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War Yesterday and Today

In Vietnam, television was an onlooker, an observer of the war. In the 1991 Gulf War , television
was the war, and the war was television. The video images released by the army did not result from a
cameraman standing to the side and filming soldiers at work. Instead, we saw exactly what the
participants saw. Video cameras were built into the aircraft or into bombs themselves. The images served
to direct the bombs towards their targets, and to make sure that the targets had been destroyed.
The line dividing the warrior from the television viewer at home was erased. Without those same
images that we viewed in the comfort of our living rooms, the war itself could not have taken place.
The images from the Gulf War look identical to what we see as we play a computer war game –
the same lines framing the target, the same digits and words flashing on the screen. It is no
exaggeration to say that the Gulf War took place in cyberspace.
Only occasionally did we see the human figure on those video images. But sometimes, as the
missile homed in on an Iraqi tank or bunker, we saw little figures running, trying to get away. The very
fact that they were visible to the incoming missile meant it was already too late. They did not have a
chance. So, killing at a distance, not seeing the enemy, with the added comfort of claiming that the
‘smart bomb’ can be seen to hit only tanks not civilians, is this progress? To ask whether this is progress
or not, let’s go back to one day from World War I. The place: the Somme, France. The objective: to
capture the Bapaume rail junction, ten miles away, and disturb German communications.
The British Fourth Army climbed out of their deep trenches and marched towards German
trenches a few hundred yards away. The British generals feared that these conscript soldiers were poorly
trained, so they gave them simple orders: march straight ahead. The British had a technical innovation:
each unit carried a telephone and a spool of wire, to report its position. The British artillery units would
direct their bombardment just in front of the British troops. The bombardment of the first German
trenches was supposed to make sure that there would be no Germans left to oppose the British. A
marvellous plan – but the Germans simply moved their men and machine guns back a few hundred
yards, and waited for the British in well-prepared positions.
Second, the telephone wires were almost immediately cut by artillery and machine gun fire, and
British shells began falling behind or directly onto the British troops. However, these troops, thought by
their generals as not able to follow complicated orders, followed the orders they were given: they kept
marching or crawling forward. Twenty thousand died on the first day of the battle, most of them in the
first hour.
The British troops failed to capture anything at all on that first day. The generals kept trying to reach
the Bapaume junction for five more months, but failed. By then, 400,000 British troops had died in the
Battle of the Somme. It was not the bloodiest battle of World War I, but July 1 was the bloodiest day.
1. The video images in the Gulf War were obtained from …
A. professionals using cameras
B. soldiers fighting there
C. cameras installed on the equipment
2. The main objective of the cameras was to …
A. give the public a clear picture
B. provide material for spies
C. guide the bombs
3. The people who appeared in the videos …
A. were sure to die
B. were not aware of the bombs
C. were the main target
4. The British generals thought their soldiers could follow …
A. complex instructions
B. simple instructions
C. any instructions
5. The British Generals’ plan did not work because …
A. the Germans changed their troops positions
B. the British troops ignored the orders
C. the German bombardment was heavy
6. The British unintentionally shelled their own troops because …
A. there were communication problems
B. the troops did not move forward as planned
C. it was impossible to direct artillery fire
7. The Battle of the Somme …
A. meant no territorial gains for the British
B. was a total defeat of the Germans
C. took more lives than any other battle of WW I
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Gladiator

Not so long ago it was said that huge historical films were, literally, a thing of the past. Such
films would be simply too expensive to make today. Yet recent advances in computerised special effects
have changed all that. It is no longer necessary to build enormous sets and hire thousands of extras to
convincingly recreate the life of ancient times. Realistic effects can now be achieved by means of
computers, although a lot of time, patience, talent and money are still needed . Gladiator, the story of
the decline of Roman general Maximus from much-respected soldier to slave and gladiator, is an
impressive vision of imperial Rome in its splendour and decadence, well acted and stylishly directed.
Although Gladiator includes scenes of graphic violence, these are mild compared to the horrors
that really took place in Rome’s Colosseum. The giant amphitheatre could seat 50,000 spectators, who
went to see the Games, where for their entertainment thousands died over the years. The games
probably reached their peak during the reign of the emperor Trajan who staged a festival during which
10,000 people and 11,000 animals were killed. There were various classes of gladiators, grouped
according to their weapons or methods of fighting. Many fought with sword and shield, while others used
a net and trident (a spear with three points), or rode chariots. They marched into the arena through the
Gate of Life, turned to where the emperor sat and greeted him shouting, “Hail, Caesar! We who are
about to die greet you”. Fighting to death would then begin.
Gladiatorial shows were among the most popular events at the Games, though chariot racing
was the sport that really drove the crowds wild. Rival fans often rioted in much the same way as today’s
football hooligans, huge bets were placed, and fatal crashes were commonplace. As time went by, the
crowd demanded more and more extreme spectacles, often involving Christian captives being crucified or
eaten by lions. This barbarism was finally ended by the emperor Honorius, himself a Christian, in AD 404.
Successful gladiators became famous, and supposedly enjoyed the favours of high-society
women. If they managed to survive a number of combats, they might be retired: they often worked as
politicians’ bodyguards; sometimes they themselves became politically important; and on occasion they
revolted against their masters, as in Spartacus uprising.
The fate of Maximus, forced in Gladiator to fight for a living, is a variation on what really
happened to some men, and other elements of the film are based on fact. The emperor Marcus Aurelius
did fight against the German tribes, and Commodus did become increasingly insane, amusing himself by
entering the arena as a gladiator and, of course, winning every contest.
Gladiator really succeeds due to its visual impact and acting more than its closeness to fact. The
opening scene of the battle in Germania is stunning, and director Ridley Scott goes on to sustain the
optical feast to the very end. Always noted for the power of his images, in Gladiator he is at his best,
using a variety of techniques to keep your eyes glued to the screen.
Everyone thought the epic film style was dead and buried but Gladiator has brought it back to
life. Now blood-soaked action is added to old-fashioned simple story telling. Historical epics now have a
future.
1. Historical films became a thing of the past because …
A. they weren’t convincing enough
B. their budgets were too high
C. they were enormously long
2. 10,000 people were killed during …
A. one set of the Games
B. the history of the Colosseum
C. the reign of Trajan
3. The most popular event during the Games was …
A. net and trident fights
B. chariots races
C. fights with wild animals
4. Under the emperor Honorius …
A. only non-Christians were killed
B. the cruelty was stopped
C. the spectacles were more extreme
5. Some Gladiators …
A. married into high society
B. worked part time at other jobs
C. retired and took new jobs
6. “Gladiator” …
A. is based on the life of a real person
B. is completely made up
C. uses some historical facts
7. The writer is mostly impressed by …
A. the visual effects
B. the sound effects
C. the closeness to facts