Daily English Vocab
PDF18th Feb 2017
North Korea’s dictator challenges Donald Trump
IF NORTH KOREA’S test of a ballistic missile on February 12th was intended as a provocation
(उसकाव), Donald Trump, unusually, failed to take the bait. For once, the president’s Twitter account
stayed silent. When Mr Trump was given the news, he was entertaining Japan’s prime minister,
Shinzo Abe, at Mar-a-Lago, his resort in Florida. In a joint appearance, Mr Abe described the
launch as “absolutely intolerable” and demanded that North Korea should comply with a raft (बहुत
सारे ) of UN Security Council resolutions that have so far done little to restrain its missile and nuclear
programmes. Mr Trump did not refer to the missile test directly, but pledged (वादा करना) that
America would stand “100%” behind “its great ally” Japan.
The statement was far more measured than some of his previous pronouncements on North Korea.
After Kim Jong Un, the country’s leader, gave a bombastic New Year address in which he boasted
(बढ़-बढ़कर बातें करना/डींग मारना) of being in the “final stages” of preparations to test-launch a missile
with the range to threaten America, Mr Trump tweeted back: “It won’t happen!” Mr Trump’s
retort (प्रत्युत्तर देना) suggested that any such attempt would be met with a military response.
The missile tested on Sunday may not have crossed Mr Trump’s red line (it fell into the Sea of
Japan, some 500km from its launch site). But it was indicative of North Korea’s rapid progress
towards developing medium-range and, eventually, intercontinental missiles capable of carrying
nuclear warheads. At first, South Korean officials monitoring the launch said the missile was either
a modified version of the Nodong, first deployed more than a decade ago, or the 3,000km-range
Musadan, possibly equipped with a solid-fuel rocket motor. The Musadan was tested eight times
last year, though only once successfully.
North Korea’s official newspaper said the missile had used solid fuel, and identified it as the
Pukguksong-2. According to John Schilling, an analyst who writes for the website 38 North, it
looked very similar to the submarine-launched missile North Korea successfully tested in August
(known in the West as the KN-11 and by the North Koreans as the Pukguksong-1). Mr Schilling
estimates that it has a range of 1,200km, based on the trajectory of the test launch—enough to
reach the whole of South Korea and much of Japan.
More important than its range are its greater mobility, durability and ease of use compared with
liquid-fuelled missiles, such as the Nodong. Solid-fuel missiles do not have to travel with a retinue
(something or someone that accompany a main Object. ) of tankers carrying propellant, and
they can be launched at five minutes’ notice, against the hour required to prepare the Nodong.
Michael Elleman, a missile expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), is
surprised by the speed with which the North Koreans have developed a powerful solid-fuel motor.
He thinks it possible that they have acquired the engines illicitly from either China or Russia. A
further concern is that the Pukguksong-2 was fired from a transporter-erector-launcher vehicle
with tracks like a tank, rather than wheels, giving it the ability to move beyond North Korea’s
limited road network. Mr Schilling concludes that the Pukguksong-2 would be much harder to find
and destroy than other North Korean missiles.
When North Korea comes to testing a missile with the range to hit America, it is likely to use liquid
fuel, since that is an easier technology to master. Even so, keeping Mr Trump’s pledge to prevent
such a test would be far from straightforward. One approach would be to try to destroy North
Korean missile bases pre-emptively. Earlier this month the commander of American forces in
South Korea, General Vincent Brooks, called for greater capability to do just that. However, as
Mark Fitzpatrick, also of the IISS, points out, South Korea would bear the full brunt of the North’s
retaliation (प्रततशोध/ प्रततकार). Convincing it that a shower of missiles on Seoul was a fair exchange
for protecting America from a notional threat would not be easy.
Another approach would be to try to destroy the long-range missile early in its flight using
interceptors fired from a naval vessel. But Mr Elleman warns that until the much faster and more
capable version of America’s SM-3 interceptor becomes available, perhaps by next year, the
chances of success would be low.
So too is the likelihood of diverting North Korea diplomatically. The day after the test the UN
Security Council did what it usually does, deploring the launch and calling for a redoubling of
efforts to enforce existing sanctions. These include measures aimed at cutting North Korea’s
exports of coal and metals, which were passed in November after a nuclear test. But until China
decides that the dangers of its exasperating (उत्तेजक) neighbour’s nuclear programme outweigh
those that might follow the collapse of his regime (शासन), Mr Kim will not be deterred (रोकना/रोक
रखना). Mr Trump promised on February 13th to deal with the “big, big” problem of North Korea
“very strongly”. But as ever, the options are dismal (खराब/तनराशाजनक).
Courtesy: The Economist (International).
1. Provocation (noun): Action or speech that makes someone angry, especially deliberately./
anything or anyone that incites a response. (उसकाव)
Synonyms: Goading, Prodding, Incitement, Stimulation, Prompting, Inducement.
Antonyms: Prevention, Repression.
Example: I walked away from a potential fight despite my enemy’s provocation.
Verb forms: Provoke, Provoked, Provoked.
Related words:
Provoke (verb) - उकसाना
2. Raft (noun): A large amount of something. (बहुत सारे)
Synonyms: Umpteen, Numerous, Huge, Several, Many.
Antonyms: Few, Scarce.
Example: One has to follow a raft of rules when he joins a professional organization.
3. Boast (verb): Talk with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements,
possessions, or abilities. (बढ़-बढ़कर बातें करना/डींग मारना)
Synonyms: Brag, Swank, Ostentation, Splurge.
Antonyms: Humility, Modesty.
Example: When people boast about their accomplishments, it makes the conversation take an
awkward turn.
Verb Forms: Boast, Boasted, Boasted.
Related Words:
Boastful (noun) - शेखीबाज
Boastfully (adverb) - डींग मारते हुए
Boaster (adjective) - शेखीबाज
4. Retort (noun): A sharp, angry, or witty reply. (प्रत्युत्तर)
Synonyms: Response, Counter, Rejoinder, Riposte, Sally, Retaliation.
Antonyms: Ignorance, Avoidance.
Example: When the conversation turned to critical comments about her outfit, Brenda had to stifle
a retort about Emma’s crooked teeth.
Verb forms: Retort, Retorted, Retorted.
Related words:
Retort (verb)- प्रत्यत्तु र देना
5. Retaliation (noun): The action of a counter-attack. (प्रततशोध/ प्रततकार)
Synonyms: Reprisal, Counterattack, Counterstroke, Payback.
Antonyms: Forgiveness, Pardon.
Example: The country will more than likely retaliate against the sanctions with its own trade
restrictions.
Verb forms: Retaliate, Retaliated, Retaliated.
Related words:
Retaliate (verb) – प्रततकार करना
6. Exasperate (verb): Irritate intensely; infuriate. (उत्तेतजत करना/भड़काना)
Synonyms: Infuriate, Incense, Agitate, Madden, Enrage.
Antonyms: Delight, Pacify, Please.
Example: After waiting forever at the drive-thru window, I threw my hands up in exasperation
and drove away without paying for my food.
Verb forms: Exasperate, Exasperated, Exasperated.
Related words:
Exasperation (noun) - a strong degree of annoyance or irritation
7. Regime (noun): A government, especially an authoritarian one/ a system or ordered way of
doing things. (शासन)
Synonyms: Order, System, Organization, Administration, Reign.
Antonyms: Anarchy, Disorder.
Example: Under the country’s military regime, criminal offenders were punished harshly and
swiftly.
8. Deter (verb): To prevent something from happening/ prevent the occurrence of. (रोकना/रोक रखना)
Synonyms: Prevent, Stop, Prohibit, Obstruct, Avert.
Antonyms: Aid, Allow, Encourage, Facilitate.
Example: Opponents of the death sentence insist that its existence does nothing to deter crime.
Verb forms: Deter, Deterred, Deterred.
Related words:
Deterrence (noun) - The act or process of discouraging actions or preventing occurrences by
instilling fear or doubt or anxiety.
9. Dismal (adjective): Causing a mood of gloom or depression/ pitifully or disgracefully bad.
(खराब/तनराशाजनक)
Synonyms: Dingy, Dim, Gloomy, Dreary, Drab, Dull.
Antonyms: Bright, Cheerful, Joyful.
Example: Because the critics called the play a dismal failure, few people purchased tickets for
the stage production.
Related words:
Dismally (adverb) – उदासीनतापर्ू वक
10. Retinue (noun): A group of advisers, assistants, or others accompanying an important person.
(सहायक)
Synonyms: Entourage, Escort, Cortege, Crew.
Antonyms: Individual.
Example: The president’s retinue includes a publicist, an assistant, and eight bodyguards.
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