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Casablanca

When talking about famous cities and the historical events that happen within them, certain verbs and phrases are commonly used to discuss these topics. Look at the list below and go to this web site on [Casablanca][Close site]
  and scroll to and read Facts in brief. Then do the vocabulary exercise that follows.

•to be located in/on
•to be destroyed by
•to be occupied by
•to flourish
•bo be a crucial1 strategic2 site
•to be the seat of
•to be the economic capital of


Many words have multiple meanings. Select the correct definition for the underlined words in the sentences below.

1. The French occupied Morroco in 1907.

   to stay in a place      to seize and control      to fill time

2. Casablanca was a crucial strategic site during World War II.

   place where important events are planned and happen    area where something is built

3. Casablanca wa the seat of the Anglo-United States summit in 1943.

   place to sit      official position    place where government or political meetings are based

4. At the summit, military and political strategists drew up war plans that coordinated allied support.

   greatest level or highest amount   set of important meetings   the top of a mountain

5. During the 18th century, Casablanca flourished as a busy trading port.

   to be well and healthy   to wave something to attract notice   to prosper economically

Listen   

Write in words from the list above and from the short listening passage and hit the tab key. If the text is green you're correct; if red, incorrect. For difficult items, type the ? and hit enter or the tab key.

Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco, is on the Atlantic Ocean. Casablanca has one

of the largest artificial in the world and is the center of Morocco's and

trade. The original town, Anfa, was an independent and important city for exports. Situated on the

sea, it began to house pirates, who attacked Portuguese coastal towns. Anfa was consequently

by the Portuguese in the 15th century. They rebuilt the town and called it Casa

Branca. When Spanish companies themselves there, they renamed it Casa Blanca.

During the 18th century, Casablanca was a city. In 1907 it was by

the French , who built a French-style city next to the old town. By 1912, Casablanca had become

the capital of Morocco. It became a crucial site during World War II

as it was the of the Anglo-United States in 1943. In 1956, Morocco gained its

independence from France. After financially for several years, Casablanca soon revived

itself with successful ventures in industry and . Today Casablanca is a thriving city with

a population of 3.8 million .

     1 very important
     2related to military planning


Content development by Kathleen Hanson, San Jose City College.
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