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VOA慢速英语2013 New York City Program Teaches Children to Write and Enjoy Poetry

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New York City Program Teaches Children to Write and Enjoy Poetry

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC1 from VOA Learning English.

I’m June Simms.

Today we hear songs from country music star George Jones.

We also tell about a Maryland group that is helping2 older adults avoid moving into retirement3 communities.

But first we go to New York to hear some very young poets read from their work.

Many people think of poetry as difficult to understand and impossible to write. New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs tries to change those beliefs. In 2002, it launched “Poem in Your Pocket Day” to teach the joys of reading and writing poetry to everyone, especially children.

Faith Lapidus tells us about a literary center in the city that helps children learn to write poetry.

We are at Poets House, in Manhattan. The library has 50,000 books of poetry. It is 9:30 in the morning, and the children have just been told to read their poems aloud, all at the same time. This may help the children be less nervous as they wait to speak on their own.

They have for the past few months been learning to appreciate reading and writing poetry. An eight-year-old student named John has written a poem he calls “Answer My Questions.”

“Do you know why worms have to get back to the dirt to survive?

Why does the Sun have to rise and then fall?

Why can’t male animals have babies?

Why can't magic become real so we can do anything we want?

Does a peacock know how to dance?

Have you ever seen a mermaid4 play soccer without feet?”

Lee Briscetti is the director of Poets House. She says childrens’ active imaginations and endless curiosity make them natural poets.

“Seeing children as they’re going through language acquisition is experiencing the joy and the plasticity of language.”

Fourth-grader Kadijatou Darboc has written a poem called

“Elatedness is Everywhere.”

“On the street of elatedness

a cowboy catches a pig and slaps his

leg and says, “Yee-haw.”

On the street of elatedness

a girl gets a horse painted with splats of red, white and blue with 50 stars on its face. On the street of elatedness 

gooses talk to humans and aliens 

are a girl’s best friend.”

Kadijatou says she also likes to hear other people’s poems.

“Yeah. Because you get to know how people’s experiences are like and their feelings and how they can express themselves in different ways. It can make me see who they really are and what kind of a person they are.”

Children can use poetry to show what is happening in their lives. Third-grader Mia LaBianca wrote about her community in “On the Colorless Street.”

"On the colorless street

a man walks in gray

with no expression.

Like an ant, no expression.

On the colorless street,

a woman dresses in white,

like a ghost.

On the colorless street a boy wears black,

as if he is a shadow.

On this street,

no one cares for

color, NO ONE cares.”

A poem lets children say what they might not say in a conversation -- listen to “I Wonder,” a poem by nine-year-old Ava Gardner.

“I Wonder

I wonder, does the Earth sing to the Moon when it’s tired?

Does snow yell to grass when snow is melting?

… When plates are struck, are they moaning and groaning5? When people yell, do your ears burst?"

Poet Dave Johnson led the school workshops for Poets House. He says poetry can help build a sense of community. He admits it can be scary to read a poem you have written out loud -- to open yourself up to criticism. But he says taking that risk can promote trust and inspire empathy from listeners.

“We had a reading this morning where one young lady was petrified6 of, of getting up in front, in front of this huge room of people...And when she finally got the courage to read, she was crying a little, they all rushed up and hugged her. And I thought, ‘You know, it’s poetry, but it’s more than that. It’s this moment, this coming together, this communal7 act of saying ‘It’s okay. We’re here and we’re listening to you.’”

Poets House recently published a book of the poems created during this year’s project in the New York City schools.

I’m Faith Lapidus.

Eighty-five-year-old Phyllis Ramberg lives alone in Hyattsville, Maryland. She lives in the same house where her parents lived for many years.

“Children keep asking me, ‘When are you going to move to one of those retirement villages?’ I say, ‘No, no. My friends are here, my church is close. I've got everything I need, right in this neighborhood.’”

A year ago, Phyllis Ramberg was able to take care of the land around her house. She planted things, removed weeds and dead leaves. This year, she just cannot do it herself.

“Things have changed somewhat. When illnesses happen, you just don’t have the capability8 that you thought you had before.”

That is when the group “Aging in Place” can help. The non-profit group opened two years ago to help older adults in the neighborhood with their everyday needs. Founder9 Lisa Walker says she and her friends are among the seven percent of Hyattsville natives who are 65 or older. 

“A number of my neighbors are also around my age. We started talking about some of the concerns we had. Several of us had had issues with parents that were getting older and they were far away from them and didn’t know how to take care of them or get support.”

Hyattsville seniors can call “Aging in Place” for help with work around the house or for a drive to the doctor. Then a volunteer is asked to provide the help. Lisa Walker says her crew of volunteers is growing.

“We have about 40 people that have signed up to be volunteers. About 30 of them have gone through background checks. If they’re driving, we check their motor vehicle records as well.”

Aging in Place volunteer Sally Middlebrooks says that an examination of new volunteers’ driving record and any criminal history is just as important as the training they receive.

“We want the seniors, people we call neighbors, to be assured that they are with safe, reliable people who are also caring people.”

Most of the calls are for rides to the doctor. Louise Battiste began using Aging in Place services last year.

“They take me to all my medical appointments. Anytime I need something, I call them up. Almost every week I have something, and they help me do what has to be done that I can’t do because I can’t see. I’m an old lady. I’m almost 90.”

Lisa Walker says she and the volunteers gain from the experience.

“I’ve learned a lot about what I need to be thinking about myself in terms of staying connected to people, your family and friends. Do I stay close to them? Do I try to keep myself immersed in the community, relating to people younger than I am?”

Volunteer Sally Middlebrooks agrees.

“I’m learning a lot about this whole process of aging in my town and in my state and in my country. And I'm learning, to my alarm, that it's very difficult. But I’m also meeting people who astound11 me with their flexibility12 and their sense of humor and their ability to stay very much alive despite aches and pains.”

Not all Aging in Place volunteers are retirees. Twenty-four-year-old Courtney Wattai is a student at American University in Washington. She studies caregiving and plans to have a career working with older people.

"I want to be very involved in their lives, not just sitting at a desk doing things. I thought this would be a good way to give tribute to my grandparents and what they had done for me and my brother."

It makes Lisa Walker happy to see the younger generation stepping up. She hopes that’s how residents in her neighborhood will always care for each other.

Americans are mourning the loss of a true Country Music great. George Jones died last week at a hospital in the capital of Country Music -- Nashville, Tennessee. He was 81 years old. Christopher Cruise has more about the singer.

George Jones was recorded “Why Baby Why” in 1955. It was his first hit song for Starday Records.

Jones was born 24 years earlier in Saratoga, Texas. At the age of 10, he began performing at local night clubs and other businesses. In the late 1940s, he worked at a few Texas radio stations, before joining the United States Marine13 Corps14 in 1950. Jones completed his military service three years later, and returned to performing at Texas nightclubs.

He signed his first recording15 contract with Starday Records, but worked later with several other companies. In 1969, he joined Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, which has been called the home of American music.

Also that year, Jones married singer Tammy Wynette. Their marriage lasted only six years. But they worked together on a number of songs, including the number one hits “We’re Gonna Hold On,” “Near You” and “Golden Ring.”

Through much of his life, George Jones battled a dependency on alcohol. The addiction16 almost ruined his career. Some critics called him “No Show Jones” for missing numerous performances. Jones credited his fourth wife Nancy for helping him defeat his alcoholism and giving his life new meaning.

Garth Brooks10, George Strait and countless17 other singers have identified George Jones as a major influence in their music. At age 62, he was accepted as a member in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In 1999, Jones suffered life-threatening injuries when he lost control his car and struck a bridge near his home. After making a full recovery, he returned to recording and performing shows.

Jones often said that he played, sang and wrote Country songs because of his deep love for the music. He said, “It’s not really that important to me, as far as glory, popularity and those things. I just feel like I’m making people happy. And sure make me happy when I walk out on that stage. That’s all that’s really important to me.”

We leave you with George Jones’ most famous song, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”

I’m June Simms. Our program was written by Christopher Cruise and Caty Weaver18, who was also the producer.  Faiza Elmasry and Adam Phillips provided additional reporting.

Join us again next week for music and more onAmerican Mosaic from VOA Learning 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 helping 2rGzDc     
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。
3 retirement TWoxH     
n.退休,退职
参考例句:
  • She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
  • I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。
4 mermaid pCbxH     
n.美人鱼
参考例句:
  • How popular would that girl be with the only mermaid mom!和人鱼妈妈在一起,那个女孩会有多受欢迎!
  • The little mermaid wasn't happy because she didn't want to wait.小美人鱼不太高兴,因为她等不及了。
5 groaning groaning     
adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • She's always groaning on about how much she has to do. 她总抱怨自己干很多活儿。
  • The wounded man lay there groaning, with no one to help him. 受伤者躺在那里呻吟着,无人救助。
6 petrified 2e51222789ae4ecee6134eb89ed9998d     
adj.惊呆的;目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆,使惊呆;变僵硬;使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • I'm petrified of snakes. 我特别怕蛇。
  • The poor child was petrified with fear. 这可怜的孩子被吓呆了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 communal VbcyU     
adj.公有的,公共的,公社的,公社制的
参考例句:
  • There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
  • The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。
8 capability JsGzZ     
n.能力;才能;(pl)可发展的能力或特性等
参考例句:
  • She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
  • Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。
9 Founder wigxF     
n.创始者,缔造者
参考例句:
  • He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
  • According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说,罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。
10 brooks cdbd33f49d2a6cef435e9a42e9c6670f     
n.小溪( brook的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Brooks gave the business when Haas caught him with his watch. 哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时,狠狠地揍了他一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Ade and Brooks exchanged blows yesterday and they were severely punished today. 艾德和布鲁克斯昨天打起来了,今天他们受到严厉的惩罚。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 astound 1vqzS     
v.使震惊,使大吃一惊
参考例句:
  • His practical grasp of affairs and his energy still astound me.他对事物的实际掌握和他充沛的精力实在使我惊异。
  • He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance.过去,他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。
12 flexibility vjPxb     
n.柔韧性,弹性,(光的)折射性,灵活性
参考例句:
  • Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
  • The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。
13 marine 77Izo     
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵
参考例句:
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
14 corps pzzxv     
n.(通信等兵种的)部队;(同类作的)一组
参考例句:
  • The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
15 recording UktzJj     
n.录音,记录
参考例句:
  • How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间?
  • I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
16 addiction JyEzS     
n.上瘾入迷,嗜好
参考例句:
  • He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
  • Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。
17 countless 7vqz9L     
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的
参考例句:
  • In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
  • I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。
18 weaver LgWwd     
n.织布工;编织者
参考例句:
  • She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快,而且布的质量很好。
  • The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

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