VOA标准英语2011--American Quiz Show On Air for 50 Years

American Quiz Show On Air for 50 Years

The longest-running TV quiz show in the world is beginning its second half-century on the air. It's Academic is a Washington program that lets high school students showcase their brainpower.
It's a Saturday morning, and the high school TV quiz show It's Academic is on the air, as it has been for the past 50 years. Students from schools across the Washington D.C. area are answering questions on history, literature, math, science, religion, politics and sports.
Producer Susan Altman says the show is a lot of fun. "It's a great age group to work with," said Altman. "They're fun, they're enthusiastic, they say funny things without even meaning to half the time."
Altman's mother, Sophie, a TV producer in the 1950s, started It's Academic at the request of local school officials to showcase outstanding students.
"At that time, 1961, the United States was going through a lot of upheaval¹ with school integration², and they wanted things to help out to make the schools look good and to show that integration could work and work well. So this is what she came up with," recalled Sophie Altman.
Mac McGarry has hosted It's Academic since it debuted³. He's now 84.
"Every time I look up, I see people who are just 17 years old, and somehow I think, 'Well I must not be getting older at all.' Their enthusiasm is contagious⁴, no question about it. You really have to rev⁵ yourself up to keep up with them," he said.
McGarry has challenged more than 20,000 contestants⁶, asked more than 200,000 questions and gotten more than a few funny answers.
"We had a question one time: 'Who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo?' and the young fellow answered, 'Duke Ellington.' Another time, we had a question of 'Who along with Frederick Engel wrote the Communist Manifesto⁷?' 'Groucho Marx,'" recalled McGarry.
The correct answers, of course, are the Duke of Wellington and Karl Marx.
Kelly Reeder knows that. She captained the Rockville High School It's Academic team last year. The suburban⁸ Washington-area school has won the show's championship several times.
"Me and all the other people on the team. We've put in a lot of effort over the years and a lot of time to be where we are. It's a really huge honor to end up on the A team," said Reeder. She admits, it's a little nerdy. "My friends who are on It's Academic think it's cool that I'm the captain of the A Team, but my friends who are not on It's Academic think it's kind of funny."
Reeder and her teammates reflected the diversity now common on It's Academic. That wasn't the case in show's early years.
"It's a reflection of the great diversity of our country. When we first started, the young people from various countries were not evident so much. Now, each program presents young people from all over the world, at least descendents from people all over the world. So this is a microcosm of the way America is today," added McGarry.
Several well-known Americans, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former astronaut Timothy Creamer, appeared on the show when they were teenagers. Perhaps one of these students from It's Academic will also rise to prominence⁹.

1 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

2 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

3 debuted   

初次表演，初次登台（debut的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• In late 2003 a full-size SUV, the Pathfinder Armada, debuted. 2003年末，全尺寸SUV的探路者无敌舰队，推出。
• The album debuted at number two and quickly went platinum. 专辑一亮相就荣登排行榜第二名，很快就取得了白金销量。

4 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

5 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

6 contestants   

n.竞争者，参赛者( contestant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The competition attracted over 500 contestants representing 8 different countries. 这次比赛吸引了代表8个不同国家的500多名参赛者。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 manifesto   

n.宣言，声明

参考例句：

• I was involved in the preparation of Labour's manifesto.我参与了工党宣言的起草工作。
• His manifesto promised measures to protect them.他在宣言里保证要为他们采取保护措施。

8 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

9 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。