VOA慢速英语 2007 0907b

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

We listen to music from the television movie "High School Musical Two" ‿/P>

Answer a question about buying a car in the United States ‿/P>

And report about the worldwide baseball program called Little League.

Little League

HOST:

 
Georgia's Dalton Carriker after hitting a home run for the Warner Robins² Little League's 3-2 victory over Tokyo Kitasuna
Last month, an American baseball team from the state of Georgia defeated a team from Tokyo, Japan, to win the Little League World Series.  Children of all ages in more than one hundred countries around the world play in more than seven thousand Little League programs.  Barbara Klein has more.

BARBARA KLEIN:

Little League began in the state of Pennsylvania in nineteen thirty-nine. It was the result of efforts by a man named Carl Stotz who lived in the small city of Williamsport.  He developed the first rules for a summer boys' baseball program.

The teams were all from Williamsport.  The first Little League game was played on June sixth, nineteen thirty-nine.  The program began to expand to nearby areas, then to other parts of the country.  A team from Williamsport, the Maynard Midgets, won the first Little League World Series in nineteen forty-seven.  Then the organization became international.  Canadian children began playing Little League baseball in nineteen fifty-one.

In nineteen fifty-seven, a team from Monterrey, Mexico became the first team from outside the United States to win the Little League World Series. Since then, teams from Japan, South Korea and Venezuela have also won the World Series.

All the Little League World Series games have been played in Williamsport.  The games are no longer for boys only. Girls can also take part in Little League. And the organization has added softball to its programs.

The organization notes that many famous professional athletes played Little League Baseball when they were young.  One is Cal Ripken, who recently became a member of the American Baseball Hall of Fame. Others grew up to play American football, like Troy Aikman, an award-winning former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.

Actor Danny DeVito played in Little League.  So did writer John Grisham, United States Senator³ Joseph Lieberman and former Secretary of Defense⁴ William Cohen.  And we cannot leave out the only former Little League player to become president of the United States. As a boy, George W. Bush played catcher on a Little League team in Midland, Texas.

Buying A Car

HOST:

Our VOA listener question this week comes from Vietnam. Misan Ho wants to know if it is possible for a recent college graduate to own a house and a car.

Many American college graduates are able to find a job and begin to earn money quickly. However, houses and apartments in the United States are usually too costly⁵ to buy right away. Instead of buying a house, most recent college graduates rent an apartment with roommates.

However, many college graduates are able to buy their own cars. They may need a car to travel to their jobs.

 
 
Their first car will probably be a used car because they cost much less than new ones. The prices of used cars can be very different, depending on the kind of car, how old it is and how well it works⁶. A small, older car costs much less than a large, newer one.  For example, the average price for a used nineteen ninety-nine Honda Civic⁷ is about eight thousand dollars. However, the average price for a used two thousand seven Ford⁸ Explorer is about twenty-five thousand dollars.

There are several ways to find used cars. Places that sell new cars usually have used cars for sale as well. The car dealerships get these used cars from people who trade them in for new cars. These cars might cost more than other used cars, but they are more likely to work well. Also, many dealers⁹ can promise that the car will work for a period of time or they will fix it for free. 

Some people buy a used car directly from the owner. Car owners advertise these cars for sale over the Internet or in the newspaper. It may cost less to buy a car from the owner, but it can also be a bigger risk.

Before you decide to buy any used car, it is a good idea to make sure it works well. You should take the car for a test drive. Also, you should get a professional car mechanic¹⁰ to inspect the car.  And you should make sure that the car has all of the required legal documents. There are many good used cars available for sale. You just might have to shop around.

High School Musical 2, 3 ...

HOST:

The top selling record album in the United States last year was from the television 
Cast of "High School Musical 2"
movie “High School Musical.‿nbsp; Reports say the movie has earned one hundred million dollars. People in one hundred other countries have seen it.  That success led the Disney Company to plan more "High School Musical" movies.

The second movie was shown for the first time on American television last month. Reports say seventeen million people watched.  That makes "High School Musical Two" the most watched show ever on an American cable¹¹ television network. Faith Lapidus tells us about it.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

“High School Musical‿is about two American teenagers who try to get parts in the school play and learn about themselves in the process.  “High School Musical Two‿is about those students and their friends during summer vacation.  At the start of the show, they sing about what they expect.

(MUSIC: "What Time Is It?")

The story centers around a high school basketball player named Troy. He is attracted to a rich girl named Sharpay and forgets about his other friends, including his girlfriend Gabriella. But events force him to reconsider and decide what values are important to him. Zac Efron plays Troy. He sings about the problem in the song "Bet¹² On It":

(MUSIC)

The movies are especially popular with girls from ages nine to fourteen. Their parents approve of the movies as well. They say the films are fun and send good messages to kids.

The Disney Company is already preparing for "High School Musical Three" to be released¹³ in movie theaters next year.  But now, we leave you with another song from “High School Musical Two.‿nbsp; It is called “All For One.‿/P>

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson.  I hope you enjoyed our program today.  It was written by Erin Braswell and Nancy Steinbach.  Caty Weaver¹⁴ was our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio¹⁵, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. 

Send your questions about American life to [email protected].  Please include your full name and mailing address.  Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A. 

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 robins   

n.知更鸟，鸫( robin的名词复数 )；（签名者不分先后，以避免受责的）圆形签名抗议书（或请愿书）

参考例句：

• The robins occupied their former nest. 那些知更鸟占了它们的老窝。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Benjamin Robins then entered the fray with articles and a book. 而后，Benjamin Robins以他的几篇专论和一本书参加争论。 来自辞典例句

3 senator   

n.参议员，评议员

参考例句：

• The senator urged against the adoption of the measure.那参议员极力反对采取这项措施。
• The senator's speech hit at government spending.参议员的讲话批评了政府的开支。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

6 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。

7 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

8 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

9 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

10 mechanic   

n.技工，机(械)工，机修工

参考例句：

• The mechanic made the necessary adjustments to the engine.机械师对发动机作了必要的调整。
• He is a mechanic who buys and sells cars on the side.他是一个兼营买卖汽车的技工。

11 cable   

n.缆绳，索；电缆；电报；vt.电汇，打电报

参考例句：

• Don't forget to cable us as soon as you arrive.别忘了一到就给我发个电报。
• The worker attached a cable.工人连接电缆。

12 bet   

v.打赌，以(与)...打赌；n.赌注，赌金；打赌

参考例句：

• I bet you can't do this puzzle.我敢说，你解决不了这个难题。
• I offered to bet with him.我提出与他打赌。

13 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

14 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

15 audio   

n./adj.音频(响)(的)；声音(的)，听觉(的)

参考例句：

• Often,the meeting is recorded on audio or video media for later reference.通常这种会议会以视频或者音频形式记录下来，供以后查阅。
• You don't even have to pay for audio programs.你大可不必为自己听这些节目付费。