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From VOA Learning English, this is IN THE NEWS.
North Korea is urging1 foreign embassies2 to consider telling their workers3 to leave4 the capital, Pyongyang,because of5 rising6 tensions.
Britain7 says North Korea gave the warning8 to embassies and international organizations on Friday. The North Korean government reportedly9 said it cannot guarantee10 their safety11 after April tenth12 in, what it called13, “the event of a conflict.”
The government has made a series of threats14 in recent weeks against15 South Korea and the UnitedStates. The two countries have long enjoyed16 a strong alliance17. For years, the United States stored18 nuclear weapons19 in South Korea for use against the North if it attacked the South.
Those weapons werere moved in 1991. But South Korean officials have been20 debating whether21 to have the United States redeploy22 the arms.
North Korea has wanted to keep23 its military strong. The North launched24 its first long-distance rocket25 in 1998. After a year of negotiations, North Korea agreed to stop26 long distance missile tests27 in exchange for28 better contacts with the United States and its allies29.
As part of the 1999 agreement30, the North received money and food aid31.
Since then32, North Korea has gone back33, periodically, to using threats to get34 more money and food. But in the past few months35, the war of words36 has gotten louder37 and more threatening38.
Last December, North Korea launched a long distance rocket. Then, in February, it carried out39 an underground40 nuclear test. Those actions led41 the United Nations Security Council42 to expand existing43 sanctions against North Korea. The Council’s decision so angered44 the North that this week, the government said it had been given45 final approval46 for nuclear attack against the United States. But many military experts47 do not believe the North can act on the threat.
South Korea reported48 this week that North Korea has moved one of its missiles to its eastern coast49. South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-Jin said the missile appears to have50 what he called “considerable range51.” But he does not believe it can reach52 the United States mainland53.
American Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he is taking the threat seriously54. Some of the actions they’ve taken over the past few weeks present a real and clear danger55 and threat certainly56 to the interes tof our allies, starting with South Korea and Japan.”
On Wednesday, the United States said it plans to deploy57 an advanced missile defense system to Guam, an American territory in the Pacific Ocean. The move is meant to serve as58 a warning, but it will take several weeks59 for the system to arrive. South Korea’s Ministry60 of National Defense has confirmed the movement of at least61 one missile by North Korea.
South Korea is also62 preparing for an attack. It has deployed two warships63 with radar designed to monitor64 missiles.
Vocabulary
1. urging = insistindo com
2. foreign embassies = embaixadas estrangeiras
3. workers = trabalhadores
4. leave = deixar
5. because of = por causa de
6. rising = crescent
7. Britain = Grã-Bretanha
8. gave the warning = deu o alerta
9. reportedly = supostamente
10. cannot guarantee = não podem garantir
11. safety = segurança
12. April tenth = dez de Abril
13. Called = chamou
14. threats = ameaças
15. against = contra
16. have long enjoyed = têm há muito tempo desfrutado
17. strong alliance = aliança forte
18. stored = armazenou
19. nuclear weapons = armas nucleares
20. have been = tem estado
21. whether = se (ou não)
22. redeploy = reimplantar
23. keep = manter
24. launched = lançou
25. long-distance rocket = foguete de longa distancia
26. agreed to stop = concordou em interromper
27. missile tests = testes de mísseis
28. in exchange for = em troca for
29. allies = aliados
30. agreement = Acordo
31. aid = ajuda
32. Since then = desde então
33. has gone back = tem voltado
34. get = conseguir
35. in the past few months = nos ultimos meses
36. war of words = Guerra de palavras
37. has gotten louder = tem ficado mais alto(a)
38. threatening = ameaçador(a)
39. carried out = realizou
40. underground = subterrâneo
41. led = levou, conduziu
42. United Nations Security Council = Conselho de segurança das Nações Unidas
43. Existing = existente
44. Angered = irritou
45. it had been given = tinha sido dado(a)
46. approval = aprovação
47. experts = especialistas
48. reported = relatou
49. eastern coast = costa oriental
50. appears to have = parece ter
51. considerable range = alcance consideravel
52. reach = alcançar
53. mainland = continente
54. seriously = a serio, seriamente
55. danger = perigo
56. certainly = certamente
57. deploy = implanter
58. is meant to serve as = tem a intenção de servir como
59. take several weeks = levar várias semanas
60. Ministry = ministério
61. at least = pelo menos
62. also = também
63. warships = navios de Guerra
64. designed to monitor = projetado para monitorar
