The government will cancel a cherry blossom viewing party
in Tokyo scheduled for April 14 following North Korea's announcement that it
plans to launch a rocket, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu
Fujimura said Friday.
The government of
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda made the decision "to prepare for any contingencies," Fujimura said.
Last week, Pyongyang
announced it plans to launch a "satellite" from April 12-16 to mark
the centennial of the birth of Kim
Il Sung, North Korea's founder, on April 15.
The event at Tokyo's
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is held annually but also was cancelled last
year due to the March 2011 natural and nuclear disasters.
Around 10,000 luminaries would have attended the
event hosted by Noda, including members of the Imperial family, the Cabinet,
diplomats and other invitees from various fields.
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VOCABULARY
1.
Cancel
(v) - to say that an event that was planned will not happen
2.
Launch
(v) - to send a weapon or spacecraft into the sky or into space
3.
Rocket
(n) - a weapon shaped like a big tube that is fired at things
4.
Contingencies
(n0 - an event or situation that might happen in the future, especially one
that could cause problems
5.
Centennial
(adj.) - Relating to, or associated with, the commemoration of an event
that happened a hundred years before
6.
Luminaries
(v ) - someone who is very famous or highly respected for their skill at doing
something or their knowledge of a particular subject
7.
Invitees
(n) - One that is invited.
8.
Various
(adj.) - several different types
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
Do you think it was a good idea to cancel the
cherry blossom event? Why? Why not?
2.
Why is North Korea launching the rocket? Is it
reasonable?
3.
What do you think will happen if North Korea
will continue to launch the rocket?
4.
Have you seen a rocket launched?
5.
What is the impact of this issue to your
country?
