NPR边听边练28:发挥创造力面对生活挑战

 　　【NPR边听边练】致力于提供新鲜有趣、饶有意味的时讯资料，致力于通过精听的方式促进听力提高，致力于不断开阔眼界和深入了解美国观点。

　　精听建议：

　　先完整地把一条新闻听一到三遍，争取掌握大意。然后，一句一句精听，力争每句话都听明白。遇到实在不懂的地方，再听写。

　　下面的文本材料中空缺部分里面要填的词都很简单，不过是一些值得注意的连读或者典型的美式发音哦，有些语速比较快。试试看，你能不能全部写对？

　　（参考文本，欢迎指出错误^^）

　　When I think about how my mother fed all seven of us, making us think that every day was a "different meal," I still appreciate how much a creative cook ___1___ a single potato.And it wasn't just in the kitchen. She would flip¹ her old Singer sewing machine upright, study ___2___books and magazines, then make ethnic² versions of those same dolls and stuffed animals to ___3___ church fundraisers. Without a TV in the house to distract us, we made the dolls come to life, ___4___ the hollow fabric³ sleeves one fistful of cotton at a time.

　　My mother made her own clothes and all my sisters' prom and wedding dresses. I always knew when she was making something, because she ___5___ or humming. She sang all the way through her home correspondence courses in floral design and interior decorating. She made being creative as normal as breathing and encouraged our participation⁴ by telling us that "idle hands and minds were the devil's workshop."

　　参考答案：

　　1.can do with

　　2.pictures in

　　3.sell at

　　4.filling

　　5.'d be singing

1 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

4 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。