VOA慢速英语 2008 0101a

Now, a Special English program for the New Year. I'm Faith¹ Lapidus.

The New Year is the time for new beginnings. It is also the time to buy a new calendar. Yet it can take a lot of time just to choose the right one. There are lots and lots of choices. There are small ones. Big ones. Calendars that sit on a desk. Calendars that hang on the wall. Calendars to carry around. Calendars that show a whole month or one day at a time.

Of course, in one way all calendars are the same. They all list the same days of the year in exactly the same order. But people do not buy calendars just to know what day it is. Calendars have become popular gifts because many are filled with beautiful pictures.

Some have pictures of famous art works². It is like hanging a different painting on your wall each month. You can even learn from calendars. They often give information about their subject -- such as famous writers or American Indians or flower gardens.

There are calendars about food and about beautiful places in the world. Calendars about sports and about movies. Funny calendars with popular cartoon characters. Calendars of famous people, like Elvis Presley or Marilyn Monroe.

 
Women are not the only subject of sexy calendars. This one honors³ firefighters⁴ from the New York Fire Department⁵.
For pet lovers⁶, there are calendars with pictures of cats doing unusual things. Three hundred sixty-five of them ‿one for each day of the year. Calendars of dogs wearing clothes. And calendars of beautiful women in swimming suits, not wearing much at all.

Would you rather look at pictures of cars? There are calendars with those, too. For busy mothers, there is a magnetic⁷ calendar to hang on the wall. There are even calendars for children who can draw the pictures themselves.

Some people do not just look at their calendars. They use them to write down important things they must remember, like meetings or doctor’s appointments⁸. Busy people can buy small calendars to carry around to help them organize and plan their life.

But what if they forget to look at their calendar? Do not worry, there are electronic⁹ organizers¹⁰ that make sounds to remind¹¹ people of things they must do. These days, if you forget something, it is getting harder and harder to find a good excuse.

Some people do not like little calendars, or big ones, or noisy electronic ones. They are happy just to write down notes to themselves on small pieces of paper. The smaller the better, usually.

These people never worry about all the time it takes them to find their small pieces of paper when they need them.

I'm Faith Lapidus wishing all our listeners¹² a Happy New Year.

 

1 faith   

n.信任，信念，宗教信仰，忠实，保证，诺言，约定

参考例句：

• Once again he has broken his faith with them.他又一次对他们不守信义。
• He looked so honest that I accepted his story on faith.他看上去很诚实，我就不加怀疑地相信了他的话。

2 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。

3 honors   

n.礼仪；荣典；礼节； 大学荣誉学位；大学优等成绩；尊敬( honor的名词复数 )；敬意；荣誉；光荣

参考例句：

• He aims at honors. 他力求名誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We did the last honors to his remains. 我们向他的遗体告别。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 firefighters   

n.消防队员( firefighter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Firefighters tried to extinguish the flames. 消防队员奋力救火。
• By the time firefighters were called the house was well ablaze. 消防队员接到火警电话时，房子已是一片火海。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 department   

n.（行政、企业等的）部；局；处；科；部门；系

参考例句：

• What department do you study in?你在哪个系学习？
• Welcome to the sports department!欢迎来到运动品部！

6 lovers   

爱好者( lover的名词复数 )； 情人； 情夫； 情侣

参考例句：

• They were off-screen lovers. 他们是真实生活中的情侣。
• Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet 罗密欧和朱丽叶这一对莎士比亚笔下命运多舛的恋人

7 magnetic   

adj.磁的，有磁性的；有吸引力的，有魅力的

参考例句：

• If we charge it with electricity,it will become magnetic.如果充上电，它就会带有磁性。
• I have a magnetic disc.我有一张磁盘。

8 appointments   

n.约会( appointment的名词复数 )；任命；职务；职位

参考例句：

• The hospital is freezing staff appointments as part of its cutbacks. 这家医院冻结员工职位作为削减开支的一部分。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The secretary is trying to schedule the month's appointments. 秘书正在设法安排这个月的约会。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 electronic   

adj.电子的；n.[-s]电子学，电子设备

参考例句：

• It is an electronic device with many uses.这是一部具有多种用途的电子仪器。
• Father needs a new electronic shaver.爸爸需要一个新的电子剃须刀。

10 organizers   

n.组织者( organizer的名词复数 )；备忘记事本，电子笔记本

参考例句：

• We need fewer organizers and more doers. 我们需要的是少些组织者，多些实干者。
• The organizers of the march were charged with assault and riotous assembly . 游行组织者被控侵犯人身及暴乱性非法集会。

11 remind   

vt.提醒，使想起；使发生联想

参考例句：

• These notes will remind you how to present your ideas.这些笔记可以帮你记起怎样讲清楚你的意思。
• May I remind you that time will soon be up?我可以提醒你时间快到了吗？

12 listeners   

n.倾听者，收听者( listener的名词复数 )；听众

参考例句：

• the demographics of radio listeners 电台听众统计数据
• The singer's high notes jarred on the ears of her listeners. 那位歌手的高音让听众们觉得刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》