Entraînement à la Grammaire Anglaise à Distance

The cherry trees in Tokyo officially bloomed this week, in the wake of news that highly radioactive water was found outside Japan's earthquake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant. Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami, and the explosions at the Fukushima plant that followed, have put a severe damper on the country's peak tourist season. Cherry blossom festivals are still under way, but tourists are hesitant to visit a country coping with death, destruction and now the dangers of radiation. Tourists elsewhere in the world, though, are trying to make the cherry blossom a symbol of hope. In the US, the National Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off early last week in Washington DC with a fundraising walk and vigil for the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. The annual festival, which celebrates Japan's friendship with the US, began 99 years ago when Japan gave the country thousands of cherry blossom trees as a gift. Now the US is using that gift to help its ally recover from a terrible tragedy.

Adapted from bbc.com