cut off their financial support. Wars are very expensive.
B; the problem is that many poor people might suffer.

words
battle(field) fighting troop warplane bomb warship gun missile tank refugee relief agency aid
causualty dead wounded destroy target military killed soldier civilian ceasefire shooting uniform