China Orders North Korean Businesses to Close

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

sanction

Noun

ˈsæŋkʃən

an official rule that prevents or limits trade with a particular country, usually as a punishment

Angela Merkel has called for sanctions against Russia to be extended due to the continued fighting in Ukraine.

fellow

Noun

ˈfɛloʊ

a member of a professional group or organization

His goal is becoming a fellow of the American Astronomical Society.

negotiate

Verb

nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪt

to get or bring out through discussion; to try to reach an agreement

I am currently negotiating with a company that wants to hire me.

We are still negotiating a final price.

We're prepared to negotiate the terms of the agreement.

Their initial offer was high, but I think we can negotiate the price down.

Diplomats frequently negotiate.

crisis

Noun

ˈkraɪsɪs

a time of very great difficulty, danger, etc.

She's experiencing a personal crisis.

The company is experiencing a financial crisis.

If we lost this client, it would be a crisis for our company.

Her friends helped her recover from a personal crisis.

Exercise 2

Article

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

China Orders North Korean Businesses to Close

China has ordered all North Korean-owned businesses in the country to close by early January.

The decision supports sanctions placed by the United Nations on North Korea for its continued development of nuclear weapons and missiles.

The decision is expected to affect about 100 restaurants operated by North Koreans. About one fourth of them are in Beijing.

U.S. President Donald Trump will travel to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines from November 3 to November 14.

Trump will take part in meetings with leaders in the area. He is expected to talk about trade and the North Korean nuclear threat.

About 90 percent of North Korea’s foreign trade is with China. The United States believes China’s support is necessary to pressure North Korea to end its nuclear program.

Wu Fei is a senior fellow at the Charhar Institute, a Chinese public diplomacy and international relations research group. Wu says there may be limits to the pressure sanctions can place on North Korea.

Wu adds that North Korea’s need for outside resources is limited.

He believes North Korea can wait for six months before they must negotiate.

Chinese reporter Xu Xiang said public opinion in China is beginning to change. He said Chinese increasingly do not support North Korea.

But Xu said China does not believe it can solve the North Korean nuclear crisis.

Exercise 3

Questions

Why have the United Nations placed sanctions on North Korea?

What will be most affected by China's decision to close all North Korean-owned businesses in the country?

Who is Wu Fei?

How long does Wu believe North Korea can wait before negotiating?

Exercise 4

Discussion

What do you think about China’s decision to close all North Korean-owned businesses in the country?

How do you imagine this decision will affect relations between the two countries? Please explain your answer.

Why do you think China is becoming less supportive of North Korea?

Would you agree that the U.S. needs China's support if it hopes to put an end to North Korea's nuclear program? Why? Why not?

Do you believe that China can solve the North Korean nuclear crisis? Why? Why not?

Exercise 5

Further Discussion

What is your opinion on North Korea and its attitude towards the international community?

How would you describe your country’s relationship with North Korea? Please explain your answer.

Why do you think North Korea is refusing to end its nuclear program?

Do you expect to see the end of the North Korean nuclear crisis in the very near future? Why? Why not?

How do you imagine the North Korean nuclear crisis will end? Please explain your answer.

Exercises for Further Self-Study

These self-study exercises are optional and should be carried out after the lesson has finished.

Exercise 6

Sentence Building

Write at least one sentence for each of the words in Exercise 1: Vocabulary. Begin by making sure you understand the definition of each word. Use the example sentences as a guide if you are unable to think of a sentence. Practice reading your sentences out loud.

Exercise 7

Summary

Make a brief summary of the article. Focus on the main topic and consider which pieces of information are most important. Make sure you include details such as what the article is about, who is mentioned in it, where and when the events took place, and also how and why they happened.

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by Voice of America.