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VOA慢速英语2013 Summer In America: Best Places to Go

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Summer In America: Best Places to Go

Welcome to American Mosaic1 from VOA Learning English.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

On the show today, we play more hit summer songs.

We also learn about the best places in America to visit during the summer.

But first, we go to a small town in Maryland that is supporting its local artists.

Seed Project

A small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland has become a patron, or supporter, of the arts. The community hopes its effort will permit local artists more creative freedom. Avi Arditti tells how.

Vicco von Voss has been making furniture from reclaimed2 woods for 20 years.

“When I get a tree that has been blown over by a hurricane or strictly3 taken down by a tree company, I have the opportunity to give this tree a second life.”

Mr. von Voss is known for creating beautiful and useful pieces.

“Part of my philosophy is that if it took a tree 80 years to grow, I need to build something that will last for that same duration.”

The artist formed that philosophy when he lived in a 10-square-meter home he had built near Chestertown, Maryland.

“I grew to understand and love nature. But it wasn’t just loving nature, it was observing the real subtleties4 of the land, of the trees. And with that, I thought I’ve got to become a steward5 of nature.”

Mr. von Voss makes his living mostly by building specially6 ordered furniture. As soon as a piece is done, it goes to the customer. So, he was faced with a problem when a local museum invited him to exhibit his furniture at an art show next year. He didn’t have a collection.

“Basically the idea of borrowing my clients' pieces for two months was not an option. I couldn’t go and say 'I need to borrow your dining table for two months.'”

Art gallery owner Carla Massoni came up with a solution. If people were to loan the artist money, he could delay the sale of furniture and gather a collection for the show. After the show, he could sell the pieces and pay back the loans.

Ms. Massoni called her idea the “Seed Project.” She says 20 people have contributed money so far.

“Many of the people that are involved in this probably wouldn’t be able to purchase a piece of Vicco’s work. But they still want to be part of the process of his creating these pieces.”

Bob Ingersoll is one of the Seed Project’s supporters.

“It seemed to be such an interesting project. Here I had a chance to help Vicco concentrate more on creating pieces of art. I expect to see a beautiful piece come out of this or more, many pieces.”

Art gallery owner Carla Massoni says this willingness to help could have something to do with the community’s historic connection to the area’s farmland and river.

“What Vicco does is using the natural resources of the region, trees, the connection he has to the living, breathing environment that he is a part of. Many people share that philosophy as well.”

Vicco von Voss says the Seed Project has permitted him to grow as a craftsman7.

“I thought, what a phenomenal opportunity to get out of my own box and create something very unique and very sculptural, much more artistic8 but still functional9 than what I have created in the past.”

The Chestertown community hopes the Seed Project could expand into support for more artists and craftspeople in the future.

Summer Travel in America

A listener from Brazil recently wrote to us asking for some advice. He’s planning a trip to the United States, and wanted to know about the best places to travel in America. Today, we tell about the most popular places to visit in the country, and hear about what makes them so appealing.

Each of the 50 states in America has interesting things to offer visitors, but some are more popular than others. Washington D.C. is famous for its historical places, like the White House and the Lincoln Memorial. Visitors to Los Angeles, California can see the Hollywood Walk of Fame or shop at stores on Rodeo Drive where they may see a star or two. The Grand Canyon11 in Arizona appeals to hikers, climbers and nature lovers as does Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

Trip Advisor12 is a website where people can write reviews about their travel experiences. There are also ratings for hotels, restaurants, and places people have visited around the world. Every year, Trip Advisor makes a list of the top 25 cities to visit in the United States. The results are based on the opinions of visitors to the website.

This year, Trip Advisor said the top five cities named were New York; San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; Las Vegas, Nevada and Orlando, Florida.

Brooke Ferencsik of TripAdvisor said the top picks on the list were not surprising. And it’s no secret why New York City was named the number one destination.

“New York City is just the place that has it all, and travelers know that. It has world class cuisine13, accommodations, attractions and entertainment. People rave10 about seeing the Statue of Liberty as the bucket list attraction that everybody needs to see. And the Empire State Building, visiting Central Park, and of course the great museums.”

New York City is sometimes called “the city that never sleeps” because it can be very busy. It is an exciting place for many people because there is so much to do. But the city might be too busy for travelers looking for rest and calm. They might want something more like Myrtle Beach, in the state of South Carolina, which made it to number 21 on TripAdvisor’s list. 

“Myrtle Beach is a really popular spring break destination. A lot of people come to Myrtle Beach for great weather, it’s a wonderful family vacation spot, the beaches – got the wonderful Atlantic beaches there – there’s a lot of family-friendly parks and waterparks.”

Many people take time off from their jobs in the summer to travel. Because there are many tourists visiting other places, June until August is known as “high season.” Traveling during the high season can be crowded. Hotels, restaurants, and transportation might also be very expensive. If you want to save money on a trip, it is a good idea to plan to leave before or after the summer months. These times are known as “shoulder seasons” for travel. 

“If you’re looking for value, try to think about travelling through the shoulder season if it’s possible – the shoulder season being the fall or the spring. The weather is still very good in some of these destinations, and you can get better prices.”

America’s major cities are still the most popular destinations for visitors. Ferencsik says this is because of the good quality of services they provide tourists.

“They do a great job of giving travelers what they want while they’re on vacation. They cater14 to every type of traveler need. So whether you’re traveling alone, you’re traveling for business, you’re traveling with your family – whatever it is, those destinations are really tuned15 in to delivering amazing experiences and just a lot of different opportunities when you’re there.”

More Summer Songs

To start off the summer this year, Rolling Stone magazine released a list of the 50 best summer songs of all time. The magazine’s many other “best of” lists include the 100 best singers, the 100 best guitar players, and even the 500 greatest songs of all time. Madeline Smith plays some of the tunes16 that made the Rolling Stone summer list.

If you have ever heard any of the Beach Boys’ songs, you probably are not surprised that some appear on the list. The Beach Boys came to fame in the 1960s with cheerful pop songs about sunshine, riding the ocean waves and living a summer lifestyle. Their song “California Girls” made it to number four on Rolling Stone’s list.

A Learning English listener suggested another Beach Boys song, “Kokomo,” as their favorite summer song.

The Lovin’ Spoonful was also a popular 1960s band. Another Learning English listener said that group’s “Summer in the City” is a favorite. The song is number 7 on Rolling Stone’s best summer songs list.

“Summer in the City” talks about the hot, dirty and uncomfortable conditions that a summer day can bring. But it celebrates the season after sundown. The lyrics17 are cool town / evening in the city / dressing18 so fine and looking so pretty.

We leave you with a song not on the Rolling Stones list. But a listener loves it. Here is “Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams. The song tells a story of nostalgia19, a longing20 for the past.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly. Our program was written Caty Weaver21 and Madeline Smith, who was also the producer.


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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 reclaimed d131e8b354aef51857c9c380c825a4c9     
adj.再生的;翻造的;收复的;回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 );要求收回;从废料中回收(有用的材料);挽救
参考例句:
  • Many sufferers have been reclaimed from a dependence on alcohol. 许多嗜酒成癖的受害者已经被挽救过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They reclaimed him from his evil ways. 他们把他从邪恶中挽救出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
3 strictly GtNwe     
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地
参考例句:
  • His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
  • The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。
4 subtleties 7ed633566637e94fa02b8a1fad408072     
细微( subtlety的名词复数 ); 精细; 巧妙; 细微的差别等
参考例句:
  • I think the translator missed some of the subtleties of the original. 我认为译者漏掉了原著中一些微妙之处。
  • They are uneducated in the financial subtleties of credit transfer. 他们缺乏有关信用转让在金融方面微妙作用的知识。
5 steward uUtzw     
n.乘务员,服务员;看管人;膳食管理员
参考例句:
  • He's the steward of the club.他是这家俱乐部的管理员。
  • He went around the world as a ship's steward.他当客船服务员,到过世界各地。
6 specially Hviwq     
adv.特定地;特殊地;明确地
参考例句:
  • They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
  • The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。
7 craftsman ozyxB     
n.技工,精于一门工艺的匠人
参考例句:
  • A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。
  • The craftsman is working up the mass of clay into a toy figure.艺人把一团泥捏成玩具形状。
8 artistic IeWyG     
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的
参考例句:
  • The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
  • These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。
9 functional 5hMxa     
adj.为实用而设计的,具备功能的,起作用的
参考例句:
  • The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了,但现在可以用了。
  • The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的,只是为了实用。
10 rave MA8z9     
vi.胡言乱语;热衷谈论;n.热情赞扬
参考例句:
  • The drunkard began to rave again.这酒鬼又开始胡言乱语了。
  • Now I understand why readers rave about this book.我现明白读者为何对这本书赞不绝口了。
11 canyon 4TYya     
n.峡谷,溪谷
参考例句:
  • The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
  • The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。
12 advisor JKByk     
n.顾问,指导老师,劝告者
参考例句:
  • They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
  • The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。
13 cuisine Yn1yX     
n.烹调,烹饪法
参考例句:
  • This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
  • This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。
14 cater ickyJ     
vi.(for/to)满足,迎合;(for)提供饮食及服务
参考例句:
  • I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
  • Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。
15 tuned b40b43fd5af2db4fbfeb4e83856e4876     
adj.调谐的,已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调
参考例句:
  • The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味,老少皆宜。
  • The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 tunes 175b0afea09410c65d28e4b62c406c21     
n.曲调,曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调
参考例句:
  • a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
  • When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时,她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 lyrics ko5zoz     
n.歌词
参考例句:
  • music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
  • The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。
18 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
参考例句:
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
19 nostalgia p5Rzb     
n.怀乡病,留恋过去,怀旧
参考例句:
  • He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
  • I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌,心中充满了怀旧之情。
20 longing 98bzd     
n.(for)渴望
参考例句:
  • Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
  • His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。
21 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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