英语听力—环球英语 764 Fireworks: A Global Celebration

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I'm Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Today's Spotlight is on fireworks.
Voice 1
Above you. Around you. To the side. Fire and loud booming² sounds surround you. Looking up, you see shapes, like flowers, falling from the sky in a shower of light. People all around you are cheering and laughing. It is a fireworks show. People all over the world enjoy these amazing light shows for many different reasons.
Voice 2
No one knows exactly how fireworks were invented. But most experts agree that the inventor came from China. More than two thousand [2,000] years ago, Chinese people began to use green bamboo in religious celebrations. This fast growing tree traps air inside it. People threw pieces of green bamboo onto a fire. When the bamboo burned, it exploded with a loud sound. People believed that the loud sound made evil spirits afraid. Soon, people used green bamboo in marriage celebrations and other happy events.
Voice 1
But soon, something new would take the place of green bamboo. Inventors discovered gunpowder³. Gunpowder was a mixture of three substances: potassium nitrate, sulfur⁴ and charcoal⁵. When these three things mixed together, they exploded with a bright light and a big sound. And gunpowder was much louder than the simple bamboo. Soon, it replaced bamboo in celebrations. Over time, this technology spread to other parts of the world too. Fireworks were popular in every place they went. Countries used them in many celebrations, military victories, religious festivals and the crowning of kings and queens. Today, people use fireworks for many of the same reasons.
Voice 2
In the past, people made fireworks simply by wrapping gun powder in paper and lighting⁶ it on fire. But today, making fireworks has become a real science. Now, it takes more work! The experts who make fireworks are called pyrotechnicians. First, pyrotechnicians mix gun powder with different chemicals. The chemicals create the different colours. For example, sodium⁷ creates the colour yellow. Copper⁸ creates the colour blue. Barium makes green. And aluminium⁹ makes white. Adding charcoal gives the firework a fiery¹⁰ tail as it flies into the air.
Voice 1
Pyrotechnicians make small balls of this chemical and gunpowder mixture. The balls are called "stars". Then, the stars go into shells. But these shells do not come from the ocean! The shell is a paper container. The shape of the container makes the shape of the firework. For example, a round shell will make a firework that looks like a circle. A large shell can hold up to one hundred [100] stars. There is also an extra amount of gunpowder at the bottom of the shell. The pyrotechnician then adds a fuse¹¹ to the bottom of the shell. In simple fireworks, the fuse is like a small, thin piece of rope. To light the firework, the pyrotechnician lights the fuse on fire. The fire travels up the fuse until it reaches the shell and then...
Voice 2
The gunpowder launches the shell high into the air. Then, when the fire reaches the stars in the centre of the shell, the firework explodes. It creates a wonderful show!
And one thing is for sure, people everywhere love a fireworks show.
Voice 1
Many countries use fireworks to celebrate national holidays. In the United States, Independence Day is celebrated¹² on July 4. And almost every community creates a fireworks show. It is a tradition for many families to go see the show. This has been true since 1777, the second Independence Day!
Voice 2
In Britain, people use fireworks to celebrate something different. On November 5, 1605, a group of men planned to bomb the British Houses of Parliament. The bomb did not explode, and the men were caught. Today, on November 5, people celebrate the failure of the plot. Communities light large fires, and set off fireworks. It is called Guy Fawkes Day, for one of the men. Children make "guys" - false men - to burn in the fire.
Voice 1
Indian people around the world use fireworks to celebrate a Festival of Lights. This festival is called Diwali, or Deepavali. It is one of the most important Hindu festivals. Hindus believe that on this day the evil spirit of darkness and dirt was destroyed. It is the day that spiritual light came to the earth and destroyed darkness. To celebrate, Hindus light lamps and fireworks.
Voice 2
Today, China is the largest maker¹³ and exporter of fireworks in the world. And fireworks are an important part of many Chinese celebrations. This is particularly true at Chinese New Year. Chinese people use fireworks to scare away ghosts and evil spirits. They believe the fireworks bring the people good luck.
Voice 1
Many countries use fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Some countries put on a big show, lasting¹⁴ for an hour. Other countries have smaller shows. For example, in Russia, many people gather in the famous Red Square to celebrate the New Year together. Instead of the city providing a fireworks show, people bring their own fireworks. Rather than coming to see a fireworks show, the people just come to be together and celebrate.
Voice 2
That is what is so great about fireworks. They bring people together. People of all different races, religions, and beliefs sit together under one sky, under the colours of fireworks. They celebrate together.
Voice 1
Yes! The most wonderful thing about fireworks is not how loud they are...
Voice 2
...or how big and colourful they are...
Voice 1
...or how they are made.
Voice 2
The most wonderful thing about fireworks is the way that they bring everyone together.
Voice 1
But there are some important things to remember with fireworks. They are a wonderful part of many celebrations. But they can be very dangerous. People often forget that fireworks are explosive - like a very small bomb! They can cause serious burns to people setting them and people watching the show. In extreme cases, fireworks can blind a person, or destroy a person's hand or foot. Fireworks can also damage the local environment. In dry areas, they can cause serious fires. For these reasons, authorities have banned fireworks in some countries. Anyone using fireworks should be very careful and obey local laws. Doing these things will create a fun and safe celebration!
Voice 2
The writers of today's program were Rebekah Schipper and Christy VanArragon. The producer was Liz Waid. The voices you heard were from the United States. Computer users can hear these programs, read our scripts, and see our word list on our website at http://www.radio.english.net. This program is called "Fireworks: A Global Celebration."
Voice 1
If you have a comment or a question for Spotlight, please contact us. Our email address is radio @ english . net. Or, you can leave a comment on the script page for this program on our website. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!
Music in this program came from Podington Bear.

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 booming   

adj.急速发展的v.激增( boom的现在分词 )；猛涨；发出隆隆声；以低沉有力的声音说话

参考例句：

• The opera singer has a deep, booming, masculine voice. 这位歌剧演唱家有一副深沉而又浑厚有力的嗓音。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He is booming as a teacher. 作为一位教师，他日趋成功。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 gunpowder   

n.火药

参考例句：

• Gunpowder was introduced into Europe during the first half of the 14th century.在14世纪上半叶，火药传入欧洲。
• This statement has a strong smell of gunpowder.这是一篇充满火药味的声明。

4 sulfur   

n.硫，硫磺（=sulphur）

参考例句：

• Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain.炼钢厂排放出的硫形成了酸雨。
• Burning may produce sulfur oxides.燃烧可能会产生硫氧化物。

5 charcoal   

n.炭，木炭，生物炭

参考例句：

• We need to get some more charcoal for the barbecue.我们烧烤需要更多的碳。
• Charcoal is used to filter water.木炭是用来过滤水的。

6 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

7 sodium   

n.（化）钠

参考例句：

• Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.在外面，全城的钠光灯都亮了。
• Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.食盐是钠和氯的复合物。

8 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

9 aluminium   

n.铝 (=aluminum)

参考例句：

• Aluminium looks heavy but actually it is very light.铝看起来很重，实际上却很轻。
• If necessary, we can use aluminium instead of steel.如果必要，我们可用铝代钢。

10 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

11 fuse   

n.导火线，引信，保险丝；v.熔，烧断电路

参考例句：

• The metal will fuse at a relatively low temperature.这金属在不太高的温度下熔化。
• This is the right fuse for the refrigerator.这是电冰箱上使用的保险丝。

12 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

13 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

14 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。