英语听力—环球英语 718 Neema - A Centre of Hope

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Mike Procter.
Voice 2
And I'm Nick Page. 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
Hezron thinks it is fun to race up the hill to his place of work. He has a big smile on his face as he tries to get there before all the other workers.
Voice 2
Hezron has no legs. He is what people call disabled. 'Disabled' is a word that describes someone whose body does not work as it should – like a person who cannot see or walk properly. But it is a word that does not always tell the whole story - as we shall see in this programme.
Voice 1
A few years ago Hezron lost his legs in a bus crash. Thirty people died in the crash. Only Hezron and a baby survived. Losing the use of his legs changed Hezron from being a happy husband and father to a man with no hope. He even thought of ending his life because he could not get a job. But now he is enjoying life again and is proud of the work he does.
Today's Spotlight is about people like Hezron - people whose bodies do not work as they should and yet they have been given a reason to enjoy life again.
How does Hezron race against other workers when he has no legs? We will tell you later, but first let us tell you about Josphat. He, just like Hezron, lives in Tanzania, in East Africa.
Voice 2
Josphat has been unable to hear since birth. Because of this, his family did not look after him properly because he could not earn money. He became an unhappy and angry child.
As a man he was invited to learn how to make paper at a place called the Neema Craft² Centre. The Centre is managed by the church in Tanzania. After a few months he became highly³ skilled⁴. Learning⁵ these new skills made him happy. He was able to earn money and gain respect from his family.
Josphat does not have a straight back. People called him insulting⁶ names. But the people at the workshop were different. They soon gave him another name. They called him 'He is able' because he had become the best paper maker⁷ in the workshop.
Voice 1
The Neema Craft Centre has changed many lives by teaching⁸ people new skills.
In Tanzania, disabled people are often seen as cursed⁹ – as if they are hated by God. But the people who run the craft centre say that disabled people are not cursed. They believe that God loves people even if their bodies are not working as they should.
Voice 2
One of the disabled women at the workshop has the same name as the centre. She too is called Neema. She was in her early twenties when her legs became infected. Her family believed they did not have enough money to buy medicines, so they delayed¹⁰ taking Neema to the hospital. When at last she did visit the hospital it was too late. Both her legs had to be cut off below the knees.
Her husband was so ashamed¹¹ of living with a woman who had no feet that he left Neema to bring up their child alone.
She could not earn money because no one would give her a job.
Then she was given work at the Neema Craft Centre. She learned¹² to make beautiful beaded jewellery¹³. The centre also paid for Neema to receive special plastic legs. She can now walk with the aid of sticks. Also, her husband has returned to her because he is no longer ashamed. The family are back together again.
Voice 1
Another disabled person at the centre is Stephen. He can use only one hand – the other arm does not work. The people who train the workers did not think Stephen would be able to learn the skills needed. The work involves making small and complex¹⁴ things, such as beautiful jewellery that people wear round their necks and wrists¹⁵. But Stephen did not give up. He tried and tried and began to make good jewellery. Now that he can do this he is able to earn money. And being a skilled worker gives him respect in the community.
Stephen met a young woman and they wanted to marry. This is something her family would not have permitted¹⁶ before he became a skilled worker. But now they are married and they have a young child.
Voice 2
These are just a few of the lives that have been changed at the Neema Craft Centre. A British woman named Susie Hart started the Centre in 2003.
Susie went to live in Tanzania with her husband Andy. He went there to work as a vet¹⁷ - an animal doctor. It made Susie sad to see that disabled people were pushed away by their community and could not get education or jobs. She decided¹⁸ to do something to help.
Susie opened the Centre where many people like Hezron, Josphat, Neema and Stephen can learn to make craft goods with traditional African designs. These are then sold in the Neema Centre's shop in Tanzania and on their website.
The centre now employs more than one hundred people who cannot hear or who have some other part of their body that does not operate as it should.
Voice 1
In October 2010 a special day arrived for Susie Hart. She was invited to attend the Women of the Year event at a famous hotel in London. There she was presented with an award for the work she has done in helping¹⁹ disabled people in Tanzania.
Voice 2
But what about Hezron; how could he race other workers up the hill when he had no legs?
Well, the Neema Craft Centre has provided²⁰ Hezron with a special vehicle²¹. It has three wheels and is operated by the hands instead of the feet. This vehicle, and the chance to make beautiful African bags, has changed Hezron's life. After the crash that destroyed his legs he felt he was of no use because he could not provide food and clothes for his wife and three children. He had even thought of ending his life. He believed his family would be better off without him.
Now today, like so many other people at the Neema Craft Centre, Hezron has found that, yes, he is disabled, but he is also able.
 

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 craft   

n.工艺，手艺；小船，飞机；行业；诡计

参考例句：

• The harbour was full of pleasure craft.港口满是游艇。
• He's a master of his craft.他有一手好手艺。

3 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

4 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

5 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

6 insulting   

侮辱的

参考例句：

• She was really insulting to me. 她对我实在粗鲁无礼。
• All of us bristled at the lawyer's speech insulting our forefathers. 听到那个律师在讲演中污蔑我们的祖先，大家都气得怒发冲冠。

7 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

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 cursed   

a.可憎的，可恶的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• The necklace was cursed. 这条项链上附有会给人带来灾难的符咒。
• She cursed at one of her servants this morning. 今天早晨她大骂了一个仆人。

10 delayed   

adj.延时的，定时的v.（使）耽搁，延误( delay的过去式和过去分词 )；推迟；使延期；使延迟

参考例句：

• Deliveries of mail could be delayed because of cost-cutting. 由于削减成本，邮件的递送可能会延迟。
• The most likely explanation is that his plane was delayed. 最可能的解释是他的飞机晚点了。

11 ashamed   

adj.感到惭愧，感到害臊，因为羞耻或勉强作某事

参考例句：

• He is ashamed to show his face at the club.他不好意思在俱乐部露脸。
• You ought to be ashamed of your foolish behaviour.你应当为自己的愚蠢行为而感到羞耻。

12 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。

13 jewellery   

n.[总称]珠宝；珠宝饰物 (=jewelery)

参考例句：

• She never wears jewellery.她从不戴首饰。
• The police recovered the stolen jewellery.警察追回了失窃的珠宝。

14 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。

15 wrists   

n.腕，腕关节( wrist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her wrists chafed where the rope had been. 她的手腕上绳子勒过的地方都磨红了。
• Paul was put into the cell,his wrists were finally freed from handcuffs. 保罗被关进单人牢房后，终于把手铐从他手腕上取了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 permitted   

允许( permit的过去式和过去分词 )； 许可； 许用

参考例句：

• Radios are not permitted in the library. 图书馆内不许使用收音机。
• Entrance is permitted only on production of a ticket. 出示门票才可进入。

17 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

18 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。

19 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

20 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。

21 vehicle   

n.车辆，交通工具，运载工具；媒介，表现手段

参考例句：

• Air is the vehicle of sound.空气是声音传播的媒介。
• The power plant burns used vehicle tyres as fuel.这家电厂用废弃轮胎作燃料。