Unit2 Materials

Unit2 MaterialsExercise1:1)The Times:2)The Wall Street Journal:3)The Financial Times:4)Guardian:5)The Daily Telegraph:6)The Observer:7)The Spectator:8)The Economist:9)The Sun:10)Los Angeles Times:11)The New York Times:12)The Washington Post:13)Reader’s Digest:14)Newsweek:15)Fortune:16)Time:17)USA Today:18)U.S. News & World Report:19)The Christian Science Monitor:20)International Herald Tribune:21)New Statesman:22)The Daily Mirror:Unit2 materialsJapan marks anniversary of WWII's endBy HIROKO TABUCHI, Associated Press WriterAugust, 2007TOKYO - Veterans, relatives of war dead and lawmakers crowded a controversial Tokyo war shrine Wednesday as Japan marked the 62nd anniversary of its World War II surrender. But with political sensitivities higher than ever, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Cabinet stayed away.Chief Cabinet spokesman Yasuhisa Shiozaki said none of Abe's 16-member Cabinet planned to visit the shrine. It would be the first time in at least 20 years that no Cabinet member had gone on the surrender anniversary, although 46 members of parliament did attend, down from 62 last year."Each minister made the decision on their own not to go," Shiozaki said.Later Wednesday, Abe was to speak at a ceremony with Emperor Akihito at the Budokan arena, which is near Yasukuni, in honor of Japan's war dead.Abe, who came to power in September on a strongly nationalist platform, has argued it is natural for a head of state to pay homage to Japan's fallen soldiers. However, reeling from a huge setback at last month's parliamentary elections, Abe has toned down his hard-line rhetoric.Yasukuni, a Shinto shrine established in 1869, is vilified by critics for its role in shaping Japan's war ideology in the 1930s and '40s, and promoting Tokyo's imperialist expansion in Asia.The shrine also deifies war criminals executed after World War II, such as wartime leader Hideki Tojo. It hosts a museum that depicts Japan's conquests as a crusade against Western colonialism. Abe's predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, made repeated visits to the shrine — including one on the surrender anniversary last year — and incensed China and South Korea, triggering refusals to hold summits with him. Koizumi paid a visit to Yasukuni early Wednesday.Abe regularly prayed at Yasukuni before he became prime minister, but has not gone since. He has pushed through legislation aimed at amending the country's pacifist constitution, and has upgraded the Defense Agency to a full ministry — part of efforts to give the Japanese military a larger global role. He has also introduced laws-requiring schools to teach patriotism.Some visitors to the shrine were disappointed Abe wasn't there."It will be a disgrace if no ministers turn up. Koizumi came despite the pressures not to," said Hisashi Kimura, 38, who says he comes every year to pray on Aug. 15. "I would have expected the same from Abe."The Queen and Gordon Brown have congratulated Pakistan on the 60th anniversary of its independence.Press AssociationTuesday August 14, 2007The Prime Minister insisted the "history, values and hopes" of the country were "permanently intertwined" with those of the UK.In a message to his opposite number Shaukat Aziz, Mr Brown said: "I congratulate this great country, and send my best wishes from the British people."The Prime Minister continued: "I celebrate the strength of the UK-Pakistan relationship. Our history, values and hopes are, and will remain, permanently intertwined."The Queen, who visited Pakistan for the 50th anniversary celebrations, also sent a personal message to President General Pervez Musharraf - a prominent supporter of the US-UK led campaign against al Qaida.Pakistan was created on August 14, 1947 when British India was split in two. The division resulted in riots across the subcontinent, with hundreds of thousands killed amid mass migration by Hindus and Muslims. Brown urged to hold EU referendum (公民投票)Press AssociationWednesday August 22, 2007Gordon Brown is due to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel as pressure continues to mount for a referendum on the controversial EU treaty.The focus of the talks is set to be international development, but the Prime Minister faces renewed calls from the Tories to hold a referendum on the treaty, which replaced the scrapped constitution.Following the meeting, keen football fan Mr Brown will take Ms Merkel to the international friendly between England and Germany at the new Wembley stadium.A Downing Street spokeswoman would not confirm the constitution will be raised in talks between the two leaders, but said "they will discuss the key issues facing them both".She added: "The discussions are likely to focus on international development. Within that, they are likely to focus on health, which is a very important priority for the Prime Minister."The Tories have called for a referendum on the treaty, which they claim borrows heavily from the constitution abandoned after the public voted against it in France and Holland.Shadow Europe minister Mark Francois told he would like Mr Brown to tell his German counterpart "that public opinion is running so high on the issue of a referendum that he now feels he has to honour his - and Labour's - manifesto pledge and grant a referendum on the EU constitution".Eurosceptic group the Campaign for an Independent Britain is also planning a major rally to bring pressure on the Government to hold a referendum.Tory MP Bob Spink will head the steering group that will organize the rally, which is scheduled to take place in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, October 27.Castle Point MP Mr Spink said: "The London rally is the nation's opportunity to give a show of force for a referendum - and to remind the Prime Minister of public anger about Brussels' latest power grab."。