B2 – Upper Intermediate
A string of incidents in the Baltic Sea and Taiwan have had many thinking it be a precursor of more attacks backed by Russia and China on submarine cables that account for more than 90% of the intercontinental data traffic in the whole world.
Read the article about the possible threats to the undersea cables and be ready to answer the questions that follow.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “a spate of something” mean? “The risk of Russia- and China-backed attacks on undersea cables carrying international internet traffic is likely to rise amid a spate of incidents in the Baltic Sea and around Taiwan.” Use this idiom in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “to single out” mean? “A US cybersecurity company, singled out nine incidents in the Baltic Sea and off the coast of Taiwan in 2024 and 2025 as a harbinger for further disruptive activity.” Use this phrase in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “harbinger” mean? “A US cybersecurity company, singled out nine incidents in the Baltic Sea and off the coast of Taiwan in 2024 and 2025 as a harbinger for further disruptive activity.” Use this word in a sentence. Give a synonym.
Discussion Questions:
- Share your reaction and opinion about this news.
- Why has the two attacks in the Baltic Sea in November 2024 had minimal impact in Europe?
- “Campaigns attributed to Russia in the North Atlantic-Baltic region and China in the western Pacific are likely to increase in frequency as tensions rise.”? Do you think this is most likely to happen? Share your views.
- Share your opinion on this, “Analysts say targeting these cables can be an attractive tactic because the damage can be passed off as an accident.”
- What can the governments do to address the potential threats to the countries’ subsea cables?