英语听力—环球英语 517 Play Power

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Ryan Geertsma.
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
That is the sound of excited laughing children. The children are playing.  They are riding on a piece of play equipment. It is called a “merry-go-round” or “round-about.” On the merry-go-round, the children move quickly in a circular³ motion⁴. The merry-go-round does not have power from steam or fuel. Instead, it receives power from the children who play on it. It turns around a metal bar, like a wheel lying on its side.   A child runs and pushes the merry-go-round.  Then the child jumps on the merry-go-round and enjoys an exciting ride.
Voice 2
Many people see the merry-go-round as just a large piece of play equipment.  It is just for fun and exercise.  But several engineers saw the simple machine as a solution for complex⁵ problems.  Today’s Spotlight is on how these engineers are using merry-go-rounds to supply people with clean water and electricity.
Voice 1
Over one thousand million people in the world do not have clean water.  Dirty water is the single largest cause of disease⁶ in the world.   Almost six thousand people die every day from diseases⁷ caused by dirty water. And finding⁸ clean water can be difficult.  In some areas, women and children spend many hours of their day searching for water.
Voice 2
Many people who live in country areas also do not have electricity.  They light their homes and schools using dangerous or unhealthy forms of light - like fire, lanterns or candles. Without good light at night, children have limited hours to study. Families also have limited hours to work in their businesses or houses before night.
Voice 1
These sad facts about water and light shocked a South African businessman named Trevor Field and an American engineer named Ben Markham. Although they did not know each other, both men developed similar ideas to help people in need. Both men used the merry-go-round as the base of their new inventions.
Voice 2
After traveling in poor areas of southern Africa, Trevor Field saw the basic need for good water.  He wanted to help people gain clean water. But he needed a new way to do it, a new idea.
Voice 1
And then, Field met Ronnie Stuiver.  Stuiver is an engineer.  He searched for and found clean water sources⁹ near poor villages.  Field learned¹⁰ that near by water sources did not always solve the problem.  Many villages do not have the resources¹¹ to pump the water to the ground’s surface. Most pumps require costly¹² electricity or fuel.   However, Stuiver had a solution.
Voice 2
Stuiver noticed another problem in many of the communities he worked with. The children did not have play equipment or other means¹³ for fun and exercise. This gave Stuiver an idea. He could make a new kind of water pump.  THIS water pump would use play equipment and children’s play to power it.
Voice 1
Stuiver recognized that a merry-go-round would be a good base for his invention. As a merry-go-round turns, it creates energy.  This energy could be used to power a water pump.  The pump would move water from below the group to the surface. The water could then be stored in a tank for later use.
Voice 2
Stuiver made a model of his system.  He took it to a science and farming¹⁴ gathering¹⁵.  This gathering is where Trevor Field and Ronnie Stuiver met. Field knew immediately that was the idea he had been looking for.
Voice 1
Field used Stuiver’s idea and began building these merry-go-round, water pump systems.  He called them “play–pump” systems.  His organization, Play Pumps International, provides the systems to communities and schools in Sub-Saharan Africa. Field built the pumps for communities without clean water.  He works¹⁶ with the community members. He teaches local people how to connect the water pump to the play equipment.  He also teaches them how to repair and take care of the equipment.
Voice 2
The play-pump systems became very popular.  People loved having clean water, and the children enjoyed playing on the equipment. Even when the children were in school classes, their mothers would come and sit on the merry-go-round.  They would turn the machine slowly as they talked with each other. This too provided¹⁷ enough power to pump the water.
Voice 1
The play-pump systems provided clean water without fuel or electricity. This means that people no longer have to spend hours finding and collecting water. The play-pump systems have also had a positive effect on farming. With greater resources of water, farmers produced better crops and healthier animals.  Farmers can expand their businesses. Families can spend more money for food, medicine and better education.
Voice 2
The play-pumps idea has gained support from many international organizations. Today, thousands of play-pump systems are in southern Africa. Field estimates¹⁸ these systems provide ten million people in ten African countries with clean water. Field explains his hope for the future,
Voice 3
“If we could put a thousand pumps in each country that lacks water, we would make a great difference.   It is a big job to put one thousand pumps in any country, but it will make a major difference to the children.”
Voice 1
Using play equipment this way is not limited to getting water. Retired¹⁹ engineer Ben Markham uses the merry-go-round to produce electricity.  He worked as a missionary²⁰ in Ghana, Africa.  Markham noticed that many children living in country villages needed electricity for their schools and homes.
Voice 2
Like Stuiver and Field, Markham developed a system using the merry-go-round. When children push the merry-go-round, it produces energy.  The energy produced by the merry-go-round is stored in a car battery²¹.  The battery can then be used to charge LED lights.  Teachers use these lights in the local schools. Students can also take the lights home.   This safe light can replace oil lights or lights that have a dangerous open fire.  The LED lights can help children to read or do their home work after dark.  They can also help the parents to work after dark if necessary.
Voice 1
Ben Markham began an organization called Empower Playgrounds, Inc. Empower Playgrounds works together with the Ghanaian government.  They provide merry-go-round power systems to several test schools.  Empower Playground and the Ghanaian government hope some day to provide power to ten thousand schools.  Today, these schools have no electric light. Markham explains,
Voice 4
“Our goal is to improve the quality of life in the country areas of Ghana.  This project will improve education.  It will do this by providing power for lights.  It will give children times for fun.  And it will also give them a hands-on science laboratory²².”
Voice 2
Basic problems do not always have simple solutions. But in these situations, basic needs for light and water were provided by something simple:  child’s play.
 

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 circular   

adj.圆(形)的，环形的；循环的；n.传单，通报

参考例句：

• The bright boy altered it to a circular form.这个聪明的男孩把它改成了圆形。
• The lamp stands on a circular base.这盏台灯是装在圆形底座上的。

4 motion   

n.打手势，示意，移动，动作，提议，大便；v.运动，向...打手势，示意

参考例句：

• She could feel the rolling motion of the ship under her feet.她能感觉到脚下船在晃动。
• Don't open the door while the train is in motion.列车运行时，请勿打开车门。

5 complex   

adj.复杂的，合成的，综合的；n.联合体

参考例句：

• What he said was too complex for me to understand.他说的太复杂了，我无法了解。
• Justice is part of the complex machinery of the law.正义是复杂的法律机器的一部分。

6 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

7 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

8 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

9 sources   

原因( source的名词复数 )； [物理学]源； 来源； 起源

参考例句：

• Government sources denied there had been a deliberate cover-up. 政府方面否认了有故意掩饰的行为。
• renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar power 像风力和太阳能这种用之不竭的能源

10 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。

11 resources   

n.勇气；才智；谋略；有助于实现目标的东西；资源( resource的名词复数 )；[复数]物力；办法；来源

参考例句：

• The world's resources are rapidly diminishing. 世界资源正在迅速减少。
• a policy to equalize the distribution of resources throughout the country 使资源在全国分布均衡的政策

12 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。

13 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。

14 farming   

n.农事；耕作

参考例句：

• He lives by farming.他靠务农过活。
• He is farming in Africa.他在非洲经营农场。

15 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

16 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。

17 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。

18 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

20 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

21 battery   

n.电池；一批；金属物件；群；【律】殴打

参考例句：

• He is charging a storage battery.他在为蓄电池充电。
• The battery has run down.电池用完了。

22 laboratory   

n.实验室，化验室

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a laboratory.她捐款成立了一个实验室。
• Our laboratory equipment isn't perfect,but we must make do.实验室设备是不够理想，但我们只好因陋就简。