英语听力—环球英语 1133 Mother to Many

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Ryan Geertsma.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I'm Ruby² Jones. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Can you imagine having ten children? How about 20, or even more? JoeAnn Ballard and her husband Monroe can. They were parents to over 75 children! But how can this be?

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　JoeAnn and Monroe were not the biological, or natural, parents of all these children. In fact, they gave birth to only four children. But during their 40 years of marriage, the Ballards took in many foster³ children who were without families or homes of their own.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Today's Spotlight is on JoeAnn Ballard. Her life has been an example of great service. It began with a simple choice to help a motherless child. From there, it became a life devoted⁴ to changing a whole community, one child at a time.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　JoeAnn was born in the state of Mississppi in the United States of America. Her home was not a happy place. There was much anger. At the age of three months, JoeAnn's parents separated. And they left their children, including JoeAnn, with distant family members.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　These family members were DeLoach and Ora Mae Benjamin. The Benjamins were amazing people. Before taking in JoeAnn, they cared for 45 other children without families. They were foster parents. They did not have a lot of money. They grew their own food and had a small business in their home. But they always had enough.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　JoeAnn wrote about her early life with her foster parents on her website.

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"We were never hungry or without clothes. My parents loved us, made sure all of our needs were met, and made sure that we all went to school."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　DeLoach, JoeAnn's new foster father, was 55 years old when JoeAnn and her siblings⁵ joined their family. He was older than most fathers, but to him that did not matter. He knew the children needed a home. And, he knew he had a home and love to give. JoeAnn wrote,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"My foster father worked hard and sacrificed a great deal to make sure we could succeed in life. My father helped me to understand what it meant to sacrifice. His example also made me understand that one person can make a difference."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　JoeAnn's father was a major influence on her life. She learned⁶ from his example. And he taught her why he helped so many children. You see, he believed it was part of his duty as a citizen. But he also believed that it was what God wanted him to do with his life.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　After college, in 1965, JoeAnn moved to the city of Memphis in the state of Tennessee. She worked in Memphis rebuilding and improving a poor African American church. It was here that JoeAnn met her husband, Monroe. He was a teacher in a local school. Soon after they married, JoeAnn and Monroe began serving children in the community.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　In the beginning, JoeAnn and Monroe would invite children to stay for a few meals or days. These children had many needs. Often, these short visits turned into long stays. Soon, the Ballards began to offer these children a permanent home. JoeAnn wrote,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"Like my father, my husband and I saw a need and God provided⁷ us with the strength and wisdom to help. We loved the children. They became a part of our family and it was a joy to have them in our home."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　After forty years of marriage, JoeAnn and Monroe had cared for over seventy five children. Some children stayed with them as little as one year. Others stayed as long as 11 years. However, each one became a part of the Ballard's family.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Becoming part of the Ballard family meant following certain rules. The children could not drink, smoke, use bad language or stay awake past ten o'clock in the evening. They were also expected to attend church with the family. However, life at the Ballard home was not all about rules. There was also much love and joy involved.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　JoeAnn talked with the magazine Christianity Today. She talked about the children's success. She said,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"Not one of them got pregnant⁹, and only one went to prison."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　JoeAnn is proud of this achievement. Many foster children in the United States become pregnant at a young age or become involved in crime. In fact, an American study of three states showed that in these states, half of all girls in foster care became pregnant before the age of 19.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Life can be difficult for foster children. It is very important for children to have long-time positive relationships with adults. And many children without families lack these kinds of relationships. However, it often takes just one person to change a child's life.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The Ballards became well known in the community for their service to children. People also recognized JoeAnn's skills as a community organizer. In 1978, leaders in the Ballard's poor Memphis community decided¹⁰ to start a community center. And the local leaders decided they wanted JoeAnn to lead the center.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Because of this, JoeAnn's service to children and her community expanded greatly. She became the leader of Neighborhood Christian⁸ Centers. This organization started small. However, today it serves 100,000 people each year from the Memphis area. The Center has almost 20 programs for children, families, single women and those in need. Some of the programs are educational, some are religious and some are for meeting basic needs - such as food, clothes and shelter.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　JoeAnn has built a major organization around her desire to help children and her community. However, it all began with the choice to help one child. And JoeAnn believes all people can make a difference - just like she has. On her website, JoeAnn shares about how all people are responsible for the children of our communities. And she encourages people to help take care of local children who do not have families.

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"Each time I hear of a child dying¹¹ violently, I ask myself several questions: Who may have lived close by to prevent this? Did those living in the community know the child's name? Were they crying out for help but no one noticed or heard their cry? There are clear signs in children who are suffering. They are the same signs we notice in our own children every day. The only difference is we take care of it before it gets too far. Children in our communities, churches, and schools are looking for that friendly, caring face that is willing to help."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The writer of this program was Robin¹² Basselin. The producer was Courtney Schutt. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. Computer users¹³ can visit our website at http://www.Radio.English.net This .program is called "Mother to Many." We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.

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 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 foster   

vt.收养，培养，促进；adj.收养的，收养孩子的

参考例句：

• Nowadays young couple sometimes foster.现今年轻夫妇有时领养别人的孩子。
• The captain did his best to foster a sense of unity among the new recruits.队长尽力培养新成员之间的团结精神。

4 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

5 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

6 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

7 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

12 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

13 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。