【明報專訊】SHURI CASTLE (首里城), a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Okinawa, Japan, was engulfed by a fire that lasted for 11 hours in the early morning on Oct 31. The castle, though resembling historic buildings seen in other East Asian countries, had its unique features. It was where the monarch of the long- gone Ryukyu Kingdom (琉球王國) lived. A high ranking official in Japan said the authorities would try their best to rebuild the castle. (photo.1-2)

Summit

VIOLENCE keeps mushrooming and spreading in Santiago, Chile and other districts in the country. The protests are against rising metro ticket prices. The country's economy looks gloomy. Chileans demanded the president resign. They do not want to slum it. Eventually the government cancelled the APEC summit this month at Santiago, making the value of peso plummet.

A heightened risk of flooding

ACCORDING to the latest findings by an American research institution, there will be more risk of coastal flooding. That might affect large areas of land around the globe. In 2050, the most affected areas in Hong Kong are those in Northwest New Territories. Also, West Kowloon and Kai Tak (picture), which are major developing urban areas, face the risk of flooding too.

■Gear up

According to the passages on p1 and p2, answer the following questions.

(1) The headband developed by BrainCo Inc. can monitor activity in the ( heart / brain / lungs ).

(2) Shuri Castle belongs to a country named the Ryukyu Kingdom. ( True / False )

(3) Chile's economy is very promising. ( True / False )

(Answers on next text)

■Glossary

engulf (v) 吞噬

slum it (idiom) 過窮日子

summit (n) 峰會；領袖會議

plummet (v) 暴跌

[Smarties' Power English 第260期]