[World News ★★★]
(P1) Taking off into the sky, these balloons filled with anti-Pyongyang messages were launched by South Korean protesters headed to North Korea.
(P2) Three balloons carrying around 50,000 leaflets were released in the border city of Paju. The packages can be seen floating over the border amid tension following the North’s nuclear test and rocket launch.
(P3) “We sent the leaflets carrying a message denouncing Kim Jong Un’s succession and North Korea’s nuclear missile program. The leaflets also condemn North Korea’s armed provocations against the Republic of Korea.”
(P4) Tensions have been high on the Korean Peninsula since the North conducted a nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch in February, prompting the United Nations Security Council to issue new sanctions.
(P5) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has recently been making official appearances in military drills and rocket engine testings which, if genuine, could indicate that an intercontinental ballistic missile is being developed.
WORDS: 151
SOURCE: http://www.newsinlevels.com/products/balloons-fly-to-north-korea-level-3/
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Were you ever involved in a protest? If yes, what did you protest about?
- Do you think the relations between North and South Korea will get better some day? Why or why not?
- Do you think this is a good way to protest? Why or why not?
- Why do people protest?
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?
- Taking off (P1)
- Anti-Pyongyang (P1)
- Long-range (P4)
- Intercontinental ballistic missile (P5)
Image Source: By Own work – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2674946