英语听力—环球英语 1424

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Adam Navis.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I’m Robin² Basselin. 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

 

　　A large flag flies in the wind. It is 160 meters high and 30 meters long. It takes a very strong wind to move the flag. This flag flies high above the North Korean village of Kijong-Dong. The flag was built to show the strength and power of North Korea³.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The South Korean village of Tae Sung Dong is only a few kilometers from Kijong-Dong. It also has a huge flag, but its flag is smaller than the one North Korean one. It is only 100 meters high. It was the tallest flag in Korea until North Korea built the flag in Kijong-Dong.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The villages of Tae Sung Dong and Kijong-Dong are in an area between North and South Korea. Today’s Spotlight is on how life in these villages is different than anywhere else in the world.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The Korean War began in 1950.  In this war, northern and southern Korea fought each other.  And, each side was supported by a Western ally⁴.  In 1953, North and South Korea decided⁵ to stop fighting.  They did not officially end the war, but they did stop active fighting.  The United⁶ Nations returned the borders for North and South Korea to the way they were before the war.  They also established a neutral⁷ area between the two countries where no one could go. This area is called the demilitarized zone or DMZ.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　When the UN created the DMZ, some Koreans were already living in that area. The UN let the people remain in the DMZ and created two special villages for them to live in. One is on the North Korean side, and one is on the South Korean side.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The village on the South Korean side is Tae Sung Dong. To live in Tae Sung Dong, a person must prove that their family has lived in that area for many, many years. Their parents and their parents’ parents must have lived there before the war. Because of this, the village has stayed very small. Today, about 220 people live there.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Most of the villagers work as farmers. And because there are so few people in the area, they have a lot of land to farm. They grow things that most Korean farmers grow: rice and soybeans⁸. But they make a lot more money than most Korean farmers. The South Korean government pays the villagers about 95 million Korean Won, or 82,000 United States dollars, every year. The villagers also do not have to pay taxes.  These economic advantages are a positive part of living Tae Sung Dong.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　However, living in Tae Sung Dong can also be difficult. Because North Korea is so close, the people living in Tae Sung Dong live in a very dangerous situation. If the fighting ever starts again, it would be difficult for them to escape. The South Korean military⁹ works¹⁰ hard to keep them safe.  But this means¹¹ that the villagers have to obey extra rules.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　For example, most people in the world can stay out as late as they want to. And they can easily travel to other cities in their country. However, people living in Tae Sung Dong must ask the government if they want to leave the village. They also must be in their homes by 11:00 every night. These rules are meant to keep them safe.  They are also meant to stop villagers from communicating with North Korea.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Yoo Na-kyeung is a 12-year-old girl.  She lives in Tae Sung Dong. She told the US military magazine Stars and Stripes¹²:

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“At times, I feel very locked up. There are no stores here. Sometimes, you want to eat some ice cream, you want to order pizza, but we cannot.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Tae Sung Dong villagers have most of the same rights as other South Koreans. They are able to vote in elections¹³, and they can attend free public schools. When they are old enough, they can even go to a school in a town across the border. But their life in the DMZ affects the way they look at the world.  Jun Eun-young is another woman from Tae Sung Dong.  She told Stars and Stripes:

 

　　Voice 4

 

　　“I do not feel frightened or anything because watching the North Koreans across the fields has become part of my life. Instead, I wish to visit the other side - North Korea -because it is just right over there.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The North Korean village of Kijong-dong is on the other side of the DMZ.  Not very much is known¹⁴ about Kijong-dong.  North Korea does not let many foreigners visit their country.  People must receive a special travel visa¹⁵ to enter the country.  They must also always travel with a North Korean government official, while they are in the country. North Korea carefully controls what people report about their country.  And no foreign writers are able to visit Kijong-dong.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　However, people can see North Korea from the South Korean side of the DMZ. They can see that Kijong-dong is about the same size as Tae Sung Dong.  However, it is not clear how many people live there or even if people live there at all.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The South Korean military watches the North Korean side of the DMZ carefully.  They have noticed that Kijong-dong is not a busy village. The only people they can see are soldiers guarding the village. Because of this, South Korea believes that Kijong-Dong does not have any normal villagers living there. But North Korea says that 200 families live there. They also report that the village has farms, schools, and a hospital.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The DMZ was created 60 years ago to separate¹⁶ two fighting countries.  However, the creation¹⁷ of this area has had another unexpected¹⁸ advantage. Because few people have lived in or visited the area, the land has become very natural.  The number of animals and plants has increased. The DMZ has a lot of natural beauty that people cannot see anywhere else on earth.  But the people that live in Tae Sung Dong and Kijong-Dong get to enjoy this beauty every day.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Choi Jae-yeal is a young boy who lives in Tae Sung Dong.  He told Stars and Stripes about another unusual advantage of living in his village.  He said,

 

　　Voice 5

 

　　“I think it is amazing that I get to see the North Koreans every day when normal people do not get to see them.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The writer of this program was Dianna Anderson. The producer was Ryan Geertsma.  The voices you heard were from United States and United Kingdom. All quotes¹⁹ were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it at the same time on our website at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called, ‘Life in the DMZ.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　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 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。

3 Korea   

n.朝鲜(亚洲)

参考例句：

• Korea lies to the east of China.韩国位于中国东面。
• Korea and China are separated by only the Yalu River.朝鲜和中国只隔一条鸭绿江。

4 ally   

n.同盟者，同盟国；vt.使结盟，与...有关联

参考例句：

• In that war England was not an ally,she was neutral.在那场战争中，英国不同任何一国结盟，保持中立。
• She felt she needed an ally so badly.她感到她极需一个支持者。

5 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。

6 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

7 neutral   

adj.中立的，不偏不倚的；中性的

参考例句：

• Behaviour is never culturally neutral.人的行为从来都受文化的影响。
• They have maintained a consistently neutral stance.他们一直持中立态度。

8 soybeans   

n.大豆，黄豆( soybean的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soybeans are very rich in protein. 大豆含有丰富的蛋白质。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In Europe, soybeans aren't as common. 但是在欧洲，大豆的情况并非如此。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 口蹄疫疯牛病

9 military   

n.军队；adj.军事的，军人的，好战的

参考例句：

• The area has been declared a closed military zone.这个地区已宣布为军事禁区。
• The king was just the tool of the military government.国王只是军政府的一个傀儡。

10 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

11 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

12 stripes   

n.（与底色不同的）条纹( stripe的名词复数 )；（军装或警服上表示等级的）臂章；纹理

参考例句：

• The plant's stem is marked with thin green longitudinal stripes. 这种植物的茎上长有绿色细长条纹。
• a zebra's black and white stripes 斑马的黑白条纹

13 elections   

n.选举，当选，推举( election的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Republicans got shellacked in the elections. 共和党在选举中一败涂地。
• He emerged victorious in the elections. 他在竞选中脱颖而出获得胜利。

14 known   

adj.大家知道的；知名的，已知的

参考例句：

• He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
• He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。

15 visa   

n.签证；vt.签准

参考例句：

• You'll have to get a passport,and you'll also need a visa.你必须申办护照，同时还需要有签证。
• The visa expires next month.签证下月到期。

16 separate   

n.分开，抽印本；adj.分开的，各自的，单独的；v.分开，隔开，分居

参考例句：

• Are they joined together or separate?它们是合在一起还是分开的？
• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering.洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。

17 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。

18 unexpected   

adj.想不到的，意外的

参考例句：

• I always keep some good wine in for unexpected guests.我总保存些好酒，用来招待不速之客。
• His promotion was unexpected.他的升迁出人意料。

19 quotes   

v.引用，援引( quote的第三人称单数 )；报价；引述；为（股票、黄金或外汇）报价

参考例句：

• He quotes a few verses from Tennyson in his paper. 他在论文中引用了英国诗人丁尼生的几行诗句。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He quotes (from) the Bible to support his beliefs. 他引用圣经来支持自己的信念。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》