A. A. 2014-2015 INGLESE II MI-IS-3A Lingua (Prof. M. Demata, Dr. S. Donahue) 15/09/2015

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SECTION A: Read the passage carefully and then answer the questions. DO NOT copy from thetext

Euroscepticism on the rise in UKAdapted from http://www.euractiv.com/sections/uk-europe/euroscepticism-rise-uk-313300

The EU is more unpopular in Britain than it has been at any time in the last 20 years, according to the annual British attitudes survey. Produced by NatCen Social Research, the report, released on Thursday, says 63% of Britons are Eurosceptic, an attitude defined as wanting to leave, or reduce the powers of the EU. Over a third of those surveyed want to leave the EU outright, more than at any time since 1985.

Despite a growth in Eurosceptic sentiment, the majority of the public still want to stay in the EU. But there is growing support for reducing the powers exercised by Brussels, said the report. When given a straight choice between withdrawing from the EU and remaining a member, 57% said they wanted to stay in, with 35% wanting to leave. Presented with a range of options, rather than simply in or out, the percentage who wished to leave dropped to 24%. 38% wanted to stay in the EU, but to reduce its powers.

The NatCen British Social Attitudes Report is produced every year. It charts shifting public opinion to political, cultural and economic developments. This is the 32nd such report. Politically, the last five years have been marked by the rise of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the announcement of a proposed referendum on EU membership by the Conservatives. Despite this, the survey suggests there has not been a marked increase in levels of Euroscepticism since 2005. The last big sea change in public opinion came in 1996 after the decision by the EU to ban exports of British beef over fears about BSE, i.e. mad cow disease. Prior to this, no more than a quarter of the public were defined as Eurosceptic. Since the ban, over half the UK public has polled as Eurosceptic.

The 2015 survey showed only 15% of British citizens identify themselves as European. This has remained relatively consistent since 1996, when the survey first begun asking the question. Of those who identify themselves as European, only 7% want to leave the EU, although many remain critical of the institutions. 43% of those who feel European said they want the EU’s powers to be reduced. Support for a British exit from the EU has grown primarily in the sector of the population who do not regard themselves as European, and currently stands at 40%. Most people (42%) do not think stronger ties with the EU would make a difference to the UK economy. However, there are more people who think that stronger links would benefit the economy (35%) than people who think it would weaken it (17%).

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There is no simple explanation for the development of Britain’s more Eurosceptic mood. The majority of Britons do not think membership in the EU makes a difference to the UK’s influence on the world stage.

SECTION B: Questions:

1. What did the latest NatCen Social Research report reveal about British attitudes toward the EU?2.How did mad cow disease affect Britons’ opinion of the EU?3. Which British people are most interested in seeing the UK leave the EU?

Composition

Summarize the article above in the form of a formal composition.

SECTION C: Translation L2/L1

The NatCen British Social Attitudes Report is produced every year. It charts shifting public opinion to political, cultural and economic developments. This is the 32nd such report. Politically, the last five years have been marked by the rise of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the announcement of a proposed referendum on EU membership by the Conservatives. Despite this, the survey suggests there has not been a marked increase in levels of Euroscepticism since 2005. The last big sea change in public opinion came in 1996 after the decision by the EU to ban exports of British beef over fears about BSE, i.e. mad cow disease. Prior to this, no more than a quarter of the public were defined as Eurosceptic. Since the ban, over half the UK public has polled as Eurosceptic. The 2015 survey showed only 15% of British citizens identify themselves as European. This has remained relatively consistent since 1996, when the survey first begun asking the question.

Translation L1/L2I dati degli ultimi sondaggi sono peggiori dello scorso anno e parlano chiaro: la crisi di fiducia nei confronti dell’Unione Europea continua. Il Regno Unito continua a capeggiare questa ondata di euroscetticismo: soltanto il 34% dei britannici ritiene che far parte dell’Unione Europea sia assolutamente positivo. L’euroscetticismo del Regno Unito è quasi leggendario: anche se questo Paese è fautore del libero mercato, allo stesso tempo si oppone alla centralizzazione della burocrazia e della politica a Bruxelles. Gli inglesi sentono inoltre un certo senso di superiorità – per l’influenza politica, la tradizione giuridica e la potenza economica - che li induce a sottomettersi malvolentieri all’Unione. Il Partito Laburista, attualmente al potere, storicamente era già incline all’euroscetticismo, ma ora il primo ministro si è dimostrato più favorevole all'Unione Europea. Il popolo britannico, però, pare non pensarla come lui: basta navigare sul web, nei vari blog euroscettici per rendersene conto.