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VOA慢速英语2012 AMERICAN MOSAIC - Senior Citizens Sing for Health and Fifteen-Year-Old Kyla Ross Heads to the Olympics

时间:2012-07-14 06:15:58

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AMERICAN MOSAIC1 - Senior Citizens Sing for Health and Fifteen-Year-Old Kyla Ross Heads to the Olympics

JUNE SIMMS: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I’m June Simms. This week, we play new music from singer John Mayer.

We also tell you about fifteen year old Kyla Ross. She is the youngest member of the American Olympic gymnastics team.

But first, we tell about some older Americans who are singing for their health.

(MUSIC)

Seniors Citizens Sing For Health

Over ten years ago, America’s National Endowment for the Arts began to study creativity and aging. The NEA, the National Institutes of Health and four other programs launched2 the Creativity and Aging study. It examined the effect of participatory art programs on the physical and mental health of older individuals.

The study took place in three parts of the country, including Washington, DC. More than one hundred older adults from the Washington area were taught to sing and perform together. They were compared to a control group of individuals who did not sing.

Jeanne Kelly directed the singing program. She says the study found that those working with her were happier and suffered less from depression than the inactive adults. The singers also took fewer medicines and visited the doctor less. And they had fewer falls because their bodies were strengthened.

What began as a study has grown into the Encore Creativity for Older Adults program. Currently3, the program has more than five hundred fifty participants. The average age is seventy-three, but some of the individuals are ninety years old or older.

There are now eleven choral groups in the Washington area and one in Ohio. Members do not have to prove their singing ability, and no experience is necessary. Jeanne Kelly talks about the program.

JEANNE KELLY: “Our singers, some of them have sung their entire life. Some haven’t sung for 40 years, because they’ve been busy with a career, they’ve been busy raising families. And then some have never sung.”

The eleven groups all study the same song, which makes it easy during when a performance date nears. They can be combined into a larger chorus4 if the theater or concert hall is very large. After the concert season, Jeanne Kelly directs two summer programs in New York and Maryland. Singers have only four days to learn five songs before they perform in public.

Eighty-two year old Jeanne Heather has attended the summer programs. She explains why she went.

JEANNE HEATHER: “Because it’s fun and because I learn so many things. They teach us here, not only about the music, but how to sing, and how to sing better. And they don’t really get mad if you miss a note.” 

Seventy four year old Margo Newhouse joined Encore last year. She says the program was very helpful when she recovered from a fall.

MARGO NEWHOUSE: “Definitely5, I was very tired each day at the end of the day, and it was a healthy tiredness, which I am sure has helped me with my activity level.” 

(MUSIC)

The Creativity and Aging study may have ended years ago, but the choral groups that were studied have continued and expanded. I’m Faith Lapidus.

American Olympian Kyla Ross Heads to the Olympics

JUNE SIMMS: Fifteen-year-old Kyla Ross of California is the youngest member of the American Olympic gymnastics team. She says that going to the twenty-twelve Summer Games is like a dream come true. But, as we hear from Bob Doughty6, getting to London means she has had to work harder than most girls her age.

BOB DOUGHTY: Kyla Ross does not live the life of an average teenage girl. She spends thirty to thirty-five hours a week training at the Gym-Max Academy7 of Gymnastics, south of Los Angeles. She goes to school only part-time.

KLYA ROSS: “Of course, it’s always hard to fit in homework, especially this year. I had to cut back on a lot of school. It sort of feels unreal. I mean, I’ve been working for the Olympics all my life, and it’s something that I’ve been training for. So to be able to say that is such a dream come true.” 

Kyla Ross has stayed in school so that she can finish her studies and graduate in four years. Her father, Jason Ross, says it has not been easy.

JASON ROSS: “You have to be a very disciplined person. I mean from practice to going straight to do your homework. You might want to rest or, disciplined in the fact that oh you want to hang out with your friends, and people are going out. But you have to stay home and finish your homework or get rest because you have a competition. So (it) definitely takes a lot of discipline.” 

Kyla Ross’s training coach, Jenny Liang, says it takes discipline of a different kind to deal with the pressure at the Olympics. She says the biggest issue at the Olympic Games will be in the young gymnast’s own mind. Mrs. Liang says her mind has to be even stronger. She has to think, ‘I’ve practiced this one thousand times before. It’s just changing the venue8.’ The gymnastic coach says if you think too much, you cannot do anything.” 

Jenny Liang and her husband Howie have coached Kyla for the past seven years. They met in China as gymnasts for the Chinese National Team. They later moved to the United States, where they opened the Gym-Max Academy of Gymnastics.

Kyla Ross was born in Hawaii. Her parents put her in a gymnastics class when she was three years old to help her burn off energy. Jason Ross says he never expected his daughter to compete at the Olympics.

JASON ROSS: “You just recollect9 on all the times, you dropped her off (at) practices, (the) to struggles she’s had, also the time she’s invested10 into (gymnastics), and just the gratifying feeling that she achieved her goal and really put a lot of work into it, and it’s actually happened…”

Again, Kyla Ross:

KYLA ROSS: “From this experience, it’s definite been a really long journey and as my dad tells me, ‘You always have to enjoy the moment.’ I definitely want to have fun when I go to London and enjoy being with the team competing, and hopefully representing Team USA as well as we can.”

The United States women’s gymnastics team won its first ever gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. That is the same year Kyla Ross was born. Maybe this year she can help the women’s team bring home another gold. Kyla Ross will be training with her four team members in Texas before flying off to London for the Summer Games. I’m Bob Doughty.

John Mayer Returns With Shadow Days

John Mayer seems to hit all the right notes when he sings. But, the singer has been known to miss the mark more than a few times when he opens his mouth to speak. He made news a few years ago after speaking with Playboy magazine about former girlfriends Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston. He also made some not so nice comments about black women.

Now, the seven-time Grammy Award winning singer is back. He has a new album, a new sound and possibly a new attitude. Faith Lapidus has more.

(MUSIC)

“Shadow Days” is the first release11 from John Mayer’s latest CD, “Born and Raised.” It is the fifth studio album from the singer, songwriter and musician. It also is his third album to reach number one on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart. And it is his first release since his Playboy comments made news headlines two years ago.

Recently, he explained those comments as a failed attempt to make himself sound more exciting. While not actually apologizing for what he said, he did seem to express some sense of regret. The same can be said of his latest CD.

On the song “Shadow Days,” John Mayer sings “it sucks to be honest and it hurts to be real.” He also says his “shadow days are over now,” and goes on to declare himself a “good man with a good heart.”

Some critics have called John Mayer’s new album his most honest, sincere12 and emotional13 work to date. Songs like “Love is a Verb” are praised as perfect examples.

(MUSIC)

A new attitude is not the only thing that seems different about John Mayer. The sound of his music has also taken on a new direction. His traditional pop-rock sound has been replaced with more of a folk music kind of feeling. David Crosby and Graham Nash join him on the album’s title track, “Born and Raised.”

(MUSIC)

John Mayer recorded most of the new songs with Grammy Award winning producer John Was before doctors operated on his throat last year. In March, he was forced to cancel a number of performances in the United States after his throat problems returned. He now says he is not sure when he will be able to perform in support of his new album.

JUNE SIMMS: I’m June Simms. This program was written by George Grow and Kim Varzi. Elizabeth Lee and Susan Logue provided14 additional15 reporting.

Go to www.voanews.cn to find transcripts16 and MP3s of our programs and to post comments on our relationship advice blog. If you want to ask our audience for advice, write to [email protected]. Type "relationship" in the subject line. We won't publish your name but please include your age, gender17 and country.

Join us again next week for music and more on AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 mosaic CEExS     
n./adj.镶嵌细工的,镶嵌工艺品的,嵌花式的
参考例句:
  • The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
  • The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。
2 launched e6629d9df33839e8c4e637ffbcd1d5e2     
v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 );[计算机]开始(应用程序);发动;开展(活动、计划等)
参考例句:
  • He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
  • The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。
3 currently SvMzI2     
adv.通常地,普遍地,当前
参考例句:
  • Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
  • Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。
4 chorus urozX     
n.合唱,合唱队,齐声
参考例句:
  • Never before have I heard this song sung in chorus.我从来没有听过这首歌的合唱。
  • The children repeated the words after her in chorus.孩子们跟她齐声朗读单词。
5 definitely RuJzx0     
adv.一定地,肯定地;明确地,确切地
参考例句:
  • The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛,这个队肯定会输。
  • I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前,我一定回家。
6 doughty Jk5zg     
adj.勇猛的,坚强的
参考例句:
  • Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质:脾气倔强,性格刚强。
  • The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。
7 academy FIxyW     
n.(高等)专科院校;学术社团,协会,研究院
参考例句:
  • This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
  • I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。
8 venue ALkzr     
n.犯罪地点,审判地,管辖地,发生地点,集合地点
参考例句:
  • The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
  • The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。
9 recollect eUOxl     
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得
参考例句:
  • He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。
  • She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。
10 invested 9a25ac4ea8d8a9b7bac3a3ed96702a06     
v.投资,花费( invest的过去式和过去分词 );授予;(把资金)投入;投入(时间、精力等)
参考例句:
  • The money will be invested in managed funds. 这笔钱将投资于管理基金。
  • He invested his lawyer with complete power to act for him. 他让律师全权代办。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 release iVhxh     
vt.发布,发表,发行;释放,放开
参考例句:
  • After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
  • This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。
12 sincere 5yQwX     
adj.真诚的,诚挚的,诚恳的
参考例句:
  • He is sincere and easy to get along with.他为人诚恳,很好相处。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
13 emotional 3pDxl     
adj.令人动情的;易动感情的;感情(上)的
参考例句:
  • Emotional people don't stop to calculate.感情容易冲动的人做事往往不加考虑。
  • This is an emotional scene in the play.这是剧中动人的一幕。
14 provided PkNzng     
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。
15 additional rJTyM     
adj.添加的,额外的,另外的
参考例句:
  • It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
  • I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。
16 transcripts 525c0b10bb61e5ddfdd47d7faa92db26     
n.抄本( transcript的名词复数 );转写本;文字本;副本
参考例句:
  • Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样,都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
  • You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书,你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句
17 gender slSyD     
n.(生理上的)性,(名词、代词等的)性
参考例句:
  • French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语,所有的名词都有性。
  • Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

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