阅读理解
Nuclearpoweredaircraftcarriersareconsideredoneofthemostimportantmarineweaponsinthe
20thcentury.SofaronlytwocountriesintheworldtheUSAandFrancehaveeverproducedthem.
ButthesefearfulfightingmachinesareabouttoenterAsia.
TheUSNavysaidlastmonththatoneofitsninenuclearpoweredaircraftcarrierswillbesentto
Japantoreplacethediesel(柴油)poweredcarrierKittyHawkin2008.InanagreementonOctober
30thetwocountriesalsoplannedtoleveluptheirmilitary(军事的)cooperationandtheUSAcalled
forJapantotakealargerroleinalliancemilitarymoves.
ItwillbethefirsttimethatanuclearpoweredcarrierisbasedinJapan.BombedbyUSforcesin
WorldWar?atHiroshimaandNagasakiJapanistheonlyworldcountrytohavebeenattackedby
anuclearweapon.Thereforethecitizensarehighlysensitivetowherenuclearpoweredweaponsare
based.
"AradiationleakatYokosukawouldkill100000peopleasfarawayasTokyoandcouldcause
billionsofdollarsindamage"saidMasahikoGotoleaderofaprotestgroupinYokosuka.Hisgroup
hascollectedmorethan300000signaturesofpeopleacrossJapanopposedtothenuclearcarrier.
The44yearoldKittyHawktheUSNavy'soldestactiveshiphasbeenbasedinYokosukasince
1998.IthadreturnedtotheUStobedecommissionedin2008.Thenewcarrieryettobeunveiled_
willtravelfasterbecapableofsupportinglongeroperationsandcarrywithittheNavy'smostmodern
technology.
ExpertspointedthatthischangeisnotonlytostrengthentheUSJapanmilitaryalliancebutalsoto
keepthemilitarypowerofChinaandNorthKoreawithinlimits.HoweverevenJapaneseexpertsdon't
believethatthetwocountriesarethreatstotheregion.
"ThereisnoneedforJapantohaveanuclearcarrierasdefense"saidTetsuoMaedaaninternational
relationsprofessoratTokyoInternationalUniversity.Hesaidthatthechangeofshipindicatesan
increasedmilitarycapabilityintheregionmuchmorethanwhatisneeded.
1.WithsuchaformidableweapontoenteritscountryJapanesecitiz