Breaking News English

A city in Japan is having a problem [within / with] graffiti. However, it is not the usual [type / typing] of graffiti with paint from spray cans [been / being] used to write on walls. It is graffiti in [sand / sandy] . Officials in the city of Tottori are asking tourists to [refrain / retrain] from writing messages and pictures in the sand of its giant sand dunes. The officials said the graffiti causes [damaged / damage] to the dunes and destroys the pleasure others get [on / in] looking at the sand. They said that more than 3,300 [cases / boxes] of 'sand graffiti' have occurred at the tourist hotspot in the last [decade / decide] . The Mainichi newspaper said there were more than 200 cases reported last year. In January, two overseas tourists were ordered to [raise / erase] a 25-metre-long message that read: 'Happy Birthday Natalie'.

The Tottori Sand Dunes are [famously / famous] throughout Japan for their natural beauty. They are the [largely / largest] and longest sand dunes in the country and form [partner / part] of a scenic geo-coastal park on the Sea of Japan coast. The biggest dune is 50 metres high. The dunes [scratch / stretch] for 16 kilometres along the [coast / cost] . The local government wants to improve tourists' understanding of the [important / importance] of the dunes. It will set [up / in] more signs in English, Chinese and Korean asking people to respect the dunes. More and more tourists are [visit / visiting] the site each year. A spokesman said: "We are [concerned / cornered] about whether the rules are fully understood, but we want to continue to protect [views / view] of the beautiful sand dunes."