Changing and Writing

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Ex 2

today threatened to shoot down a satellite that North Korea plans to launch early next month if it shows any signs of striking its territory.

Tokyo’s warning that it would deploy its multibillion-dollar missile defence system raised tensions in the region after North Korea said that it had identified a potential “danger area” near Japanese territory along the rocket’s flight path.

The regime told the International Maritime Organisation that the missile would be launched during daylight between 4 and 8 April, and that its boosters would fall into the Sea of Japan – about 75 miles (120km) from Japan’s north-west coast – and the Pacific Ocean.

Officials in Tokyo said they reserved the right to destroy any threatening object in mid-flight, despite North Korean warnings that it would consider such a move an act of war.

“Under our law, we can intercept any object if it is falling towards Japan, including any attacks on Japan, for our security,” Takeo Kawamura, the chief cabinet secretary, told reporters.

Despite repeated assurances from Pyongyang that the rocket is a vital part of North Korea’s space programme, other countries in the region suspect the hardware is a Taepodong-2 ballistic missile.

South Korean intelligence has reported a build-up of activity in recent days near the missile’s launch pad at Musudan-ri base on its neighbour’s north-east coast.

Any missile launch, even one intended to put a satellite into orbit, would represent a snub to the US administration, which has repeatedly invited the communist state to return to negotiations over its nuclear weapons programme.

Last month the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, urged the north to cancel the launch, which US officials say would be in violation of a 2006 UN security council resolution.

The South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement: “If North Korea goes ahead with the launch, we believe there will be discussions and a response by the security council on the violation of the resolution.”

The UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, said a missile or satellite launch would “threaten the peace and stability in the region.”

After Japan’s transport ministry ordered airlines and shipping companies operating in the area to take precautionary measures, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways said they would alter flight paths on several European and other routes.today threatened to shoot down a satellite that North Korea plans to launch early next month if it shows any signs of striking its territory.

Tokyo’s warning that it would deploy its multibillion-dollar missile defence system raised tensions in the region after North Korea said that it had identified a potential “danger area” near Japanese territory along the rocket’s flight path.

The regime told the International Maritime Organisation that the missile would be launched during daylight between 4 and 8 April, and that its boosters would fall into the Sea of Japan – about 75 miles (120km) from Japan’s north-west coast – and the Pacific Ocean.

Officials in Tokyo said they reserved the right to destroy any threatening object in mid-flight, despite North Korean warnings that it would consider such a move an act of war.

“Under our law, we can intercept any object if it is falling towards Japan, including any attacks on Japan, for our security,” Takeo Kawamura, the chief cabinet secretary, told reporters.

Despite repeated assurances from Pyongyang that the rocket is a vital part of North Korea’s space programme, other countries in the region suspect the hardware is a Taepodong-2 ballistic missile.

South Korean intelligence has reported a build-up of activity in recent days near the missile’s launch pad at Musudan-ri base on its neighbour’s north-east coast.

Any missile launch, even one intended to put a satellite into orbit, would represent a snub to the US administration, which has repeatedly invited the communist state to return to negotiations over its nuclear weapons programme.

Last month the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, urged the north to cancel the launch, which US officials say would be in violation of a 2006 UN security council resolution.

The South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement: “If North Korea goes ahead with the launch, we believe there will be discussions and a response by the security council on the violation of the resolution.”

The UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, said a missile or satellite launch would “threaten the peace and stability in the region.”

After Japan’s transport ministry ordered airlines and shipping companies operating in the area to take precautionary measures, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways said they would alter flight paths on several European and other routes.

Example Japan

today threatened to shoot down a satellite that North Korea plans to launch early next month if it shows any signs of striking its territory.

Tokyo’s warning that it would deploy its multibillion-dollar missile defence system raised tensions in the region after North Korea said that it had identified a potential “danger area” near Japanese territory along the rocket’s flight path.

The regime told the International Maritime Organisation that the missile would be launched during daylight between 4 and 8 April, and that its boosters would fall into the Sea of Japan – about 75 miles (120km) from Japan’s north-west coast – and the Pacific Ocean.

Officials in Tokyo said they reserved the right to destroy any threatening object in mid-flight, despite North Korean warnings that it would consider such a move an act of war.

“Under our law, we can intercept any object if it is falling towards Japan, including any attacks on Japan, for our security,” Takeo Kawamura, the chief cabinet secretary, told reporters.

Despite repeated assurances from Pyongyang that the rocket is a vital part of North Korea’s space programme, other countries in the region suspect the hardware is a Taepodong-2 ballistic missile.

South Korean intelligence has reported a build-up of activity in recent days near the missile’s launch pad at Musudan-ri base on its neighbour’s north-east coast.

Any missile launch, even one intended to put a satellite into orbit, would represent a snub to the US administration, which has repeatedly invited the communist state to return to negotiations over its nuclear weapons programme.

Last month the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, urged the north to cancel the launch, which US officials say would be in violation of a 2006 UN security council resolution.

The South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement: “If North Korea goes ahead with the launch, we believe there will be discussions and a response by the security council on the violation of the resolution.”

The UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, said a missile or satellite launch would “threaten the peace and stability in the region.”

After Japan’s transport ministry ordered airlines and shipping companies operating in the area to take precautionary measures, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways said they would alter flight paths on several European and other routes.

Dialogue Example

• Tourist: Could you give us directions to Olive Garden?
• New Yorker: No, but I could give you directions to an actual Italian restaurant.

Example Two

The proposal to hand precedence to wins over points was made by Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Management, with an alternative option from the Formula One Teams’ Association rejected by the FIA. The organisation did, however, dismiss Ecclestone’s suggestion of gold, silver and bronze medals for the top three drivers in each race.

Although the title would have ended up in different hands last season had the new rules been effect, that remains the only time this century that the drivers’ championship would have been won by a different driver from the actual champion had wins been the deciding factor.

The FIA has also agreed to introduce a voluntary budget cap from 2010 of £30m per two-car team. “As an alternative to running under the existing rules, which are to remain stable until 2012, all teams will have the option to compete with cars built and operated within a stringent cost cap,” said the FIA in a statement. “To enable these cars to compete with those from teams which are not subject to cost constraints, the cost-capped cars will be allowed greater technical freedom.”

Example one

The FIA has agreed to award the formula one world drivers’ championship to the driver with the most race wins from this season onwards. Under the new regulations, the rest of the standings, from second place to last, will still be decided on the current points system.

If the new stipulations had been in effect last season, Felipe Massa and not Lewis Hamilton would have won the drivers’ championship. The Brazilian driver won six races to Hamilton’s five but the British driver ended the season on 98 points to Massa’s 97.

In the event of two or more drivers finishing with the same number of race wins, the title will go to the driver with the most points. The current scoring system — 10 points for a win, eight for second, six for third — remains intact. A proposal to change the points awarded to drivers finishing in first, second and third place to 12, nine and seven points was rejected by the FIA’s world motor sport council. The constructors’ championship will still be decided by points, rather than team wins.