Pacific Partnership ?????????????????? Barack Obama swept to power on a campaign of change in the United States. The president swept through Tokyo on Nov. 13?14 amid calls for a change in the Japan?U.S. alliance. The government of Hatoyama Yukio seeks a more equal partnership with Washington as it juggles the thorny issue of relocating Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa. While the two leaders talked around the base issue during a news conference on Nov. 13, pledging only to solve the problem at an early date, they did vow to enhance relations between the two countries. Stressing that he and Hatoyama share the vision of a world without nuclear weapons, Obama said the U.S. would maintain its nuclear deterrence for its allies as long as such weapons exist. Even though he expressed hope that he will visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the future, Obama did not travel to the two atom?bombed cities during this visit, citing time constraints. On Nov. 14 at a downtown Tokyo concert hall, Obama declared that an era of American disengagement in the globe's fastest?growing region is over and warned the U.S. and its Asian partners "will not be cowed" by North Korea's continued defiance over its nuclear weapons and other provocations. In a 40?minute speech, Obama referred to himself as "America's first Pacific president." He also reached out to his packed audience through several personal comments that delighted the crowd, including mentioning his travels in Japan as a boy and his love of "matcha" ice cream, and saluting the residents of the Japanese town of Obama in Fukui Prefecture. "In two months, our alliance will mark its 50th anniversary ? a day when President Dwight Eisenhower stood next to Japan's prime minister and said that our two nations were creating `an indestructible partnership' based on `equality and mutual understanding.' That is why, at this critical moment in history, the two of us have not only reaffirmed our alliance ? we have agreed to deepen it," he said. After his speech, Obama had lunch with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, bowing deeply as they welcomed him to the Imperial Palace. (Compiled from Mainichi and AP reports) ???????????? ?WORDS????????? Pacific ??????????????????sweep to power ???????????? sweep through ??????????????amid calls for ? ??????????alliance ??????? ally ??????equal ?????? equality ?????Washington ?????juggle ?????thorny issue ???relocate ??????Marine Corps ... Futenma ????????????talk around ? ????????????base ???pledge to ? ??????????? vow to ? ?????enhance ?????nuclear deterrence ?????atom?bombed ?????????constraint ???disengagement ????????? engagement ?????globe's fastest?growing region ???????????????warn ?????(be) cowed ??????defiance? ??????provocation ???reach out to ? ????????packed ????delight ?????salute ???????indestructible ????reaffirm ??????bow ????? ????????? ?????????????????

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????????? Magic Switch (Part 1) ????????????? Nozomi and Julie watch trees being illuminated ????????? Julie: Where's that music coming from?? Nozomi: It's probably just a recording playing on the loudspeakers in the shopping arcade. J: "Jingle Bells" already? N: After Halloween, it's straight to the Christmas spirit in Japan. J: Getting in as much of the spirit as possible, huh? N: You know what? I think this is live music. It's coming from the direction of the square by the train station. (Arriving at the square) N: Oh! It's the Christmas tree?lighting ceremony. J: Where's the Christmas tree? N: There's not a single Christmas fir tree. Even so, all the trees on this main boulevard are lit up. I saw people putting up strings of little lights in the trees here the other day. J: That sign over there says that this year LED lights replaced the previous ones. Still, I wonder how much energy is spent keeping the lights on for over a month. N: I guess the shopping arcade association that organizes the event considers it worthwhile despite the costs. J: (Pointing to a woman on a stage) Who's that? (To be continued) ?????????????????

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????????????????????????? ???l???r???b???v???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????l???r?v???b???????????????????????????????????????????Nobel prize?????[b]??????????novel?????[v]????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????? ????????? 1. Tim doesn't like the painter, and I don't like his paintings, (??). A.?too?B.?neither?C.?nor?D.?either ????????? 2. This jacket is too big and the other is too small. (??) fit me. A. ?Both?B.?Either?C.?Neither?D.?It ????????? 3. My sister hasn't done her homework, and (??) she will; she is quite lazy. A.?neither do I think?B.?neither I think?C.?also I don't think?D. too, I don't think ???1. D?2. C?3. A ?????????????????

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Closer to Asia doesn't mean farther from America???????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? Peter Ennis is Editor of The Oriental Economist Report, responsible for overall coverage, but focusing mostly on Japanese political and security developments. Mr. Ennis has been reporting and writing about Japan and U.S.?Japan relations for 25 years. He has written for Weekly Toyo Keizai, Bungei Shunju, Chuo Koron, Sapio, Nikkei Weekly, Newsweek Japan and many other newspapers and magazines. ?????????????????

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The Glorious Brad ?????????????????? For Brad Pitt, the best thing about taking part in "Inglourious Basterds" was the cosmopolitan nature of the cast. "Rarely do you see a cast assembled of such an international scale, with everyone speaking their respective languages. I think that is what made the film so rich and certainly a unique experience for us," said Pitt, who was appearing at a news conference in Tokyo on Nov. 4 to promote the movie. "Everyone was speaking in their native tongues and languages, and I think that as we get closer and as the world unites ... we will understand that we really are neighbors." In the movie, the "Inglourious Basterds" are a group of Jewish?American soldiers who create fear among the Nazis in occupied France. Pitt plays Lt. Aldo Raine, the unit's leader. Appearing with Pitt at the Tokyo event was the movie's director, Quentin Tarantino. Asked what prompted him to make this film, Tarantino's answer was simple: "I like war movies, and I like to do my version of a war movie. In particular, I like the kind of 'bunch of guys on a mission' war movies," he said. "In the course of writing, the subtext and all the things that make (the movie) have weight and meaning came out." Tarantino said he started work on the script about a decade ago and for years wondered who would play the lead role of Aldo Raine. "But once Brad came into my head, there really was nobody else. There was no second choice, there was no third choice," he explained. (Please see the related story on page 7) ???????????? ?WORDS????????? glorious ?????Inglourious Basterds ??????????????????????????????? ??????? inglorious bastards ?????????????cosmopolitan ?????(the) cast ???????rarely ? ????????assembled of ? ????????in one's respective languages ??????????? native tongue?native language ?????get closer ??????unite ??????Jewish?American ??????????soldier ???occupied ?????Lt. (=Lieutenant) ???unit ???prompt ? to ... ???????bunch of ? ?????on a mission ?????????in the course of ? ?ing ???????subtext ??????????weight ???come out ???????script ???decade ????lead role ???come into one's head ?????second choice ???? ????????? ?????????????????

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