英语听力—环球英语 672 Singing Changes Lives

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I’m Joshua Leo. 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
People move to their seats in a large room. The lights get dark and the music begins to play. The sound of the Vienna Chamber² Orchestra³ fills the room. Then a choir⁴ begins to sing. The voices are beautiful. But this choir is not from Vienna. In fact the event is not in Austria. This is the Shillong Chamber Choir. The choir is from North East India. The Vienna Chamber Orchestra has travelled all the way to India to play with this small group, in this small community. Today’s Spotlight is on the Shillong Chamber Choir and their leader Neal Nongkynrih.
Voice 2
Neal Nongkyrih was born in Shillong, India. He enjoyed music as a child. When he was young, Neal’s great aunt taught him about classical European composers such as Mozart and Beethoven. Neal’s sister taught him how to play the piano. He never received any school training in music. But in time, Neal improved greatly. When he was a teenager, he won a national piano competition. After this success, a wealthy man offered to pay for Neal to attend the Guildhall School of Music in London.
Voice 1
So Neal left India for England. After the Guildhall School, he attended Trinity College. He loved his new life in London. He worked as a concert pianist and taught piano. He was a successful musician. But Neal was not sure about his new job. He felt that the music business in Britain was too much of a business. People did not love the music enough. Neal worked hard but after some time he felt sick. Finally, a doctor suggested that he return to Shillong to rest.
Voice 2
Back in Shillong, Neal tried to rest. He did not feel the pressure of performing. He had only planned to rest for a short time. But soon, he decided⁵ to stay for longer. He felt that his skills could be helpful for the community.
Voice 1
In 2001 Neal decided to start a choir. At first, it was difficult to find people to join the singing group. So Neal tried something different.
Voice 3
“I was getting troubled with people who would come to the choir for a short time and then go back to join their schools, colleges, and places of work. I decided to take a risk. I started my own school where I would teach them music as well as their other subjects of study.”
Voice 2
Neal searched the city for children with musical training. He wanted to get the best trained students. But he soon changed his mind. He did not want to only help the good students.
Voice 1
So he began to find children who were interested in joining the choir and offered them free classes at his school. He welcomed them to stay at his home. Neal looked for poor families whose children he could help.
Voice 2
One of these children is Johanan Lyngdoh. Today, he is nineteen. Johanan used to be addicted⁶ to illegal drugs. He was part of a violent gang⁷. His family had given up on him. They left him with Neil. Today Johanan says that it was Neal’s music and teaching⁸ that brought him back from a bad life.
Voice 1
Another one of Neal’s students is a young girl named Mika. Mika has Down’s Syndrome⁹. This is an intellectual¹⁰ disability. People with Down’s Syndrome usually have limited intelligence. Neil accepted Mika into his home school. Mika can now sing, play the piano, and read music. Without Neil, she probably would not have gone to school. Today, Neal is planning to record a collection of songs with Mika playing the piano.
Voice 2
Today, there are about twelve children studying at Neal’s home school. Most of them come from bad families or suffer from a mental disability. Neal says that accepting these children has been easy for him.
Voice 3
“These children now stay with me. The school is about living together and enjoying music. For me, music is a means to join into the community.”
Voice 1
Singing is not something that is new to the community of Shillong. In fact, Shillong has been a home to Western classical music for many years. There is a large Christian¹¹ community in Shillong. The churches have been centers for classical music. But when Neal started his choir, people were not sure it was a good thing. Many people thought that choir music belonged in churches. Neal wanted to spread the love of music even outside the church walls.
Voice 2
Neal does not just teach the Shillong Chamber choir the music of great European composers. They sing Bollywood music, and songs by popular rock and roll artists such as Queen and ABBA. And the choir also sings songs that Neal writes himself.
Voice 1
The choir has performed all over India, and internationally. In 2009 they competed at the World Choir Championships in South Korea. They sang many different kinds of songs by many different artists. They competed against choirs¹² from all around the world. The Shillong Chamber Choir was the first choir to represent India in a World Choir Competition. The choir won a silver medal.
Voice 2
The choir continues to sing around the world. They are considered to be one of the best singing groups in the world. Neal’s first student, Ibarisha, has been offered an invitation to the world famous Julliard School of Music in New York. Another student has been offered free schooling¹³ in France. But the students are not leaving the choir. They want to stay with Neal and the other students.
Voice 1
Neal says that this love of music has healing¹⁵ effects on people. Many of the students in the Shillong Chamber Choir have had difficult lives. He says that singing has helped them. But he does not believe that it is only music that has made the children’s lives better.
Voice 3
“Sometimes I give too much credit¹⁶ to music. Healing power comes from God who gives us all different skills. Music is just one of them. The ultimate¹⁷ source of healing is God.”
Voice 2
When Neal first came back to Shillong, he came to find a place to rest and heal¹⁴. Today, he hopes that the Shillong Chamber Choir and his school can be a place for rest and healing for many more children to come.
Voice 1
The writer and producer of this program was Joshua Leo. All quotes have been adapted and voiced by Spotlight. Computer users¹⁸ can hear our programs, read our scripts¹⁹, and see our word list on our website at  This program is called “Singing Changes Lives”.
Voice 2
If you have a comment or question about this program, you can e-mail us. Our e-mail address is . We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program.

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 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

3 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。

4 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

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 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

7 gang   

n.一伙，一帮；结伴的朋友

参考例句：

• The gang live abroad,beyond reach of the British police.这帮匪徒住在国外，英国警方鞭长莫及。
• Some gang came in and shot the place up.有股匪帮进来对这个地方开枪扫射。

8 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

9 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

10 intellectual   

n.知识分子；adj.智力的，理智的，有理解力的

参考例句：

• Thinking is an intellectual process.思维是一个智力活动过程。
• Chess is a highly intellectual game.象棋是需用高度智力的运动项目。

11 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

12 choirs   

n.教堂的唱诗班( choir的名词复数 )；唱诗队；公开表演的合唱团；（教堂）唱经楼

参考例句：

• They ran the three churches to which they belonged, the clergy, the choirs and the parishioners. 她们管理着自己所属的那三家教堂、牧师、唱诗班和教区居民。 来自飘（部分）
• Since 1935, several village choirs skilled in this music have been created. 1935以来，数支熟练掌握这种音乐的乡村唱诗班相继建立起来。 来自互联网

13 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

14 heal   

v.使愈合，治愈，使康复；平息(争吵等)；消除，解决(分支等)

参考例句：

• Time helped heal the old wounds.时间有助于治愈旧创伤。
• This wound will soon heal if yon keep it clean.如果你保持伤口清洁，它很快就会痊愈。

15 healing   

n.康复，复原adj.有治疗功用的v.（使）愈合( heal的现在分词 )；治愈；（使）结束；较容易忍受

参考例句：

• miraculous powers of healing 神奇的治病能力
• She seems to have a vocation for healing. 看来她具备治病救人的才能。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 credit   

n.信用，荣誉，贷款，学分；v.归功于，赞颂，信任

参考例句：

• I credit him with a certain amount of sense.我认为他有一定的见识。
• He got the credit,and we did the dirty work.他得荣誉，我们做不讨好的工作。

17 ultimate   

adj.最远的；最后的；终极的；根源的，基本的

参考例句：

• What was his ultimate goal?他的最终目标是什么？
• The sun is the ultimate store of power.太阳是能量之本。

18 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。

19 scripts   

剧本( script的名词复数 )； 文字； 笔迹； （一种语言的）字母系统

参考例句：

• Many felt he was prostituting his talents by writing Hollywood scripts. 许多人觉得他给好莱坞写剧本是滥用自己的才华。
• The scripts had a rather tired plot. 这部陈旧的剧本的情节是非常俗套的。