5、Nuclear-powered aircraft carriers （航母） are considered one of the most important marine weapons in the 20th century. So far, only two countries in the world―the USA and France―have ever produced them. But these frightful fighting machines are about to enter Asia.

The US Navy said last month that one of its nine nuclear-powered aircraft carriers will be sent to Japan to replace the diesel-powered carrier Kitty Hawk in 2009 in an agreement on October 30th. The two countries also planned to level up their military cooperation and the USA called for Japan to take a large role in alliance military moves.

It will be the first time that a nuclear-powered carrier is based in Japan. Bombed by US forces in World War II at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan is the only world country to have been attacked by a nuclear weapon. Therefore, the citizens are highly sensitive to where nuclear-powered weapons are based. "A radiation leak at Yokosuka would kill 100,000 people as far away as Tokyo, and could cause billions of dollars in damage," said Masahiko Go to, leader of a protest group in Yokosuka. His group has collected more than 300,000 signatures of people across Japan opposed to the nuclear carrier.

The 44-year-old Kitty Hawk, the US navy's oldest active ship, has been based in Yokosuda since 1998. The new carrier, yet to be unveiled, will travel faster, be capable of supporting longer operations and carry with it the Navy's most modern technology.

Experts pointed that this change is not only to strengthen the US-Japan military alliance but also to keep the military power of China and North Korea within limits. However, Japanese experts don’t believe that the countries are threats to the region.

"There is no need for Japan to have a nuclear carrier as defense," said Tetsuo Maeda, an international relations professor at Tokyo International University. He said that the change of ship indicates an increased military capacity, in the region, much more than what is needed.

 

71. The replacement of the aircraft carrier is intended to

A. show Japan's greater，military capability

B. strengthen the US-Japan military alliance

C. get rid of the dated marine weapon

D. set up a kind of base in Japan

72. The underlined word "unveiled" probably means “      ”.

A. produced    B. discussed about     C. perfect      D. brought to view

73. With such a frightful weapon to enter its country, Japanese citizens

A. are sensitive to where the carrier will be based

B. are anxious about its potential danger

C. are curious about the advanced technology

D. are aware of its benefits to the country

74. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. No country in the world has been attacked by a nuclear weapon except Japan.

B. A radiation leak happened to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at Hiroshima.

C. China and North Korea are threats to the region.

D. Kitty Hawk is the name of the old nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

75. By his remark in the last paragraph, the professor means that

A. he is quite confident of their military defense

B. he is completely opposed to a new nuclear carrier

C. what is needed is far more than a new nuclear carrier

D. it is unnecessary to guard against the two countries